spaf@gatech.CSNET (Gene Spafford) (07/30/85)
(My apologies to readers of net.news.group if you see this twice -- inews
barfed when I tried to feed this to all 14 groups at once).
I just recently deleted a number of newsgroups that had seen minimal or
no use in the last few months. Since that time, I have gotten mail
from a few people suggesting other candidates for removal based on
their lack of activity. It seems to make sense that if we won't create
a new newsgroup without an indication of potential use, there is no
justification for keeping newsgroups which get no significant use after
creation.
Site "gatech" has a news history of about 3 years. That is, all our
newsgroup numbering started when we came on the net about 3 years ago.
Thus, I have a pretty good indication of overall activity on a
newsgroup by checking our active file.
The following newsgroups have had little use recently and less than 150
articles in the last three years. For many of the groups, that
includes their entire lifespan. Additionally, it appears that anywhere
from 1/2 to 2/3 of the articles posted to many of these groups are
cross-posted to other, currently active groups. There seems to be
little need to keep these groups around.
Unless someone provides me with a good reason not to, I will be
removing the following groups on or about August 15:
net.bugs.v7
net.decus
net.games.go
net.lang.apl
net.math.symbolic
net.micro.432
net.notes
net.rec.birds
net.rec.scuba
net.rec.skydive
net.std
net.theater
net.usoft
--
Gene "4 months and counting" Spafford
The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332
CSNet: Spaf @ GATech ARPA: Spaf%GATech.CSNet @ CSNet-Relay.ARPA
uucp: ...!{akgua,allegra,hplabs,ihnp4,linus,seismo,ulysses}!gatech!spafal@infoswx.UUCP (08/01/85)
Granted, usage in this newsgroup has been low, but there are enough fanatics to keep it alive. Also, around 1/3 - 1/2 of our discussions are safety related. In a sport like ours, every possible medium for discussing safety related items are important. Please do not remove this newsgroup!!!!! Al Gettier D 5850 Teknekron Infoswitch Dallas, Texas
paul@ubvax.UUCP (Paul Fries) (08/02/85)
Ok jumpers (and other interested parties), lets get in here and create some traffic. It seems that the current thinking is that a newsgroup that doesn't make a pain of itself should be removed. Let's not allow this to happen! In the event that it happens anyway, let's all at least distribute our UNIX mail addresses so we can still communicate. We may be a small community, but we are a community nonetheless. Replies are welcome (even flames are traffic) Paul Fries C-17147
rcook@uiucuxc.Uiuc.ARPA (08/03/85)
I have to agree with Al, considering the danger of this sport and the number
(be it small or large) readers, I feel this group should remain active for
us to relate our experiences to one another.
You may feel that this group doesn't get much attention, but I (never having
jumped before in my life) read this newsgroup regularly in order to hope for
that one note that tells me to go out and try skydiving.
Rob Cook
UUCP: {ihnp4,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!uiucuxc!rcook
'Life is just a cocktail party on the street'
-Mick Jagger- brent@phoenix.UUCP (Brent P. Callaghan) (08/05/85)
Unfair! Unfair!
Picking on us poor skydivers in the height of summer.
Sneaking up to close our newsgroup while we're out jumping
and having adventures to write to the net about during
the long winter months.
Night Dives!
Got any good night dive stories out there ? Great things seem
to happen in the roaring dark - that never get to happen in the
daytime.
I'll never forget the night of my NSCR. Eight of us in a
twin Beech at Eustice Florida (A pretty DZ with lots of
green grass). The moon was large on the horizon and we were
very mellow after a good day's dives.
At 12500' I followed the other lightsticks out the door.
I stabilized and swooped for the fireflies below. I dived
and dived, they got bigger and bigger, Oh oh ... I'm
too hot! I flared and flared - too late - I passed through
the cloud of fireflies! I didn't feel a thing. It wasn't too
bad after all, I was only 6 feet low. I dead spidered up
to a slot etched in black against a high moonlit overcast
and docked 5th. I peeked at my altimaster, the lightstick
on my helmet lit its dial - 7 grand WOW! plenty of time.
I counted around the circle, 6, two still out, 7 docked beside me,
one still out. A firefly skidded around us and started in toward
its slot. Too low! just a foot out of reach. We tucked up until
number 8 reached wrists, and entered our circle at 5,000'
Yahooooo... All in! NSCR's all round. We screamed and yahooed
and kicked our feet for 2,000 feet. We broke at 3 and dumped
at 2. I could see the colours of my Unit in the moonlight.
Other canopies glided around me like ghosts.
We were a long way off the spot. I judged my height by the
town lights in the distance and guessed a flare, ahh....
an easy tippytoe landing. We assembled for a head count - 7.
Bill, the last to dock, had cutaway his Cruislite. We
helped him look for it. He had attached his lightstick to
the riser, so we thought we had a good chance of finding it.
After 20 min stumbling around, somebody tripped over the canopy.
The lightstick was underneath the washing.
Back at the DZ we bagged our gear, stashed our lightsticks
in the freezer, and piled into Terry's van "Captain Heinmeyer"
for a tour of the Eustice bars.
Any other night dive stories out there ? If noboddy comes
forth, I threaten to post another one.
Black skies!
--
Made in New Zealand --> Brent Callaghan
AT&T Information Systems, Lincroft, NJ
{ihnp4|mtuxo|pegasus}!poseidon!brent
(201) 576-3475spaf@gatech.CSNET (Gene Spafford) (08/13/85)
I have posted a summary of responses to this article in net.news.group.
The article id is <813@gatech.CSNET>
--
Gene "4 months and counting" Spafford
The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332
CSNet: Spaf @ GATech ARPA: Spaf%GATech.CSNet @ CSNet-Relay.ARPA
uucp: ...!{akgua,allegra,hplabs,ihnp4,linus,seismo,ulysses}!gatech!spaf