The list has been disentigrating for some time since the disgusting incident when Dimitri was forcibly unsubscribed from the list.
I'm curious about the gratuitous use of the word "forcibly" by Paul. Does this mean Gilmore took a fire axe to the computer or something? Dimitri was unsubscribed. It was done more or less against his will. ("More or less" because he in effect said to John, "bet you can't stop me.") What does "forcibly" add to this discussion besides melodrama? No force was required. John had the right and ability to pull the plug on Dimitri. "No animals were harmed in the making of this film." "Force," my ass.
If you can honestly say you think that Dimitri agreed to his being unsubscribed and not being allowed to re-subscribe then I concede the point, however, you cannot argue this.
have also been a number of postings from members of the list claiming to understand anarchism who support censorship to "protect new members of the list".
There are various definitions of "censorship" and various flavors of anarchism. I'm a market anarchist, Paul is not. Paul claims to believe that any form of moderation is censorship. I think that enforcing standards of decorum on a private, voluntary list are not censorship. Reasonable minds may differ. I acknowledge that Paul's interpretations are not without some justification. (I just think they are incorrect in the instant case.) Paul, on the other hand, seems to be a True Believer. He brooks no view other than his own. (Curiously hypocritical under the circumstrances.)
My point is not that moderating a private forum is censorship, this is not supposed to be a private forum (if at any point John chooses to make it so that is his right as the list is his property, however, he professes, at least in a collective sense along with the other list founders, that it is a free and anarchic list where people would not be prevented from posting whatever they want, censorship in this context (call it moderation of you like) seems to me out of place)).
So, there would be no intellectual dishonesty in a country claiming to be a free and open society "trying out" fascism for a month or two? - After all it`s a private country just as this is a private list....
Paul's sophistry is showing. Nation-states are entities that exercise a monopoly on the use of force (real force, Paul) within (and often without) their boundries. Mail lists are far more like private homes, businesses or clubs. When you are a guest there, you are subject to their rules of behavior.
The list is indeed a private forum and I resent the term sophistry. My interpretation of the lists original purpose and idealogy is clearly different from your own so we are arguing the wrong point. My interpretation is that the list was supposed to act as a community as much as a forum and is therefore erring to the side of a nation state as opposed to private property, even though, when we come down to it it is someones property.. Datacomms Technologies web authoring and data security Paul Bradley, Paul@fatmans.demon.co.uk Paul@crypto.uk.eu.org, Paul@cryptography.uk.eu.org Http://www.cryptography.home.ml.org/ Email for PGP public key, ID: 5BBFAEB1 "Don`t forget to mount a scratch monkey"