[net.news.group] net.chew-the-fat

ber (07/02/82)

#N:harpo:10100002:000:535
harpo!ber    Jul  2 13:46:00 1982

I for two would not like to see more bullshit news groups.
I'd like to get rid of many.  Before netnews was introduced I
had hoped to see some kind of communication mechanism geared mainly to
people who run UNIX systems.  I wanted to benefit from the community of
knowledge.  I wasn't looking for entertainment or social discussions.

I realize that netnews is appropriate for more than UNIX support.
But I think the purpose should be mainly to inform technically
and help people with specific problems find solutions.

		brian redman

nrh (07/04/82)

I agree with harpo!ber.  There's already such a small information/garbage
ratio on the net that I wonder that the packet driver allows stuff
through.  

Surely people have learned this from netnews:  if there is a free forum for
flaming, personal opinions (supported or otherwise), nit-picking,
political arguments (informed and otherwise), and other useless
drivel, it will be used.  Extensively.  I'm all for freedom of speech,
though, so I make the following suggestion:  Why not start a subnet
called something like "flame", "pol",  or "arg", for this political
stuff?  That way, one could post to "pol.bombs", instead of fa.arms-d,
or "arg.movies" for arguments on whether (whether?  I meant WHEN!) Spock will 
return.

Nuke the Newsgroups!

						- Nat Howard
						esquire!nrh

ks (07/14/82)

#R:harpo:10100002:pur-ee:7500002:000:174
pur-ee!ks    Jul  2 23:22:00 1982

I agree with Brian Redman.  Most will agree that net news is helpful in
many cases.  Let's not lose it because of the cost of supporting nonsense
newsgroups.
					Kirk Smith

kolstad (07/15/82)

#R:harpo:10100002:uiucdcs:11200004:000:364
uiucdcs!kolstad    Jul 14 22:11:00 1982

I hope that having notesfiles/responses will allow those people who wish
to write 25 responses about a paradox realize that 25 responses to a
single query do not a newsgroup make.  I anticipate the number of
newsgroups being REDUCED once more people get used to notesfiles (e.g.,
net.sport.x can easily be coalesced to a series of basenotes with
ongoing replies).