Subject: filtering vs. gagging

From: [email-masked] (Paul Resnick)
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1993 05:37:57 -0800

Prompted by Pavel's note a few messages back, here's my cut at the distinction
between filtering and gagging:

-- filtering: I don't hear what you say
-- gagging: everyone (or at least many others) can't hear what you say

-Paul-

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From: Frank Hecker <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1993 10:14:43 -0800

On Fri, 12 Feb 1993, Paul Resnick wrote:
> Prompted by Pavel's note a few messages back, here's my cut at the
> distinction between filtering and gagging: 
>

It's good to clarify what we're talking about.  I think this issue admits
of even narrower distinctions, along the following axes: 

1) Who can take the action of cutting off unwanted messages (e.g., the
intended recipient, a system administrator, etc.)?

2) For whom is the action effective (e.g., only the recipient, selected
others, "everyone")? 

3) Who knows that the action has taken place (e.g., the recipient, the
sender, others)? 

In the pure filtering model as I see it, the recipient takes the action,
it is only effective for the recipient, and only the recipient knows that
filtering is being done (unless they volunteer the information to the
sender or others). 

At the other end of the spectrum, everyone would know the action had taken
place (including the sender) and the action would be universally
effective, i.e., the sender could not communicate with anyone, period, and
(at least in any system I'd help design) this severe an action could be
carried out only by a system administrator or other authority figure.  I
might reserve the pure term "gagging" for this model. 

As others have noted the @gag function on MUDs doesn't seem to be this
extreme, and is somewhere between pure filtering and pure gagging as I
have used those terms.

Frank

Frank Hecker
[email-masked]

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From: Pavel Curtis <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1993 11:52:32 -0800

> Date:	Fri, 12 Feb 1993 10:14:43 -0800
> From:	Frank Hecker <[email-masked]>

...

> filtering is being done (unless they volunteer the information to the

...

> extreme, and is somewhere between pure filtering and pure gagging as I

Actually, I think it's precisely pure filtering, by your definition.  In what
way does it differ?

	Pavel

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From: Frank Hecker <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 13 Feb 1993 09:28:28 -0800

On Fri, 12 Feb 1993, Pavel Curtis wrote re my notion of how @gag worked
on MUDs:
> Actually, I think it's precisely pure filtering, by your definition.  In
> what way does it differ? 

Mea culpa; you are correct.  I had thought that using @gag notified others
of the action, which in fact is not the case. 

Frank

Frank Hecker
[email-masked]