On Mon, 20 Jan 2014 11:27:09 -0500 Rob Weir <[email protected]> wrote:
> We (Apache OpenOffice) recently had a user subscribe our users mailing > list (500+ subscribers), and cause general disruption: > > 1) Many posts (20+) in a short period of time > > 2) Posts were off topic > > 3) She attacked list moderators and other members of the list > > 4) She threatened that she would report anyone who flamed her to their > ISP or the Department of Justice for hate crimes. I was cc'ed on one > email where she did exactly that to another subscriber of the mailing > list. > > Said person never asked a single question regarding the use of > OpenOffice, which is the purpose of the users mailing list. > > We had several complaints from other users, and several unsubscribed > because they could not deal with the disruption. As list moderator I > banned her. > > Then she started flooding our private mailing list, claiming that we > were violating her civil rights, violating the Americans with > Disabilities Act, etc., because we banned her. Reading between the > lines it sounds like she is claiming the mailing list is a place of > public accommodation and her disability (which seems to be form of > ADHD) prevents her from controlling her conduct on the mailing list. > > We then banned her from mailing to the private list as well. But now > she has started using a new email address, sending more complaints and > threatening to report us to the Justice Department in two weeks if we > don't allow her back on the users list. > > PMC members are split on whether to ignore her, engage her, ban her, etc. > > Note: she has not requested any specific accommodation. > > In my most-recent note to her I wrote: > > "If you do have a technical question about Apache OpenOffice, I want to > make sure you are aware that there are several other avenues for > support described here: > > http://www.openoffice.org/support/ > > If you get stuck on any of those support options, feel free to send me > a note directly and I, acting as your personal support concierge, will > point you in the right direction and try to accommodate any special > needs." > > So no one can accuse us of not making a good faith to accommodate her. > But this has not helped. > > Any thoughts on this? Is there any risk to the ASF or our volunteers > in moderating mailing lists or banning disruptive users? I was always told that the right of free speech was hedged with responsibilities. For example one cannot (unwarrantedly) shout "Fire" in a crowded theatre. But this is a European interpretation. US interpretation may differ. Re the person responsible - if she has been warned about "off-topic" and has repeatedly posted "off-topic", then ban her strictly for that - "breach of Forum rules", nothing to involve her civil rights. -- Rory O'Farrell <[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
