woods@sri-unix (05/27/82)
This is in reply to my previous article protesting the creation of net.sctv, a newsgroup devoted to one individual TV show. I have received several responses by mail, and all but one expressed the same sentiment as I: we like the SCTV show but don't feel that it justifies its own group. And as for Andy Tannenbaum, you don't have to get so hostile. I was just under the impression that a netnews guru had to approve the creation of new newsgroups, but people seem to be creating them at will right-and-left. And your implication that I am that restrictive is totally ridiculous, I never suggested anything of the sort. I still feel that a single TV show is too restrictive for its own high-level newsgroup. What I AM suggesting is something like net.tv.sctv, so that someone who is not interested in television could shut off all those groups without the necessity of 50 !net.sctv type things in .newsrc . And there is a very good reason why we shouldn't have an infinitude of newsgroups-- my options line in .newsrc is already as long as our hacked v6 system will allow (about 256 chars, I think). I cannot unsubscribe to any more newsgroups, so I have a very legitimate reason for being opposed to unlimited proliferation of newsgroups. Mark--Would you PLEASE state publicly what the official policy is on creation of new newsgroups is so we can avoid rehashing the same discussion we already had on this topic a while back. I for one would like to see the number of newsgroups controlled, for reasons already stated above. GREG (ucbvax!menlo70!hao!woods)