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From: chip@t4test.UUCP (Chip Rosenthal)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: Re: Instructions for net.general (quotes at end)
Message-ID: <1328@t4test.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 7-Feb-85 12:23:06 EST
Article-I.D.: t4test.1328
Posted: Thu Feb  7 12:23:06 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 10-Feb-85 03:58:18 EST
References: <336@ssc-vax.UUCP> <711@cbosgd.UUCP> <3283@alice.UUCP> <354@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Reply-To: chip@t12tst.UUCP
Organization: Intel Peripheral Comp Mfg, Santa Clara
Lines: 20

A while back there was a discussion on how to stem the tide of commonly
asked suggestions to a newsgroup.  I guess net.audio is really suspect
to this.  I see a parallel between the "commonly asked questions" and
the "misuse/abuse of newsgroups" problems.

Someone suggested creating a handful of magic article numbers which
would contain the answers to these common questions.  The magic
articles would always be there and would be the first thing a new user
would see in the newsgroup.  I made a suggestion which would also work
on this problem:  use a long expiration date.

If a description of net.general were written and posted with a long
expiration date, new users would see it as their very first article
once the exipration cycle takes hold.  No messy inews hacks--no need to
go to other newsgroups.

-- 

Chip Rosenthal, Intel/Santa Clara
{cbosgd,idi,intelca,icalqa,kremvax,qubix,ucscc} ! {t4test,t12tst} ! {chip,news}