let me put in a plea for calm. I am afraid the discussion about
possible smuggling has gotten out of hand. Let me put in a few
comments that may find some approval.
1: Postings: Thanks to Phil, Sean and everyone else for the postings. I
am positive that they were ALL made in good faith.:
2: Criticism: This is a free world (I hope). And anyone is entitled
to his or her own opinion. I for my part have tried to explain why I
am against posting names in such a message and have tried to found my
criticism on MY OWN EXPERIENCE. Other people may have other opinions
and other experiences. I thank everyone who replied to me on the list
and to my 'private' e-mail. And I INclude in those thanks explicidly
all those who have criticed me (I am rather hard in taking so I do
not feel flamed).
3: Flaming: I do not think that anyone should flame anyone else,
neither on the list nor in 'private' messages. However, I do not agree
that criticism (even if one thinks he is being flamed) should be
responded to by using bad language and rude remarks.
4. CITES: CITES is part of our lives. Some of us may think that it is
a bad law, some of us may, again, have another opinion. We can discuss
that. However, please note that criticizing a law does not mean that
one does not abide to it. (I got the impression from some of the mail
sent directly to me that some people think that I agree with habitat
destruction and/or smuggling plants because I am against CITES).
5. Countries: In several messages I have read: 'Well over here in the
USA it is done that way.'. Please note that that may well be. But the
Internet does go beyond the USA, and in other places in the world
people may think differently and may be subject to other laws [In
Germany a posting like the one we are discussing could cause criminal
charges because you simply cannot claim publicly that anyone did
anything illegal, if that has not been cleared in a court of law. And
even after that, it may still cause serious legal implications.
German courts may consider that to be slander, insult and something
we call 'ueble Nachrede' [sorry but I do not find the correct English
terminology for that at this time]).
The CP List group (and other groups for that) is international. There
are a lot of languages, cultures, personalities etc, involved. Let us
please allow for that.
Happy CPing
Guido