Maureen [Simmons, 18 Sep 95] makes some interesting and futuristic suggestions--that we will all be "linked" to our words forever. It is exciting and scary, for I also subscribe to the notion that David [Noah, 19 Sep 95] offered that there are levels of interaction that may not be intended for permanency. And of course, Suzanne Cook [19 Sep 95] has made an excellent point that the situation must be considered prior to any communications.
I do, however, have to take exception to Maureen's comment: "However, any text on a listserv is fair game based upon the definition that a listserv or newsgroup/newsnet is a distributed communication. "
Are some discussions, conducted via listserv using private mail, not personal and private? Is there no place for individuals to have a substantive conversation, or perhaps even a sensitive conversation, without the worry that it is open for quoting? Or that someone may use those threads for his/her own research? Are we saying that all listservs that have open membership are completely open? If I join a list that is about a disease or disorder, can I not feel comfortable asking questions, etc., without fear of being quoted? In the full paper that I wrote on this subject, I do describe various ways that listservs handle the issue, but more frequently, nothing is done about it.
And while I am certainly trying to respond to the messages in a thoughtful manner (as thoughtful as the opening of school allows) I am not sure that I would want my responses to be quoted without substantial context included.
I suppose we could each begin to preface each utterance with "permission to quote and cite this way" or "no permission to quote granted on the next three paragraphs" but to my mind, having a standard understanding that our community of learners agrees upon might be easier!