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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1.chuqui 4/7/84; site nsc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ihnp4!nsc!chuqui
From: chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Chuq)
Newsgroups: net.news.group,net.news
Subject: Re: nuke net.general? & a radical proposal
Message-ID: <1292@nsc.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 5-Aug-84 15:55:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: nsc.1292
Posted: Sun Aug  5 15:55:16 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 6-Aug-84 01:11:28 EDT
References: <510@denelcor.UUCP> <339@deepthot.UUCP>
Organization: Bryn Myrrdin
Lines: 43

I've seen a number of comments on why we SHOULD stop forwarding a number of
groups that I'd like to take the other position for a moment. 

All of the groups, even net.flame, net.jokes, and the other 'useless'
newsgroups, have their purpose. there are two that stick out in my mind:

1) It keeps the junk out of the other groups. Well, mostly, but we can't 
   police everyone. If we didn't have net.jokes, every Unix joke in the
   world would end up in net.unix-wizards instead. Do we really want to
   hear how many DEC repairmen it takes to change a flat tire, ad nauseum?
   If we don't give people an outlet for their recreation, they will create
   their own, and no software or policing action will solve it. 

2) If we do away with the 'useless' groups we will lose a number of net
   users as well. I know that if I didn't have net.singles or net.sf-lovers
   around for my spare time I'd be a lot less willing to put in the time
   and effort on the technical subjects and working on fixing and improving
   the network software itself. I know I'm not alone in this feeling,
   either. 

The thing that worries me about the whole restructuring idea is that it
makes it TOO easy for people to arbitrarily cut off sections of the net. I
agree that it is inappropriate to carry all of the net to certain areas,
but the decisions need to be made on a group by group basis. Do your users
use net.jokes? no? Well, how about the sites you feed? no? Then don't pass
it along! If we cut the net into net.techincal and net.non-technical I am
afraid that many sites will simply cut off net.non-techincal without really
thinking about it. The net will lose a number of very intelligent people
who will no longer have access to subjects that are of interest to them.
Some of them will also stop reading the rest of it, and we will lose them
completely (A mind is too valuable a resource to waste...). Others will
simply take their postings to what is available, and we will find some
places awash with 'inappropriate' postings that simply can't go where they
belong because they aren't available to the poster. At best I think it will
cripple the network, at worst it might kill it. I personally don't want to
see that happen
-- 
From the depths of the Crystal Cavern:		Chuq Von Rospach
{amd,decwrl,fortune,hplabs,ihnp4}!nsc!chuqui	nsc!chuqui@decwrl.ARPA

Dreams, dreams, enchanter! Gone with the harp's echo when the strings fall
mute; with the flame's shadow when the fire dies. Be still, and listen.