Ron,
I do not see how knowing who the person is or how to contact them has
any bearing on the weight of what they write. I also do not see why
wanting to be anonymous is a bad thing. Folks may have their reasons for
it and I do not believe it appropriate for me to judge their motives. So
what if they want to be anonymous? We can read what a person writes and
conclude that old anonymous had something relevant to say or not.
As to changing the FAQs, I don't really have an opinion on that. Thanks
for your comments.
George Butterfield
Legal Reference Librarian
Creighton Univ. School of Law Library
2500 California Plaza
Omaha, NE 68178
Office phone: 402-280-2243
Fax: 402-280-2244
email: GeorgeButterfield@creighton.edu
From: owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu] On
Behalf Of Ronald Huttner
Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 11:53 AM
To: law-lib@ucdavis.edu
Subject: [LAW-LIB:57608] RE: Purpose of Law-LIB
I agree with a lot of what you say, George.
By all means evaluate each and every posting to the List on its contents
and its merits or lack thereof.
However, the fact you may not happen to know a particular person on the
List who is nevertheless accurately and fully identifying
himself/herself in all of his/her postings, in no way justifies your
statement that that person "might as well be anonymous". There is a vast
and fundamental difference between being a person who happens to be not
known by another person, but is perfectly capable of being known,
contacted etc, and being a person who quite deliberately chooses to
makes it impossible for another person to ever know or contact them,
because he/she is hiding under a cloak of anonymity.
It is also worth noting what is stated in the Law-Lib FAQs. See item 6
under the heading "Suggestions For The Effective Use Of Law-Lib" at
http://home.olemiss.edu/~noe/llfaq.html
<http://home.olemiss.edu/~noe/llfaq.html)>
If anonymous postings to the List are in fact not prohibited and there
is no policy on them, as now clearly stated by Judy, then should there
not now be some amendments made to those FAQs ?
Ron Huttner LL.B (Hons)
(Retired) Barrister and Solicitor, Law Lecturer and Legal Researcher
Melbourne
Victoria
Australia
On 21/12/2008, at 3:19 AM, Butterfield, George wrote:
Judy,
I believe that this list is fulfilling its purpose. Who has the time to
check out the identity of every person who posts? Who cares? We teach
our students about the weight of authority. The same thing is true of
the posts on this list. I weigh them and make my own judgment. Whether
it is by an anonymous poster or someone that I don't know who may as
well be anonymous, I consider what is written and decide the value of
it. Having an address doesn't make the post more weighty. Knowing where
the person works doesn't make the post valuable. In fact, those things
can skew a person's vision. Nonsense is just that no matter where the
person works. We have to judge for ourselves based on the content of the
post.
I believe that this list is set up as it should be. I wouldn't change a
thing. Keep up the good work.
George Butterfield
Legal Reference Librarian
Creighton Univ. School of Law Library
2500 California Plaza
Omaha, NE 68178
Office phone: 402-280-2243
Fax: 402-280-2244
email: GeorgeButterfield@creighton.edu
From: owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu] On
Behalf Of Janes, Judy
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 11:55 AM
To: David Clark; law-lib List
Subject: [LAW-LIB:57597] Purpose of Law-LIB
Dear Dave and Other Law-libbers: First of all, Dave, thank you for your
comments as well as everyone else's. I do want to make clear that
law-lib is an un-moderated list. There is no rule or policy that
"anonymous posters are not allowed". We all certainly hope that people
will identify themselves when they post, but there is no one checking to
make sure posts are signed or for that matter that signatures are
authentic. We rely on everyone's professional judgment and goodwill to
use respect when addressing the more than 3000 subscribers all over the
world. Perhaps some of you would like to branch off and start another
list with the rules and forum you are suggesting. For the majority of
law-libbers the list serves its original purpose, that is, to provide a
forum for law librarians to discuss library and library-related issues.
I hope we can get back to business.
All the best, Judy
*******************************
Judy Janes, Interim Director
UC Davis Mabie Law Library
400 Mrak Hall Dr.
Davis, Ca 95616
Phone 530 752-3328
FAX 530 752-8766
jcjanes@ucdavis.edu
*******************************
UC Davis School of Law - 40 Years of Excellence, Leadership, and
Community
From: owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu] On
Behalf Of David Clark
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 9:11 AM
To: Law-Lib
Subject: [LAW-LIB:57594] Re: Anonymous Posters on Lawlib
Although I have never met Ron Huttner (I'd like to visit Australia some
day, but I don't know if I'll ever get there), I like him and consider
him to be a friend (albeit a long-distance one).
I am not an apologist for Ron; you may judge him as you like, but at
least you know who he is and how to reach him. He does not cloak his
identity with on-line anonymity.
I do not take anything said on this list (or in life, for that matter)
personally, but when anonymous posters taunt and jeer and perpetrate all
manner of silliness; then that leads me to believe (as I believe it
would lead any reasonable and prudent person) that their intent is
merely to disrupt the list for their own titillation, without having to
answer to anyone for it.
I am given to understand that anonymous posters to this list are not
allowed. I believe that's a good policy.
Thanks! and Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, and Happy Kwanzaa to all...
Dave C.
David C. Clark, JD, MLIS
Law Librarian
Lightfoot, Franklin, & White, L.L.C.
The Clark Building, 400 20th St. N.
Birmingham, AL 35203-3200
205-581-0768 / 205-380-9368 FAX
(Any opinions expressed herein are solely my own.)
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