jbrown@locus.com (Jordan Brown) (06/14/91)
I recently posted this control message, which several people don't seem
to have understood the point of.
---
Path: prodnet.la.locus.com!jbrown
From: jbrown@locus.com (Jordan Brown)
Newsgroups: alt.ctl
Subject: rmgroup alt
Message-ID: <25258@oolong.la.locus.com>
Date: 11 Jun 1991 18:22:14 GMT
Control: rmgroup alt
Distribution: world
Organization: Locus Computing Corp., Los Angeles
Lines: 8
Approved: jbrown@locus.com
"alt" isn't a real newsgroup - it's only the root for the "alt" hierarchy.
If you get a mail message telling you I asked for it to be removed, it
means that you have it in your active file as an actual newsgroup, which
is wrong. It would help to reduce the overall level of confusion in the
net if you deleted it...
Thanks.
---
Unless I'm completely off my rocker, which I doubt, my attitude is
completely correct and there are no valid counter-arguments.
The common thread seems to be people thinking that "rmgroup foo"
removes foo.all, which is not the case in any news system I'm familiar
with, and I'm certainly under the impression that it's not the intent.
(The recent "rmgroup rec.sport.basketball" would be pretty
counterproductive if it was, since it would delete the newly created
replacement groups rec.sport.basketball.{misc,college,pro}.)
I think a significant factor in this is that C news doesn't mail the
text of the control message to the news admin like B news does, so
these ignorant news admins see only the (apparently) stupid rmgroup
without the accompanying explanation. (Henry, Geoff? Any particular
reason?)
So, am I losing it completely? Is there any argument that "alt"
itself is a valid newsgroup?