>From:=09IN%"pcp@mailbase.ac.uk" 29-MAR-1996 16:17:05.08
>Subj:=09Harassment on the Mailbase
>
>A recent message directed at Suzanne Huffman and posted to this mail=
base
>included the following statement to her:
>
>>You are one of us now doctor,put your statistics and experiemental =
designs=20
>where >your conference smile and dress has been before. Grow up.
>>
>>Little Old Doctor Chambers"
>
I had not intended to respond to this at all, but since Jon is concer=
ned about
me, I will simply try to restate what I tried to communicate in my la=
st post.=20
My intention was not to toot my own horn, but to try and remind the p=
eople who
_treated me as a colleague_ before my defense what this forum has bee=
n about,
and to express my appreciation for the way I was welcomed into this c=
ommunity
and supported through the final stages of my program. Thanks to all =
of you who
have sent messages of congratulations. Forgive me if I don't respond
individually to all of you. =20
Regarding Bill's remark about "one of us" -- I can only say that I ne=
ver felt
like an outsider of my preferred reference group before I passed my f=
inal exam. =20
I am very sorry about his personal and professional tragedies, but th=
ese
happened years before I bought into constructive alternativism =F6u=
=F3=C8=BE~=F9=D1.=20
these events occured years before I chose to buy into constructive
alternativism. >
>I am sorry, but this kind of vicious, personal attack is offensive t=
o me. I
>realize that there are issues of free speech involved here, but ther=
e is a
>point at which free speech crosses the line into harassment and abus=
e. To be
>honest, I am tired of the daily litany of Dr. Chambers' hostile mess=
ages to
>this mailbase. I am also somewhat disappointed that there has not b=
een a
>stronger degree of anger with his rudeness and personal attacks. Do=
es free=20
>speech mean that we should all sit by while Bill Chambers personally=
and=20
>publically attacks every person who posts a message that is inconsis=
tent with=20
>his views on pcp or the constructivist community? How many individu=
als have to=20
>be abused by Dr. Chambers in this way before people stand up to this=
kind of=20
>behavior?
>
>I am seriously considering leaving the mailbase if this kind of mono=
polization=20
>of it by one angry man continues. I realize that the next message I=
receive on=20
>the mailbase is likely to be an insulting and angry attack on me by =
Bill=20
>Chmabers that will likely make broad generalizations and unsubstanti=
ated=20
>accusations impugning my integrity. I expect this from him by this =
point, and=20
>I am disturbed by the prospect of having to endure his venom. Howev=
er, I have=20
>to take a stand on this issue, since I feel that there are ethical i=
ssues=20
>involved here. Principle E of the APA Ethics Code states that "Psyc=
hologists=20
>seek to contribute to the welfare of those with whom they interact=
=20
>professionally." I realize Dr. Chambers feels others have not abide=
d by this=20
>principle in regard to him. Fine. But I can speak to the fact that=
Dr.=20
>Chambers' behavior on this mailbase seem to involve utter disregard =
for the=20
>welfare of others. Further, the longer other members of the mailbas=
e ignore=20
>Dr. Chambers' behavior, the more complicit we all are in allowing hi=
m to abuse=20
>others.
>
>I don't know if others are as unwilling to post on the mailbase thes=
e days as=20
>I am. All I can say is that if personal attacks like the one I cite=
above are=20
>what this mailbase is all about, then I want no part of it. If the =
wonders of=20
>the internet mean that anyone with access to a computer can bully an=
d abuse=20
>colleagues, then perhaps we were better off back in the dark ages of=
snail mail.
>
>In sum, I've had about enough. I don't know what to do about it, ho=
wever. Is=20
>anyone else feeling as I am?
>
OK, guys, are we gonna continue to be held hostage by a single indivi=
du
=0C
who is clearly unreflexive, or are we gonna get about what what we d=
o very
well? What's superordinate here? =F6gl=CFw>7
>
>Jonathan D. Raskin, Ph.D.
>Dept. of Psychology
>Tennessee State University
>3500 John A. Merritt Blvd.
>Nashville, TN 37209-1561
>tel (615) 963-5158
>fax (615) 963-5140
>e-mail: raskinj@HARPO.TNSTATE.EDU
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