[news.groups] removing groups in general

rusty@cadnetix.COM (Rusty) (03/15/89)

In article <2091@helios.ee.lbl.gov> Jef Poskanzer <jef@helios.ee.lbl.gov> writes:
>
>It turns out, though, there there are quite a few groups with no
>traffic.  I have appended a list of 16 moderated groups and 32 free
>groups that are dead dead dead.

Ok, but see below.

>Suggestion: after a few months with no traffic, a moderated group
>should be changed to free,...
>
>As for a free group with no traffic for a few months, just remove the
>sucker.  If anyone objects, they can vote to have the group re-created.

I agree, I think. (Hows that for hedging? :-)
However, a group which has 'no traffic' at one site may be very heavily active
at another.  For example, I am very far behind in reading

>comp.ibm.binaries.d y		<--- this was in Jef's list of dead groups.

with something like 100 unread articles in it when I got in today.  Perhaps
your site has an upstream feed which is not passing that group?


In any case, it seems that some sort of semi-automatic system for removing
inactive groups may have merit, or at least some way of notifying someone 
that a discussion to remove the group should be started.

However, I suggest a minimum of 3 months of no activity at some set of 'major'
sites be required, and then perhaps a discussion here on news.groups (note,
followups directed only to news.groups)?  (Oh, boy, just what we need, more
discussions on news.groups! :-(.

Note - I am not a sysadmin nor in any other way involved in administering news
at our site, so I have no vested interest in removing groups or limiting the
number of groups.  
-----
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