Re: Reply to list?

[bfhowell@hiwaay.net]

At 08:07 PM 11/7/96 -0600, Jim wrote:
>
>I think what we really need is a type III newsgroup.

Aargggggh!

I disagree completely.  The beauty of a list is that you generally have some
assurance that the subscribers are sincerely interested in the subject
matter.  The signal to noise ratio is very attractive compared to a
newsgroup.  Making people request inclusion, no matter how trivial the
induction process, seems to discourage the cads and bounders.

Beyond this, there is no guarantee that someone will actually be able to
access a new T3 group.  Administrators are not required to honor newgroup
messages.  If they don't want another VW group, they'll not have it.

Also, not all people on the net have Usenet access in the first place.
Everyone (including those with the $5/mo shell accounts) gets e-mail.  With
the emergence of Juno and other fledgling "free mail" ventures, even the
shell requirement has been removed.

Too, there is nothing in this list which cannot appropriately be discussed
in the *existing* air-cooled group.  T3's *are* air cooled, no?  If you have
Usenet access and don't want the e-mail, take it to r.a.m.v.a.

Finally, in a list, you have some control over the content of the e-mail you
receive.  Don't want to hear about Krazy Kevin's super-stupendous magazine
subscription offer?  Filter the scoundrel, and all the others of his ilk.
Unscrupulous cheapskate parts hawker spamming the list?  Give him the boot.
No such controls on Usenet.

>...I realize it is a long 
>term project, but I read other newsgroups that have less traffic than this 
>one and THEY don't clog up my email.

Abandon Eudora and get Pegasus.  This comes from someone who was a devoted
Eudora (freeware) user for a long time.  Pegasus has a dandy filtering
system and more bells and whistles than you can shake a stick at.  I
routinely process 100-200 pieces of e-mail each day with Pegasus.  It's
easy.  It works.

> ...Does anyone know anything about the 
>newsgroup creation process.

It's been a while since I looked, but here's how I remember it.  If I state
something incorrectly (and I have no doubt that I will), someon please
correct me.  I am, however, pretty sure that the gist of this is right.

First, anyone who knows how to send a newgroup message can form a group in
the alt.* hierarchy.  Drawback:  The alt groups have the poorest
distribution and are the first to be cut when the news admin needs more disk
space

To get a new group in the Big 7 hierarchies, you have to put out a request
for discussion.  After the RFD period, the voting is announced and someone
takes responsibility for handling all the proper group notifications and
keeping up with the balloting.  After the voting period ends, the ballots
are tallied and the results are announced.  As I recall, to be confirmed, a
new group must have a yes:no vote ratio of 2:1, and there must be at least
100 yeas.

>..I think we might as well get started and give 
>Greg the credit he deserves for getting this ball rolling.

Give Greg all the credit he so richly deserves, but let's keep Usenet out of it.

Burgess
(fulltime lurker, parttime ranter)
---
bfhowell@hiwaay.net