Made out of people

I wonder what triggered this:

From UCI's Chancellor

This fall, I want to call special attention to electronic mail. Our
principles guide our interactions and they apply to all forms of
communication, including electronic mail. Email allows us to
communicate with each other almost instantaneously, across campus or
across the globe. Stripped of vocal inflections and visual cues,
however, email communication can be misinterpreted. Also, without
face-to-face contact, we sometimes type things that we might not
verbalize. The challenge for each of us is to continue to communicate
in a thoughtful manner. A rule of thumb: consider whether you are
comfortable printing out your email and posting it on your door for
all to read.

I wonder what flamewar just happened that triggered this message? I am curious how this fits in with Dourish's observations on undergraduate perceptions of email and formality...

(For the curious, the canonical reference on online behavior and flamewars is the book "Connections" by Kiesler and Sproull and the (many) things that refer to it.)