Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site looking.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!looking!brad
From: brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: Re: Yet Another Newsgroup Streamlining (Long Article)
Message-ID: <132@looking.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 1-Mar-84 00:00:00 EST
Article-I.D.: looking.132
Posted: Thu Mar  1 00:00:00 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Mar-84 08:12:59 EST
References: <293@oliveb.UUCP>
Organization: Looking Glass Software, Waterloo, Ont
Lines: 29

If we are going to do a renaming scheme like this, we need a software
change.  If we need a software change, let's switch to keyword based
news instead.

(For newcomers:  keyword based news is a system where every news article
is assigned as many keywords as you like.  They are of the form "space shuttle",
"joke", "flame", "science fiction" etc.  Some keywords describe topics
(like "science fiction") and others describe article types, like "flame",
"follwoup", "inquiry", "opinion", "original information", "reprint" etc.
Anybody can create keywords as they please.  You get informed when somebody
does this.  You subscribe by laying out patterns such as
"science fiction & microcomputers" or "usenet & !flame" or
"!(sender=brad & site=looking)"
"space & (arms race | movies)" etc.   I sent out a big thing on it long
ago.  No "net." wastes of time.  Use distributions and all that.)

First of all, lets just make groups single words with no distribution
codes on them.  Ie. let the groups be "singles", "sf-lovers" etc.
and have people put distribution codes on them.  "world", "na", "ontario",
"waterloo", "local" - that sort of thing.

If not this, then some more renaming should be done.  net.news should
be net.usenet since the program isn't even called news anymore.  The
news software itself can go in a software systems group.  perhaps a
division net.opinion for groups that discuss sex, politics and religion.
(net.opinion.{politics,religion,arms-d,women,flame,etc.}

-- 
	Brad Templeton - Waterloo, Ontario (519) 886-7304