Hans.Berliner@CMU-CS-A@sri-unix (12/04/82)
From: Hans.Berliner at CMU-CS-A (C350HB03) Let me echo the comment of Ken Church. It boggles my mind to think of all the wasted man-hours (at least 1 minute person * number messages received * about 200 people on the list) plus all the computer network facilities that are supposed to be used for serious purposes that are thus wasted for silly messages as the bug discussions and annecdotes that are passed regularly on this mailing list. We are existing in a computer science community and unless what is being done is clearly related to some aspect of computer science (which could very well include the results of the ACM tourney, but hardly how a visiting Grandmaster did in a simultaneous exhibition) it would seem a person would be well advised to communicate directly with those persons with whom he chooses to have personal, non-work-related discussions. Hans Berliner
dave (12/09/82)
To Hans Berliner, Ken Church, et al.: If we applied your criteria to all mailing lists, the net would become very dull indeed. Should net.auto be restricted to issues involving automobiles and computers? Should net.jokes permit only computer jokes? I read net.chess because I am a chessplayer, and not because I have much interest in computer programs which play chess. Following the protocol for other newsgroups, I would say anything about chess and which other readers may find interesting is fair game. Not afraid to check my name, Dave Sherman
Reed.ES@PARC-MAXC@sri-unix (12/10/82)
I for one am sick of the appropriateness discussion. I am of the opinion that the creator or current owner of a distribution list is the person responsible for determining what goes on it and what doesn't. Anyone else who complains is merely bitching at that person. Unfortunately, in the absence of any policy statement from that person, the discussion warbles on. I have seen nothing that I didn't think appropriate to this list, but I am not the responsible person. Would that person please take a stand, so that we can stop interminably bitching about nothing?