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Re: List Privacy

AquaCorp is certainly not the first to allegedly publish comments posted on
list servers without the authors permission. Several newspapers and magazines
have also conducted this practice. Whether or not it is legal is largely
untested in court, although I understand there is at least one case pending.
These publications argue that the list servers constitute a public fourum and
are, therefore, newsworthy and reportable. And they may be right from a
strictly legal point of view. 

However, participation in these lists "feels" more like a private discussion
among people of like mind (or not so like mind). It feels more like a group
of people having a private discussion in a large room somewhere. To have the
discussion "feel" private and to have it made public through
print-publication is tantamount to invasion of privacy -- at least on an
emotional level (not legally). Obviously, as our society evolves and we adopt
institutions like electronic discussion groups the rules will have to be
written as we go. Unless you are prepared to challenge publications who
conduct this practice, there is not much you can to keep what you say out of
the media except lurk or make only inane comments.

OUR POLICY
We at DeepTech Journal have considered printing some of the techdiver and
cavers comments in our publication. After all, the database of knowledge
represented here is among the best in the world on technical and cave diving.
However, due to these same privacy issues we have not yet printed anything
that was not sent directly to our mailbox (fair game). As far as DeepTech
Journal is concerned, we will obtain permission first if we want to print
something you say here. Like virtually all publications we reserve the right
to edit your comments for clarity or brevity if necessary (necessity of print
media). In the mean time....DeepTech is watching too....confidentially!

Win Remley
Co-Publisher, DeepTech Journal
deeptek@ao*.co*

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