Harry Krause wrote:


Netcop Alert! Netcop Alert! Whoop! Whoop!


By validating Don's decision to dump his rant in a boating newsgroup
rather than take some actual political action to promote his cause, you
diffuse some energy that might be
useful to the progressive politics you espouse to prefer.

I suppose every group has a bunch of political hacks that pretend to
have some interest in the nominal subject- just enough to justify
hanging around to make regular dumpings of political garbage. Why
should rec.boats be different? But then again, why should a boating
newsgroup, a music newsgroup, a camping newsgroup, a quilting
newsgroup, or a family history newsgroup have to endure polito-bombs
from people too timid to take the subject up with other people well
informed and passionate about their chosen cause or from people too
stupid to locate a proper forum?

The ulitmate conceit could be "I'm so smart and clever that I can
interrupt the on-topic discussions with my political viewpoints, etc,
and most people will think their life is better as a result." I can't
think of any other expalanation for OT postings, particularly those OT
postings deliberately calculated to start long and destructive
arguments.

Think about all the political energy that is wasted in rec.boats. Not
one political opinion has ever changed, but we have started some fights
that won't stop until somebody burns his or her computer or dies. The
politically motivated would be better advised to spend the same amount
of time working for candidates and issues of their choice rather than
delving into childish personal attacks and years-long feuds in a
newsgroup organized for the discussion of boating and boating-related
issues.

But then again, some thrive on the name calling.

(You might want to see a doctor about that case of whooping cough,
Harry).