very interesting.

this list has gone without spam for what, about 8 years?

now it supposedly gets hit with 2 pieces within 5 days?

i was suspicious after the first, but didn't say anything.

i will now, though.

you will remember that i said that the attack-pack here
tried many times to get me "banned" from this listserve.
those were the _public_ efforts.  there were also several
_backchannel_ efforts, because two of the favorite tools
of any attack-pack are the back-stab and the blind-side.

(new posters to this listserve over the years have _often_
e-mailed me to report they got several "warnings" about
me backchannel from people on this list.  imagine that!)

but michael hart always protected me from "ban" efforts.

so naturally, i always wondered what would happen when
he passed away.  the attack-pack would surely strike back.

the lobsters had fallen silent, but we all know their _rage_
was still there, and it grew every time i turned up the heat.
so now, with the water at full boil, it is extremely intense...

and now michael hart has gone to his reward.

so i've been waiting for "the move".

with that as background, let me lay out a scenario for you.

***

more spam hits the list.

people ask "hey, what's up with this spam?"

the people in charge of the list -- you know, the ones who
ask you for your password if you wanna see the archives --
say "we'll probably have to have a moderator to pre-approve
any posts from new subscribers"...  and one will be chosen...

the moderator will draw up a "policy" on how the decision is
made as to whether a post by a new subscriber is permitted.
this "policy" will have a raft of bland legal/moral boilerplate.

then someone will ask "why are new subscribers subjected to
a standard that doesn't also apply to the existing members?"

there will be sage agreement amongst the people in charge
that this is a good question which can only be answered by
an application of the policy toward existing members too...
because -- you know -- we want to be "fair" and everything.

and thus will be born a tool to let the attack-pack "ban" me...
and you, if you have the audacity to challenge their authority.

because if they cannot silence their critics with sound logic,
they will stoop to silencing them by use of the "ban" tactic...

-bowerbird

p.s.  on another front, distributed proofreaders just installed
a "code of conduct".  i guess misconduct over there is rampant.