spaf@cs.purdue.EDU (Gene Spafford) (01/30/89)
For over a year now we have had an alternate hierarchy of newsgroups
with a special distribution -- "inet" -- circulating in a subset of all
the regular groups. Originally, the idea was put forth that these
groups would take the place of Arpanet discussion lists (mailing lists)
and they would eventually be merged into the regular newsgroups as
volume and timing seemed appropriate.
The inet distribution was intended to be for just those sites using
NNTP to transfer news on the Internet. The idea was that since those
sites were likely already getting the mailing lists delivered to local
users, by transferring to the inet groups and dropping the mail
distribution it would be possible to save some Internet bandwidth and
local storage. The groups were not made "world" to start with because
there was concern about volume. Since then, more and more sites have
Internet access, Trailblazer modems have become commonplace, and site
admins seem more adept about at restricting news flow on a
topic-by-topic, group-by-group basis.
Thus, I believe that the time has come to turn the "inet" groups into
regular "world" groups. I am seeing postings and getting mail on a
regular basis that indicates that sites are seeing "leakage" of the
inet groups into the mainstream. I also keep seeing postings
suggesting new groups on topics already covered by existing inet
groups.
This is not like creating a new group (or 51 groups): some of these
"inet" groups have existed as mailing lists perhaps as long (or longer
than) the Usenet, so their longevity and volume have already been
demonstrated. Furthermore, they are already carried by hundreds of
Usenet sites. Thus, conducting a poll seems to be less than
appropriate.
Instead, I propose that people just post an comments *against* the
merger. If you feel there is a good reason not to promote the groups,
register it here so people can evaluate your objections. Should no
objections be raised unanswered by mid-January, I'll ask the people
running the gateways to make the necessary configuration change.
If you think this approach is inappropriate, post about that too.
I've already found lots of people in favor of the change, and anyone
currently carrying the inet groups will never note a change. So, it
is incumbent on anyone with objections to raise them now.
What follows is the list of groups current distributed as "inet" groups:
comp.ai.edu Applications of Artificial Intelligence to Education.
comp.ai.vision Artifical Intelligence Vision Research. (Moderated)
comp.dcom.lans.hyperchannel Hyperchannel networks within an IP network.
comp.dcom.lans.v2lni Proteon Pronet/V2LNI Ring networks.
comp.editors Topics related to computerized text editing.
comp.edu.composition Writing instruction in computer-based classrooms.
comp.lang.asm370 Programming in IBM System/370 Assembly Language.
comp.lang.clu The CLU language & related topics. (Moderated)
comp.lang.forth.mac The CSI MacForth programming environment.
comp.lang.icon Topics related to the ICON programming language.
comp.lang.idl IBL (Interface Description Language) related topics.
comp.lang.lisp.franz The Franz Lisp programming language.
comp.lang.lisp.x The XLISP language system.
comp.lang.rexx The REXX command langauge.
comp.lang.scheme.c The Scheme language environment.
comp.lang.visual Visual programming languages.
comp.lsi.cad Electrical Computer Aided Design.
comp.mail.multi-media Multimedia Mail.
comp.music Applications of computers in music research.
comp.os.aos Topics related to Data General's AOS/VS.
comp.os.cpm.amethyst Discussion of Amethyst, CP/M-80 software package.
comp.os.rsts Topics related to the PDP-11 RSTS/E operating system.
comp.os.v The V distributed operating system from Stanford.
comp.periphs.printers Information on printers.
comp.protocols.iso.dev-environ The ISO Development Environment.
comp.protocols.iso.x400 X400 mail protocol discussions. (Moderated)
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway X400 mail gateway discussions. (Moderated)
comp.protocols.pcnet Topics related to PCNET (a personal computer network).
comp.protocols.pup The Xerox PUP network protocols.
comp.protocols.tcp-ip.domains Topics related to Domain Style names.
comp.sys.cdc Control Data Corporation Computers (e.g., Cybers).
comp.sys.handhelds Handheld computers and programmable calculators.
comp.sys.intel.ipsc310 Anything related to Xenix on an Intel 310.
comp.sys.northstar Northstar microcomputer users.
comp.sys.super Supercomputers.
comp.sys.ti.explorer The Texas Instruments Explorer.
comp.sys.zenith Heath terminals and related Zenith products.
comp.terminals.bitgraph The BB&N BitGraph Terminal.
comp.terminals.tty5620 AT&T Dot Mapped Display Terminals (5620 and BLIT).
comp.theory Theoretical Computer Science.
comp.theory.cell-automata Discussion of all aspects of cellular automata.
comp.theory.dynamic-sys Ergodic Theory and Dynamical Systems.
comp.theory.self-org-sys Topics related to self-organization.
comp.unix.cray Cray computers and their operating systems.
news.software.nntp The Network News Transfer Protocol.
rec.games.vectrex The Vectrex game system.
rec.mag.fsfnet A Science Fiction "fanzine." (Moderated)
sci.bio.technology Any topic relating to biotechnology.
sci.math.num-analysis Numerical Analysis.
sci.philosophy.meta Discussions within the scope of "MetaPhilosophy."
soc.culture.esperanto The neutral international language Esperanto.
--
Gene Spafford
NSF/Purdue/U of Florida Software Engineering Research Center,
Dept. of Computer Sciences, Purdue University, W. Lafayette IN 47907-2004
Internet: spaf@cs.purdue.edu uucp: ...!{decwrl,gatech,ucbvax}!purdue!spafblarson@skat.usc.edu (Bob Larson) (01/30/89)
In article <5917@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> spaf@arthur.cs.purdue.edu (Gene Spafford) writes: >Thus, I believe that the time has come to turn the "inet" groups into >regular "world" groups. For most of the "inet" groups, I agree. Some of the "inet" groups are very low volume and participation, and probably should be left as mailing lists. (soc.culture.esperanto is probably one of these.) There is also an issue with which Internet mailing lists got converted to "inet" groups in the first place. It seems to me to have been done purly on Eric Fair's whim, dispite his stated policy at the time of the create of the inet groups that all Internet mailing lists in Rich Zellich's list of lists would be made into inet groups. The info-prime mailing list (which is on the list-of-lists) has not been gatewayed into a inet group. I pointed out the ommision to Eric soon after the initial creation, asking for it to be added or the policy of creating inet groups to be clarified. After a more than reasonable time (3 months) I publicly asked for a clarifaction from Eric in news.groups. Other than a "I'm a very busy person, I havn't had time" responce, I got no explanation of why esperanto discussions deserve a wide distribution and Prime computers don't. Since then, Eric has had time to create several more inet newsgroups, but apperently not comp.sys.prime. Without a real, published and working policy on how mailing lists become inet groups, I can't realy recomend that all inet groups be blindly converted to wider distribution. Each new group should have to justify itself by expected interest. Also, mailing lists that were not converted to inet groups should have an equal chance to be promoted to net wide groups if an exception to the voting rules is made. (I maintain the info-prime mailing list, send subscription requests etc. to the info-prime-request address below.) -- Bob Larson Arpa: Blarson@Ecla.Usc.Edu blarson@skat.usc.edu Uucp: {sdcrdcf,cit-vax}!oberon!skat!blarson Prime mailing list: info-prime-request%ais1@ecla.usc.edu oberon!ais1!info-prime-request