response 238 of 393:

Jan 9 13:59 UTC 2004

I think she thought she was within the limits when she deleted her items.
I think she thought she was beyond the limits when she deleted your items.

Recently, someone mentioned having copied the entirety of /bbs to their
local disk, for ease of off-line reading.  Last night, in party, someone
said they were in the process of copying off the entirety of /bbs to
their local disk so that they, at least, would have a "complete" archive.

I don't know if copying /bbs will include retired items.  However, it
is very clear to me that the genie is out of the bottle and is NOT going
back into it.  Further deletions will serve no useful purpose.

I do not know exactly how many people are on the 'staff' list; only
seven are on the 'board' list, and at least one of them is also on the
'staff' list.

jep, I don't know that your follow-up plea went to the board.  I know
that I tried at last three times to bounce it to the board, but I never
received a copy of those bounces.  It was addressed to Valerie, with a
carbon-copy to the staff.

When staff first request, I asked for consensus because, although I thought
your items could and should be deleted, it was clear to me that others
disagreed.  Staff should not act unilaterally.  One staff member replied
almost immediately, in favour of deleting your items.  Another replied
within eight hours (given the hour of my request, a reasonable delay),
opposing the deletion.

The community of grex is divided on this issue.  The staff is divided
on this issue.  The board is divided on this issue.   No rapid decision
is possible.

The losses of the past week, both of text and people, are regrettable.
I think we are learning from them.

I am going to take the liberty of quoting from your plea:

"Additionally, I feel strongly that, since you [Valerie] were allowed to
delete your items, I should be allowed to have mine deleted."

She was not "allowed" to delete her items.  No one who had read the
discussions from Monday to Wednesday, when your message was sent, could
reasonably conclude that she had any permission to act as she did.  I think,
knowing the harm she had suffered, and recognising the very similar harm
you could suffer, she acted in the only way she ethically could.

Note well: I can consider her actions ethical, even though they are not
actions I, myself, would have taken.  I also consider my *in*action in
this case ethical.