apology, etc.

[David Powelstock]

If Alex S. is banned from the list, count me out, too. What an overaction to
a misguided but ultimately harmless bit of irony! 

Sarah Hurst: thanks for your good humor and lighthearted response to
something that a less gracious person might easily have been humorless
about!

Alex S.: I make it my policy never to post anywhere anonymously, in large
part because it's a bit too disinhibiting! I have suffered for this policy
in the often nasty local political boards in my town, but at least my
conscience is clean. 

David Powelstock

-----Original Message-----
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list
[mailto:SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of Alex Spektor
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 7:49 PM
To: SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU
Subject: [SEELANGS] apology, etc.
Importance: High

Dear Sarah Hurst!!!!!!!!
I'm writing to apologize.  I'm really sorry if my message have in any way
offended or insulted you.  I did mean to provoke and I think there should be
place in public discussions for that.  The post was meant to be
light-hearted
and joky, and even though now I understand that the choice of words was
inappropriate ("idiotic" was horrible!!!!), I still insist that I didn't
mean
to offend anyone personally.  Especially someone I don't know.  I should
also
say that Buzz Police (incorporated only too soon, alas!) wants to share in
the
idiotism.  Personally I think your reply was smart and appropriate.  I'm
completely aware that the responsibility of getting angry responses is all
mine.  Yours was witty.  "Screw You" would also be ok with me.  I think what
is
really scary in this situation is not my immature action, but the severity
with
which the real police showed its face.  In his letter to me Alex Rudd
correctly
identified me as a vigilante.  With this term I can only happily agree.  The
authoritative and threatening stance of Alex Rudd (who warned that he will
"find me") seems in contrast much more police-like than my email.  Rudd's
letter made the whole matter serious.  Especially in light of his inistence
to
keep this away from the public space that is SEELANGS.   It is amazing to me
that Rudd's generous heart (which forgives and forgets) has enough space to
fit
the first person plural pronoun of everyone on SEELANGS.  In a similar
manner,
then, I apologize to you on behalf of everyone policing and policed.

Sincerely,
Buzz Police!!!!

P.S.  To show the difference between Buzz Police!!!!! and real police I'm
attaching some of Alex Rudd's letter to me.  The situation smells a bit like
Soviet Union, but perhaps it's just America.

Alex Rudd wrote:

Are you kidding me?
You have named yourself incorrectly.  "Buzz Vigilante" would be more
appropriate.
"Comic relief" is not what's needed.  If you perceive that there's a
problem with the SEELANGS list, then your remedy is to bring it to the
attention of the list owners and request some kind of relief.  It's
our job to address it, not yours.

At this point the proper thing for you to do would be to compose
another message to the entire list, using your real identity and your
real e-mail address, and apologize for your using really poor judgment
and for insulting Sarah Hurst.

While you're at it, apologize for wasting my time, too... because now,
thanks to you, I'm going to have to take the time to react to your
post by composing a message to the list addressing the whole
situation.
At this point, assuming you do own up to this little prank and behave
in a sufficiently contrite manner, I'm willing to have you remain on
the list (as your true self).  However, should you not own up to it,
and issue the appropriate apologies, then when I find out who you are,
and should you give me reason to look I _will_ find out, then I will
publicize your identity within the community and ban you from
SEELANGS.

- Alex, list owner of SEELANGS

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