mojo@kepler (04/25/86)
Subject: Re: The elimination of certain non-technical newsgroups by so called "powers-that-be" I suppose this will be one of lots of follow-ups to this article, and it will eventually land in my Kill file. <sigh> I'll be brief. michael@ucbiris.BERKELEY.EDU writes: >In consideration of the virtues of the current state of USENET, I urge >the powers-that-be at the backbone-sites to exhaust all possible >avenues for cost cutting before further newsgroup eliminations are >implemented. I'm sure that's being done. Among other things, cheaper data transmission is coming into being via avenues like Telenet's PC Pursuit. But nothing else in your argument supports keeping the non-technical groups, or justifies paying for them. Your major argument: >USENET has the features of an electronic university. You're correct to a degree. (oops ... :-)) I think many of the groups even have "mentors" from which there is a lot to be learned. Certainly among them are Henry Spencer, Guy Harris, and lots and lots of other talent. But are they really there in the non-tech groups? Rich Rosen you say? Even so, this still doesn't justify the expense. Sure it's a "good deed". But the backbone can't even account the expense and write it off as a "contribution" to something. It's just money into a black hole with barely any visible goodwill established. My feeling: Make a new service organization and sell subscriptions. I think this is what's going to happen anyway. At least I hope it is. -- Mojo ... Morris Jones, MicroPro Product Development {lll-crg,ptsfa,dual,well,pyramid}!micropro!kepler!mojo