piet@mcvax.UUCP (Piet Beertema) (10/24/85)
>The argument is often raised "But what harm does it do to create (keep) >another newsgroup, especially if the volume is small?" The answer is: >"Plenty." The volume of postings is so large now that at least 4 >backbone sites are no longer carrying or forwarding all the newsgroups, >and more are considering cutbacks. >...Arguments about >merit of a newsgroup really aren't appropriate here -- if the net is to >be judged based on the volume (=popularity?) of newsgroups, then Usenet >is not primarily for technical or theoretical discussions. Rather, the >net is a forum for cranks and flamers with some technical content >thrown in now and again. Wrong. This again is reasoning from a narrow (and wrong) viewpoint, looking at the net as an American network only. But today it's *really* a worldwide network. And by far the most of the volume in the non-technical newsgroups does *not* reach the part of the net outside the US; given your first argument some of them even don't reach all of the US anymore! So it really is time to take arguments into account now about the merit of a new newsgroup, when it concerns a technical newsgroup. Very high numbers of yes-votes for such newsgroups can't always be expected, like on non-technical groups. -- Piet Beertema, CWI, Amsterdam (piet@mcvax.UUCP)