Hi Canie,

I am posting this note a little farther up on the thread line so that it does not get lost.

I myself have not requested that Petra apologize for her remarks. The reason is that I feel that an apology can be regarded as a sign that the person is saying “I was wrong.” And based on the content and tone of her other notes I personally doubt very much that she feels that she is wrong with those types of notes.

What I AM both strongly recommending and formally requesting that you do is delete all of these posts starting with her first one and continuing to the end of this particular thread. If I am right on this, you are either the sole owner of this bulletin board or are at least its official custodian. And you can essentially do what you wish. People are not paying you for some service. And you are not being given public funds to run the board. You personally approve each person’s request to post notes here. And you ask them to abide by certain rules. As a consequence of that you have quite a bit of latitude in deciding when a rule has been broken or at least bent.

As far as I am aware, “Petra” is not a law enforcement agent, a licensed attorney or recognized legal authority on what constitutes free speech, or someone with a degree in one of the physical sciences from a recognized college or university. I doubt that she has any connection with the Newsgroup poster to whom I referred. And I suspect that he would not be particularly happy if he (or she) saw her note. I believe that his original Newsgroup note was posted in support of one that I myself had posted.

I have no strong problem with people arguing with one another in this bulletin board. But it is my opinion that for someone who is not a law enforcement agent or an attorney to use a word such a “Plagiarism” prominently in the heading of a post to a public access bulletin board such as this one is not a display of acceptable behavior. And if it is not stepping over the edge as far as what the law allows then I suspect that may be getting close.

I also strongly feel that such posts can and probably do discourage other serious minded science professionals and amateurs from posting notes here.

If this were the first time that this happened then I feel that it might be regarded as a serious error which might be corrected without too much trouble. However, I believe that this is actually the second time it has happened. And after the first instance I believe that you made it clear that there should not be a repeat of this. And if I remember correctly, there were some formal agreements made with you that it would not happen again.

As I believe I clearly stated in the past, I am using EQF as a “pen name” here and only here largely in an attempt to limit any damage and controversy which I feel could result from Petra’s comments regarding my own posts. This is not something that I enjoy doing. But I feel that it is perhaps the most practical way of keeping the effects of her remarks limited to this bulletin board as much as possible without having to request that she not be allowed to post notes here.

I am not going to demand that this thread be removed. But I am once again strongly recommending that you do that. And I am also requesting that no other board posters post any response notes to the thread following Petra’s first note so that if Canie does decide to delete the thread then things will not be even more complicated.