[LA-Policies] Mailing list policy comments

[Glen Turner]

Hi folks,

Read the policy. Here are some notes of varying degrees of triviality. In 
no particular order:

1)
The Mailing List Policy doesn't anywhere list what is acceptable 
behaviour, let alone behaviours are to be encouraged.  Not sure what that 
says.

2)
Consider re-wording (3)(d)(i) from

> offensive verbal or written remarks related to ...

to

> offensive remarks; including, but not limited to, those related to ...

as that would catch unlisted behaviours, such as offensive words 
concerning marital status or social class, whilst still giving clear 
guidance for the specifically-listed instances.

It would also fix a small issue concerning the technology of making verbal 
remarks to a e-mail list.

3)
Why aren't the moderators empowered to immediately remove the offensive 
remarks from the archive of the mailing list?

4)
The Linux Australia Council should reserve to itself the ability to review 
and direct moderators' actions, irrespective of the lack of a referral to 
the Council under (4)(b)(v).

5)
Why does a victim of offensive behaviour have less ability to refer 
moderator decisions to Council than a perpetrator of offensive behaviour? 
See (5)(a).

6)
It should be made clear that moderators are list members when posting to 
the list.

7)
Why does Council constrain its own powers in (5)(c) to just three actions? 
Option (5)(c)(i) is particularly limiting -- for example Council cannot 
uphold the actions of the Moderators *and* do another thing (eg, provide 
clearer guidance for future actions), as that is beyond what Council has 
permitted to itself.

8)
It may not be advantageous to Council to conceed that list members are 
considered by it to be natural persons. The distinction between a natural 
person and a person acting as a agent of a corporation might well be 
something Linux Australia's legal representatives might choose to argue, 
and that decision should be left to them in light of the circumstances of 
a particular issue.

-glen

-- 
Glen Turner <http://www.gdt.id.au/~gdt/>