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From: chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Chuq Von Rospach)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: Re: Proposal for net.religion.jewish
Message-ID: <617@nsc.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 8-Feb-84 18:23:42 EST
Article-I.D.: nsc.617
Posted: Wed Feb  8 18:23:42 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Feb-84 05:31:16 EST
References: <444@pyuxn.UUCP>
Organization: National Semiconductor, Sunnyvale
Lines: 70

As a firm believer in getting rid of unused sub-groups, let me please take
the stand for a moment in support of creating them (ack! what's happening
now? -ED)

There are a number of reasons to create sub-groups. First, if there is a
discussion that is simply overflowing the group and it seems to be a
permanent one, then we should consider moving it elsewhere (Examples:
net.lang.c and net.tv.drwho).

Second, there are certain groups where a group of users who would like to
discuss a topic are unable to because they are simply overwhelmed by the
number of messages of absolutely no interest to them in the topic that they
should be using. The result of this is that the topic never gets discussed
because the discussers have unsubscribed, preferring silence to the total
mayhem that would otherwise be forced upon them. A small subgroup of this
is the users who get thrown off of a topic every time they open their
mouths on a subject the vociferous users don't particularly like.

I think that net.music.classical qualifies under the second reason.
There seem to be a LARGE number of classical listeners out there, but
you never find them on net.music. They're all on net.audio talking
about equiptment and getting in sly remarks about classical music on
the side. Why? because they got overwhelmed in net.music by Michael
Jackson, acid rock, and the Plasmatics. Because they couldn't (weren't
willing to? -ED) compete for topic space, they simply shut up and went
elsewhere. If you look at net.music, there is also very little
discussion of jazz, soul, disco, soundtrack, or any other kind of
music, because the people who would be interested in this aren't willing to
wade through the morass to locate things they're interested in. This tells
me that the topic has gotten too large to use easily and should be split
up. net.music.classical would give the people who want to discuss this a
place to do without significant interruption. I think net.music.rock is a
good idea, because it then leaves net.music as a place for discussions of
other forms of music that would otherwise be overwhelmed.

I think net.religion.jewish also qualifies under 2). I'm proud to say that
I don't read net.religion, but the few times I have looked in it seemed to
me that the hyper-christians spent most of the time browbeating anyone who
wasn't quite as radical about Jesus as they were. My experience on other
networks (may they rest in peace) and religious discussions showed me that
any attempt to discuss non-christian topics quickly denigrated into a 'your
God isn't my God and therefore isn't a real God' fight. The few times a
discussion on Judaism or Budhism got started, it invariably turned into a
Jihad by the Christians. Since I am sure that the Jews on the net have
better things to do than defend their religion from overzealous believers,
I think giving them a place where they can talk in relative quite is a good
thing to do.

I think that keeping control on topic creation is a good thing, but simply
saying 'Thou shalt not create topics' is not the way of doing it. The way
to get the network under control is to get the obsolete topics off of it.
(Has anyone noticed that net.tv.da hasn't gone away yet??? *nudge*) I could
give you a list of suggestions, but being recently released from the local
burn ward, I'm not that crazy... (I am... 'Nuke Wobegon! Nuke Wobegon!' -ED)

chuq



-- 
From the house at Pooh Corner:		Chuq 'Nuke Wobegon' Von Rospach
{fortune,menlo70}!nsc!chuqui		Have you hugged your Pooh today?
					Go, Lemmings, Go!



A good magician should always subscribe to the highest purposes, and
nothing should disuade him from these lofty goals, except, perhaps, that he
has to eat, and it is nice to put a little away for retirement.
			- The Teachings of Ebenezum, V. III