[I hope that the apologies, as well as my few remaining points, will be
well-taken and that my efforts at concision will not go unappreciated. 
I am sorry for this protracted debate.  Let there be no doubt: it is
over now.  Consider this my resignation.]

Rabid Wombat wrote:

> What moderator were you complaining to? This list isn't moderated.
> Some kind soul manages the list, and has to sift through all of this
> garbage looking for real problems to respond to.

Forgive me; I confused the terms maintainer and moderator, a distinction
that has not been lost upon me since then, particularly in off-list
discussion with the maintainer.

> > > to my calls, both pro and contra (yours included), ignore most of what I
> > > have to say.
> 
> I'm sorry, you've got me there. It's an easy trap to fall into.

The initial presentation of my argument was clearly colored by an
impatience that showed through in my tone and in the first section of my
post, which most responses never got past (I can't think of a response
that cited and responded to the second to the last paragraph in any
detail).  Whatever was at issue in my criticisms, their presentation
clearly was not effective, and I apologize to the list for the amount of
traffic they generated.

However, the other part of my argument, quite aside from the issue of
convenience, was that firewall policy is a legitimate topic for
discussion -- so legitimate in fact that it requires the kind of
extended consideration that another, dedicated list could give it (in
particular a list that brought together legal and operational expertise
and experience, as well as a mode of inquiry that is rather different
from that one uses in trying to choose a firewall product and get it to
function).  It seemed to me logical to have this new list created at
GNAC so that people who were interested in the subject could find it
right next door.  The fact that it was in such close proximity (rather
paradoxically, no?) would make requests "to take it next door" a little
less testy than, for example, my posts to date have been.  I consider
this to be the core of my argument.  I do not want the force of the tone
I have taken with Rabid Wombat and others in response to their
interpretations of my argument to detract from this completely.

However: the list maintainer is not interested in this, so any further
discussion is moot.  End of thread.

> I'm on many lists with very narrow charters, which are adhered to. They
> don't fill my mailbox with crap. On the other hand, there are so few list
> members, and so little traffic, that there is rarely any form of
> discussion, intelligent or otherwise.

For my own part, I have recent discovered the collection of lists as
ISS.net (which cover a number of issue of interest to this list [namely:
IDS and NT Security] in occasionally greater detail).  I have also been
referred to the firewall-wizards list, which I am going to have a look
at shortly.

Thank you all for your patience.
begin:vcard 
n:Bell;Bayard
tel;fax:(404) 727-0079
tel;work:(404) 727-7157
x-mozilla-html:FALSE
org:Emory University;Division of Campus Life
version:2.1
email;internet:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
title:Local Support/MIS
adr;quoted-printable:;;Drawer DDD=0D=0A605 Asbury Circle;Atlanta;Georgia;30322;
x-mozilla-cpt:;-2912
fn:Bayard Bell
end:vcard

Reply via email to