Re: degree programs, liability for msgs sent

[Laura Praderio <lpraderi -at- CLIFF -dot- WHOI -dot- EDU>]

Just to note, even if Paul didn't send the message he is responsible for
information sent over the net in his name.  That is, I believe, he can be held
accountable for this other person's action on his system.  He's libel for
leaving his system open for other people to get on.  E.g., if you have a loaded
gun in your house and someone steals it and uses it to kill someone else,
you're still criminally negligent.

This is how it was explained to me by our network engineer who is embroiled in
intruder and ethics questions daily.  So keep your systems safe and never walk
away from your e-mail program without logging out; for that matter FTP or
telnet sessions either.

Laura Praderio
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
lpraderio -at- whoi -dot- edu





  **ERROR** LONG FROM FIELD. FIELD WAS CUT. OLD FIELD WAS:
       "Technical Writers List; for all Technical Communication issues"

    <TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu>

Someone apparently sat down at a terminal where Paul Trummel
<trummel -at- U -dot- WASHINGTON -dot- EDU> was logged in, and broadcast
the following, re degree programs at a certain educational
institution:

>  ... I have also participated for eight years in the
>  program at (the place) to which (a previous correspondent)
>  refers.

(This was followed by a diatribe that we can safely say is the
ultimate example of a "flame.")


Wow, and you "participated" for 8 years???

Will you be setting up a legal defence fund for your upcoming
libel trial?  (Of course, I guess it's not libel if you can
_prove_ what you wrote.  Which oughtta be interesting.)



Cheers,

Ken d'Albenas
(-::
Replies to: kendal -at- autotrol -dot- cuc -dot- ab -dot- ca
Flames to:  kendal@/dev/not

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