Flaming

[Jerrin Windrider]

	I have been a part of the Internet for far longer than I have 
been a member of the SCA (more's the pity). And I can say this: true, the 
Internet is an anarchy. It is an ambigious mass that is more a state of 
mind than an actual tangible thing that can be simply diagrammed. But!...
	People usually log onto the Internet in the pursuit of personal
interests, typically gravitating towards those things that they find fun
and interesting. Those people who get onto the Net for more disreputable
purposes, which are commonly and derisively referred to as "twinks", don't
last long.  Even in a place as unorganized as the Net, there is a certain
common law; if the majority doesn't like, you, you're going to get zapped.
Not only that, but there are also laws that apply to the Net, just as
there are laws that apply to real-life institutions, such as the Postal
Service. It is just as punishable to email a chain-letter on the Net, or
break into someone's account, or corrupt a database, as it is to mail a
chain-letter, break into someone's house, or destroy their property in RL.
In the worst extreme, your access to the Internet could be permanently
revoked and charges pressed.
	In other words: when you join a mailing list, a newsgroup, an 
MU*, or whatever, you implicitly agree to abide by the rules of that 
group. It's like when you were a kid; if you didn't play by the rules, 
the other children wouldn't let you play at all. So if you want to send 
rude mail to this list, then don't be surprised if some people get testy!
>From my personal experience with fellow SCAers, members are opinionated 
and outspoken at the best of times; however, they still seem to 
collectively agree that swearing and outright hostility are an example of 
a Bad Thing To Do. No matter where we are, RL or the Net, this list is 
dedicated to the SCA; expect to treat it as such.

				Cailean Gaoth Marcaiche
				Mooneschadoweshire