Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uiuccsb!essick From: essick@uiuccsb.UUCP Newsgroups: net.news Subject: Re: A Thought on Newsgroup Structure (lo - (nf) Message-ID: <5397@uiucdcs.UUCP> Date: Sun, 5-Feb-84 22:32:05 EST Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.5397 Posted: Sun Feb 5 22:32:05 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 9-Feb-84 05:18:55 EST Lines: 30 #R:druxt:-88400:uiuccsb:3400008:000:1146 uiuccsb!essick Feb 5 13:43:00 1984 To answer a few questions ... re: How often is the notesfile followup mechanism subverted? About a dozen times over the last two years for articles generated at UIUC or the notesfile sites we feed (total about 12 USENET nodes). I think part is that people tend to respond immediately. Part of it is also that it is easy to get back to a note you want to respond to. re: orphan stuff The notes code doesn't propogate the foster parent. The foster parent is used only as a placeholder until the true father arrives. Sometimes he never makes it. In the notes transfer format, only the base note carries the title to a discussion. This is why we have the "Orphaned Response" title. The parent fills in the correct title when he gets there. re: interfaces PLATO sneaks by with a single interface because all the terminals are identical. I designed the Unix version for CRT's running at least 1200 baud. No wonder 300 baud hard copy users don't like it. The "erase-abort" code that is in place now will flush the remainder of the output when a keypress is detected. This makes slow CRT users happier. -- Ray Essick, University of Illinois