[alt.sources.d] Why not rename comp.sources.* to comp.source.code.*

rsalz@bbn.com (Rich Salz) (11/03/89)

Jeff Medcalf suggests
>While we're at it, what about
>
>comp.source.code.misc
>comp.source.code.sun
etc...

The answer is that those groups are moderated, so when people post mistaken
messages to those groups, only the moderator has to deal with it.
I get at least one message a day that was somebody posting a "I want..."
kind of message.  (That doesn't count all the BITNET failures that get
bounced back, nor the "please add me to your mailing list" messages,
nor the --- sorry, I'm snivelling.)

The main point, tho, is that the other groups get bogus messages from
ignorant posters, too.  Because they're moderated, the net at large isn't
bothered by them.

Yours in service,
	/rich $alz
-- 
Please send comp.sources.unix-related mail to rsalz@uunet.uu.net.
Use a domain-based address or give alternate paths, or you may lose out.

lee@sq.sq.com (Liam R. E. Quin) (11/07/89)

In article <2125@prune.bbn.com> rsalz@bbn.com (Rich Salz) writes:
>Jeff Medcalf suggests
>>While we're at it, what about
>>
>>comp.source.code.misc
>>comp.source.code.sun
>etc...
>
>The answer is that those groups are moderated, so when people post mistaken
>messages to those groups, only the moderator has to deal with it.

Except that it would make a lot more sense if all of the newsgroups
had consistent names.

At least it would then be possible to intuit the name of the comp.* groups
from the alt.source-code groups, and versa vice [:-)].
This is especially useful for people who get a limited subset of the
news (for cost of disk-space reasons).

On the other hand, that would force all of the archivers to change.

Lee
--
Liam R. Quin, Unixsys (UK) Ltd
lee@sq.com (visiting from England for a while)
lee@anduk.co.uk (after Christmas)

kent@ssbell.UUCP (Kent Landfield) (11/08/89)

In article <1989Nov6.200704.25810@sq.sq.com> lee@sq.com (Liam R. E. Quin) writes:
>In article <2125@prune.bbn.com> rsalz@bbn.com (Rich Salz) writes:
>>Jeff Medcalf suggests
>>>While we're at it, what about
>>>
>>>comp.source.code.misc
>>>comp.source.code.sun
>>etc...
>>
>>The answer is that those groups are moderated, so when people post mistaken
>>messages to those groups, only the moderator has to deal with it.
>
>Except that it would make a lot more sense if all of the newsgroups
>had consistent names.

The newsgroups *do* have consistent names. I see nothing gained by making
the comp.sources.* group names match the "suggested" alt.sources group 
renaming. 

>At least it would then be possible to intuit the name of the comp.* groups
>from the alt.source-code groups, and versa vice [:-)].

I have no problem now. Why do you ?? If we really wanted to make it clear
then why not change the names to ...

comp.source.code.for.sys5.only
comp.source.code.for.BSD4.3.only
comp.source.code.for.sun.workstations.only
comp.source.code.for.att.workstations.only
comp.source.code.for.hp.workstations.only
comp.source.code.for.dec.workstations.only
comp.source.code.for.all.other.workstations
comp.source.code.for.people.who.only.do.pascal.on.a.pdp-11
comp.source.code.anything.goes

Why don't we try it in the alt groups first and see if the experiment
works... :-) :-)

>This is especially useful for people who get a limited subset of the
>news (for cost of disk-space reasons).

I really do not see where changing the name makes any difference at all
for people who get a "limited subset"... Remember, the topic is renaming
the comp.sources groups which are moderated.

>On the other hand, that would force all of the archivers to change.

And to what benifit ?? The discussion of renaming alt sources groups
should focus on alt and not try to break something that is not broken.
It is interesting that a discussion on renaming the comp.sources groups
did not appear in comp.sources.d.

			-Kent+
---
Kent Landfield               UUCP:     kent@ssbell
Sterling Software FSG/IMD    INTERNET: kent@ssbell.uu.net
1404 Ft. Crook Rd. South     Phone:    (402) 291-8300 
Bellevue, NE. 68005-2969     FAX:      (402) 291-4362

epsilon@wet.UUCP (Eric P. Scott) (11/09/89)

Why not?  Simple: it won't stop non-source code postings.
I support the "leave it consistent" and "create a .wanted"
recommendations.  I am also a STRONG believer in "recording"
files to inform new users about any "nonobvious" characteristics
of ANY newsgroup.

Please don't make frivolous changes in alt newsgroups.  Every
control message we receive for "alt" is considered highly
suspect (guess why), and changes of any kind happen SLOWLY.
Don't break the continuity unless there is a good reason.

					-=EPS=-