Re: Anon and other list restrictions

[Nora Merhar <MERHAR -at- ALENA -dot- BITNET>]

I wrote

> :>I have also heard that "you shouldn't put anything in e-mail that you
> wouldn't
> :>write on a postcard." Even if you're posting anonymously, if someone is
> :>determined enough, I expect they can find you.

and Cathy responded with

> I'm sure somebody, somewhere, has the tools to get the information BUT (back
> to my legit-use example above), I doubt one's office mate or boss or
> political rival :) is going to be able to track the message back to the
> source.

I just have to mention a situation I read about recently in the Chicago Tribune.
It seems that a woman was fired under what she felt were suspicious
circumstances, and brought a lawsuit against the company. There was no paper
trail to indicate that anything untoward had gone on--HOWEVER, buried deep
within the computer system and long ago deleted was found an e-mail from one of
her superiors to another, demanding that they "get rid of the bitch" in any way
possible. Needless to say, the woman won her lawsuit.

I don't know anything about the particulars of e-mail, as far as what actually
could be found (ones you sent? ones you received? only internal?) but this
incident did make me think about all the e-mails I've sent and received over the
past few years. I intend to be VERY CAREFUL in the future.

Nora Merhar
merhar -at- edsvcs -dot- switch -dot- rockwell -dot- com