Re: [pct-l] Netiquette

[Birgitte Jensen <bjensen4@juno.com>]

  Helen, it feels weird to have a private-style discussion with you in
public, but I'm trying to honor your wish not to receive private mail. I
was frankly taken aback by your announcement that Nettiquette is a matter
of individual choice, but I thought I might persuade you to honor the
standard "rule" by explaining something about the quoting of private
mail:

    See, if somebody quotes a public _post_, readers have the entire,
in-context original to compare the quote to. If, OTOH, somebody makes a
selection from a private letter, the reader has only the poster's word
that this is the verbatim text of the original letter and that the words
are solely in response to a  message _he_ declares. It's not only a
Privacy issue (it wouldn't be "nice" for me to post a private snail-mail
from you, either), but one of accuracy and fairness. That's why quoting
private letters, in part or whole, is considered a big-time breach of
internet politeness - even if one is sorely-tempted by a particularly
egregious "flame".
    If quoting private mail were acceptable, then it leaves all of us
open to seeing "Helen said" followed by a mis-quote or just pure baloney,
and you/we'd have no defense except to sputter "Hey, I never said that!"
(recently called "he said/she said"). When only public posts can be
quoted, then one's defence is a succinct "Read my Post" - and it's there
for all the world to see.

    Many of us find that alot of good Fellowship (and information) exists
in private mails among subscribers. Writing for "mass consumption" tends
to be of necessity briefer and less amusing; public "threads" quickly
become repetitious and have a short lifespan. The Silent Majority<g> 
here often have good things to say - the limelight isn't for everyone.
Even some of us regular Posters don't want to see our names in lights
constantly.  Posted queries etc  can be a good catalyst for private
discussion - _if_ there is an ironclad Gold Standard for trust, in which
"no quoting private mail, ever" plays a big part.

   I've probably sent you chatty e-mails in the past, and I apologize if
you found them unwelcome; I wish you'd told me so before - with a
signature-warning or (ahem) privately.                 bj

    BTW, anybody else out there who thinks it's their "duty" to broadcast
private mail <gulp>? 


On Tue, 16 Feb 1999 09:34:47 -0800 "Hurricane Helen" <hhloth@neworld.net>
writes:
>Netiquette means to me that you do not privately E-Mail an individual on
a
>list without express prior permission. [snip]  Just expressing the
desire that the >communication be kept
>private does not excuse the rudeness of barging into someone's private
>e-mail box and the recipient almost has a duty to bring it public to 
>prevent further rudeness.

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