Franck Martin wrote:
The current status quo is not acceptable, that's all. time for decisions.
Actually, the status quo has become very acceptable for me since I invested about 10 minutes to set up filters on my email reader; it's actually quite easy. Personally I prefer reader-end controls over centrally-administered restrictions. This is mainly because not everyone shares the same threshold of what constitutes abuse. Reader-based filters can be fine tuned to personal preferences in a way that list-wide moderation or blockage cannot. I would note that some of the would-be targets of such controls have not engaged in personal abuse or offensive language; codes of conduct that govern civility of speech have not been broken. In using reader-based filters I simply exploit a fundamental fact; having the right to speak freely does not obligate anyone to listen. Email filters implement your desire to listen (or not) to certain topics or speakers, without requiring anything to be done at the source. Furthermore, this solution also allows (indeed requires) some level of personal responsibility for implementing controls, rather than just delegating the problem onto someone else. This alone is a reason to prefer the localized solution. - Evan