[net.news] How do we get people to update software?

derek (02/14/83)

We are running news 2.8.  They way to get this site to
run news 2.9 would be to send me a copy.  If you want
us to run new software, please give us a copy.  If you
don't, we won't.

Derek Andrew
U of Saskatchewan

alb (02/14/83)

That is an extremely obnoxious approach to take to get people to
update their software.  Has it ever occurred to you that maybe
some people don't WANT to go to B news?  There are some sites
that do run current version of A news and they are quite happy
with it.  Why force them to change?  If you do make the kind of
change you suggest, I thin what will happen is that the 'new'
network (that with the billions of little groups) will be the
one to quickly die, not the old one.

clp (02/16/83)

I think the point of the original comment was: when a new news system
 is developed that the majority of people like (i.e., it is faster and
 has better organization), it will come to dominate the net. People will
 *want* to have the new news program because it is so much better.

Obviously, it should be compatible with older news programs; but it's
 new features should be better enough that the switch-over will begin.

For example, it could organize the news in tree fashion, internalize the
 .newsrc file (for speed), and scan sub-directories only when necessary.
 With names like "net.languages.C.bugs.VAX.UNIX" being turned into paths
 into the news tree, there would be greater flexibility in both new group
 creation and use.

Of course, someone would have to commit themselves to writing such a new
 system; but building on the old one, a simple version of the above might
 take no more than 10-20 hours to write...Any comments?
							    Charles L. Perkins
						   ...decvax!genradb!wjh12!clp