On Wed, 7 Dec 1994, michael spindler wrote:
[snip]
> Prodigy, etc. was debated on this list in the past. This is an example of
> the pitfalls of open access to Internet discussion lists. This may be an
> acceptable risk for some, but why expose yourself when you don't have to?
> I believe in the concept of open access, and understand it involves
> putting up with this kind of thing OCCASIONALLY, but those few who abuse
> it ruin it for the majority. I did not mean to generalize about all AOL
> subscribers, and apologize for any misunderstanding. I appreciate the
> efforts of AOL to investigate and remedy this incident.
[Kragan comments snipped]
Leaving for a moment the concept of open/closed systems and the measures
we or sysops must or should take to prevent this from happening again, I
do have one question:
What do we do to the bugger when we catch him?
Since hanging from the yardarm, keelhauling, hot pokers and pincers are
right out (and probably too good for him or her), there must be other
punishments.
Some kind of criminal prosecution (like saying you have a bomb on a plane
when you don't) might be appropriate. Likewise, what about civil suits?
Could I recover for the time I spent in a panic, searching my hard drive,
as one user did? What about the great mental anguish this has caused
me? Or the heart attack it gave one of our elderly readers?
Lastly, what about net access for the perpetrator? Would we, could we,
or should we 'ban them for life' from the Infobahn? Would it be cruel
and unusual to cut them off from the rest of the emerging electronic society?
Bart Schorsch Law School Network Services
schorsch@plains.nodak.edu (home) UND School of Law
bart.schorsch@thor.law.und.nodak.edu (work)
"You must be joking!"
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