hirchert@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu (01/26/88)
>> The idea is to not view newsgroups as "barriers" between discussions, but >> as "keywords" to indicate topics of interest. The general idea is to think >> of what groups you're interested in a posting being read by, then post to >> the most specific newsgroup that will reach part of that group. >> >> comp.sys.mac - no postings, just a root for the keywords >> ".hardware - postings that somehow discuss hardware >> ".software - ditto software >> ".misc - nothing else applices >> ".macII - Mac II specific >> ".macse - Mac SE specific >> ... > >I believe this technique would be VERY well received by net users. If the >cost to implement and run this type of organization is reasonable, then >by all means DO IT. We would all be eternally grateful. This seems a >good way to solve this recurring problem once and for all. >It would be especially nice if there was some consistency of keywords, >where appropriate, across root newsgroups. Please, NO!!!! Any organization scheme that encourages cross-posting is going to be very poorly received by at least one segment of the net user community -- those that use notes rather than news to read net news. Notes stores and displays a news article separately for each news group to which it is posted. If I subscribe to all of the Mac groups in order to keep up with the whole area, I will be forced to deal with each cross-posted article several times. I don't object to breaking comp.sys.mac into smaller groups, even though I intend to continue to at least review everything, but please don't choose a division that will encourage cross-posting, as that will make the problem worse, not better. >Rob Prentice {pyramid, ucbvax, uunet, rutgers!hao, colo!boulder}!nbires!rob Kurt W. Hirchert National Center for Supercomputing Applications