XPost: comp.programming 
 From: tgm2tothe10thpower@replacetextwithnumber.hotmail.com 
  
 I've been interested in the following, but am not sure if it violates 
 the ethics and charter of usenet. 
  
 Please tell me if I'm asking this in the wrong place. 
  
 I've noticed that there are many miscreants out there that flame away, 
 and even /prefer/ to become plonked, because it gives them freedom of 
 sorts to respond to the plonkers without argument.  This is bad for the 
 others to see. 
  
 Is this ok for a newsreader to do? 
  
     1. If a user is bozo-bin'd by you, then 
     2.    /IF/ he responds to a post of yours, then 
     3.        Your newsreader replies with post with the subject: 
  
         " automatically ignored by newsreader" 
  
 with a body of 
  
         This post was made by a user that had previously plonked 
         by me and was therefore automatically ignored by my newsreader 
         without me reading it. 
  
         The purpose of this message is to make it clear to others 
         that this person had been ignored, and to hopefully make 
         it clear than when I do not further respond, that it is not 
         because I believe that he is correct. 
  
         This is critical because many such people actually prefer 
         to become plonked so that they can appear to make points 
         that are without retort. 
  
 Or somesuch. 
  
 Remember, it /only/ would happen if a plonked user responded /directly/ 
 to your post.  Further, it would not happen to a reply to an autoplonk 
 message, as this could cycle itself out of control should both parties 
 plonk each other, and have each autoplonk message respond to each other. 
  
 *Does this already exist in a newsreader somewhere*, and/or is this a 
 terrible idea? 
  
 -- 
 Onedoctortoanother:"Ifthisismyrectalthermometer,wherethehell'smypen???" 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)