Unwanted communication -- what can you do about it when it comes as electronic mail?
The e-mail world is similar in many ways to the "real" world. "It's just old things happening in a new medium," says Barbara Skoblick, security officer for Cornell's Office of Information Technologies (OIT).
Junk e-mail and electronic harassment are two of those "old" things that can occur on the Internet. Both are unwanted forms of communication, but it is important to know the difference between them, as harassment is illegal and junk mail is not. It is also important to know what you can do about both.
What to do about electronic junk mail
The amount of unwanted or unsolicited e-mail (junk mail) has been increasing as more people join the Internet community. You get things like this in the U.S. Postal mail on a regular basis -- catalogs, advertisements, solicitations and political propaganda are examples. This form of speech is usually protected under the First Amendment, even though some people may find some of the content objectionable. Cornell does not monitor or censor e-mail and therefore cannot prevent the flow of junk mail.
When you receive ordinary junk e-mail, you may be tempted to retaliate by flooding the sender with numerous or large e-mail messages in an attempt to disrupt their site (also known as "mail bombing"). However, "mail bombing constitutes a violation of the university Responsible Use of Electronic Communications policy and violators will be referred to the campus judicial administrator," said Marjorie Hodges, policy adviser to OIT.
"The problem with any of these more dramatic responses [like mail bombing] is that more often than not they will either cause problems for your local system or disrupt service for thousands of other innocent bystanders, and have only a minor impact on the intended recipient," said Larry Parmelee, senior systems programmer in the Computer Science department.
What you can do is either delete and ignore junk e-mail or contact the sender and ask to be removed from any mailing list they have (just as you would do with U.S. Postal mail). You also can send copies of your complaint to people who are in a position to educate the offender, such as the Cornell Information Technologies' (CIT) Service HelpDesk (if the message originates from a Cornell e-mail address), or the postmaster for the site from which the message was sent.
What to do about electronic harassment
Harassment is generally defined as unwanted communication directed at a particular person, rather than general statements about a group of people. "In most cases, the unwanted communication must occur repeatedly in order to constitute harassment, although isolated instances may be considered harassment if egregious enough," explains Cornell Judicial Administrator Barbara Krause. "Conduct that has the purpose or effect of creating an offensive environment may be considered harassment," she adds.
All forms of harassment are forbidden at Cornell. The Campus Code of Conduct specifically prohibits harassment, and the Responsible Use of Electronic Communications policy covers electronic harassment.
If you receive communication that you feel is harassing, you should first write directly to the sender, state that you find the correspondence to be harassing, and formally ask the sender to cease all communication with you. "Unless you tell them to stop, they don't know for sure that it is unwanted," says Skoblick. Save electronic copies of the sender's original message(s), the message you send and any other important correspondence for evidence.
Contact the judicial administrator's office for advice or assistance if you are unsure or uncomfortable with any of the above. "Although most electronic harassment does not pose a serious threat of harm, there are some situations where the message conveys imminent danger," says Krause. "If this is the case, it is vital that you contact the Cornell or local police immediately."
If you continue to be harassed after formally requesting that the correspondence stop, contact the judicial administrator's office and the appropriate steps will be taken. You may contact the judicial administrator on a confidential basis and consult with her regarding your options.
According to Krause, "Consequences for harassers who are referred through the campus judicial system may include oral warnings, community service hours, counseling referrals, disciplinary probation, or even suspension or dismissal from the university. In some cases, those who are harassed may also want to consider pursuing remedies through the civil or criminal courts."
If you want more information on what to do about junk mail or electronic harassment, contact the CIT HelpDesk at 255-8990, or send e-mail to helpdesk@cornell.edu. You also can contact the judicial administrator's office at 255-4680. The Responsible Use of Electronic Communications policy can be found on the Web at http://www.univco.cornell.edu/policy/ru.html.