Dear Professor Freehling:
I have received the response you sent to me and to the LAW-LIB
list noting your concern about my posting on LAW-LIB an
announcement about the new book my wife, Jill, and I have written
about LEXIS and WESTLAW. I regret that, as you wrote, I wasted
your time by posting the announcement. To you, and to anyone
else who received the announcement and considered its focus
inappropriate, I apologize for the inconvenience experienced by
receiving an unwanted communication.
Your objection raises an issue I had considered before making the
posting -- namely, whether it would conform to the practices for
posting to LAW-LIB and to the other lists to which I also sent
the information. For several weeks before I sent the
communication, I monitored -- for both style and content --
postings to these lists. After finding other postings to LAW-LIB
by for-profit and not-for-profit organizations regarding the
availability of books and seminars, I concluded my announcement
would not breach LAW-LIB etiquette. In evaluating the
appropriateness of my posting, I also considered that it dealt
with subjects that are key interests -- even key job
responsibilities -- of many subscribers to LAW-LIB (that is,
electronic retrieval of information and, more specifically,
retrieval of information from LEXIS and WESTLAW).
In light of your response, however, I will continue to monitor
postings with an eye toward my avoiding offense to anyone in
connection with future communications. I appreciate your taking
the time to respond, and I hope we will have other opportunities
-- more to your liking -- for exchanging points of view.
Chris Wren
Madison, Wisconsin
P.S. Thank you for including your opinion that you are sure our
new book will prove an important addition to the legal
research literature.
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