jj@alice.UUCP (11/04/85)
Since I don't have any interest in letting this drag on forever, I'll summarize the mail I've gotten: Delete net.flame: 93 Move net.flame to issues.flame, move politics, abortion, religion, etc likewise, and then delete all of issues <I think this is sneaky and deceptive, ed>: 1 Keep net.flame (polite): 8 Keep net.flame, you <expletive bozo>:3 So I guess the vote is roughly 93:11, with one abstention. I think that's a pretty strong indication of the desires of the people who have the necessary interest to write back. The overwhealming concensus of those who want to delete the newsgroup is that removing it makes a statement that flaming is NO LONGER OK. Anywhere. Those against removal have two concerns, (those who explained their concern, at least) the first being "but where will the flamers post then?", and the second being "but this is the only place we hear about net.news.groups". The second, while true (I'll assume that) is quite odd, and represents a very odd choice of newsgroups to have on a machine (or forwarded through a machine, for that matter...). Nutnoise administrators: I am NOT a news administrator, even though I've been here for ?4? <or something long like that> years. Hence, I can't remove the group. Would somebody like to do so? ********************* Nutnoise policy on flaming: When the net was created, the volume of postings was such that a few "noise" postings didn't matter. Now that it costs several million dollars (spread out, yes, but still...) to keep this mess going, I think it's time to make it clear that flaming, in more or less any form, is not appropriate. Among other things, many people do not realize that the net is a volunteer service that they are OBLIGATED to not abuse. I recently posted an article to that effect, and sent a copy to the cbosgd!mark for net.announce, since I thought it was time that the point was made that the net MUST NOT BE ABUSED. This note was rejected as inappropriate, hence it will not appear in net.announce. I propose that, since my article was not appropriate, it is encumbent on those who want to shut off newsgroups to post, in net.announce, and a lot of other places, a document like nettiquette, but more pointed toward the idea that the net is a volunteer service. Since I have been pointedly told that my writing is not appropriate, someone else will have to write the article for net.announce. Given the mail I've gotten, I don't know why ANYONE would volunteer. I certainly wouldn't volunteer to run anything to do with the net, and I doubt if I'd agree to pay for it. -- EVEN NUT.FLAME HAS IT'S LIMITS! "Sunset and evening star, and one clear call for netnews..."
gds@mit-eddie.UUCP (Greg Skinner) (11/05/85)
Before anyone even thinks of rmgrouping net.flame, let me caution you to wait for a representative vote from news administrators who indicate, BY MAIL, that they are unwilling to pass the group. I applaud your efforts, jj, but remember, this is just the popular vote, and does not reflect the net as a whole. Lest we see a barrage of postings to net.news.group complaining about the rmgrouping of net.flame, which will raise the volume of news to heights undreamed (since net.flame won't exist, they'll do all their flaming in net.news.group), I caution all of you to wait and see what site admins have to say. jj, would you be willing to indicate of those who voted who were site admins? did they supply that data? if not, i will take a vote from site admins (i'll accept your word that you're a site admin -- you don't have to mail your article from 'root' or 'news' or 'usenet' if you don't want to) on whether or not you are no longer willing to pass net.flame, and you want to see it rmgrouped. Again, I urge you, wait until we hear from other site admins. I don't want to see another flame war kicked off like the one over net.internat and net.bizarre. -- It's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under. Greg Skinner (gregbo) {decvax!genrad, allegra, ihnp4}!mit-eddie!gds gds@mit-eddie.mit.edu
jj@alice.UUCP (11/05/85)
Gregbo- I am NOT a system adminstrator, and I've said as much three times. I AM advising the backbone folks of the vote, at their request, and since I am not a system administrator, I will HAVE to wait for them to take action. Before you make WARNING's and such, you should rtfm, I think. -- TEDDY BEARS ARE SHY, SAVE A POWDERMILK BISCUIT FOR THEM. "When Eddie said he didn't like his Teddy, you knew he was a no good kid!" (ihnp4;allegra;research)!alice!jj