[Air-l] Tyranny of a minority

[Steve Jones]

Kris Markman is correct, there was a set of rules implemented on my  
watch as AoIR President, precipitated by incidents involving an  
apparent troll on air-l. Nevertheless, no one "rules" the list. At  
that time one person was forcibly unsubscribed from the list, and it  
was my decision, ultimately, after consultation with the AoIR  
Executive Committee, to do so, on the basis of his posts. I certainly  
wasn't happy about doing it. (And, for the record, I didn't do it  
because people were unsubscribing from the list, which I think is not  
a good reason to unsubscribe someone.) Re-subscription would have  
been possible had the person exhibited a willingness toward posting  
behavior consonant with the list's rules and general etiquette.  
Overall I think air-l is a pretty classic instantiation of the "YOYOW  
(You Own Your Own Words)" philosophy that has sustained many online  
communities. I hope it remains that way.

Sj


On Nov 10, 2006, at 10:53 PM, Kris Markman wrote:

> >Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2006 10:48:35 -0800 (PST)
> >From: Sam Tilden <tildensam at yahoo.com>
> >Subject: [Air-l] Tyranny of a minority
> >To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
> >Message-ID: <20061109184835.21646.qmail at  
> web58313.mail.re3.yahoo.com>
> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
> >
> >Dear Colleagues,
> >
> >   Several days ago I took exception to a rant by Elijah Wright
> >(about Tim Beriers-Lee) on this list. As a result, I was flamed by
> >Jeremy Hunsinger followed shortly by a request from Charles Ess to
> >prove that I am who I say I am.
> >
> >   I have been respectful, contributory and have broken no rules
> >either implicit or explicit.
> >
> >   Charles, Elijah, and Jeremy are on a hunt to purify the
> >intellectual integrity of this list. They have accused me of being a
> >pseudononymous personality and therefore in violation of the rules
> >set up by the executive board of AOIR.
> >
> ><snip>
> >
> >   The new rules expressed by Matt Allen recently codify the power of
> >a few people to remove you if you get out of line. They don't even
> >have to give a  reason. Trial by innuendo is the rule not the
> >exception. This is an anathema to everything I believe is important
> >in scholarship.
> <snip>
>
> I am responding to this thread as a member of this list and a member
> of AoIR. I believe these accusations to be unfair and unfounded. I
> read this list every day, and I see no evidence of a "hunt" nor a
> "tyranny."
>
> I would also like to point out that the requirement to provide
> evidence of one's identity upon joining this list is not a "new"
> rule. I joined this list in July 2002, and I still have the email
> sent to me by then-list manager Charlie Breindahl asking me to inform
> him briefly about my identity as part of confirming my list
> subscription. This rule therefore long predates Matthew Allen's
> tenure as President of AoIR (I believe Steve Jones was President at
> the time?). Frankly, I did not think it an unreasonable request at
> the time, and I continue to believe that it is a reasonable
> expectation to hold for a community of scholars and professionals.
> -Kris Markman
> -- 
> **********	**********	**********	**********
> Kris M. Markman, Ph.D.
> Email: krism at alumni.utexas.net
> http://home.earthlink.net/~kmmarkman
> **********	**********	**********	**********