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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site alice.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!alice!alb
From: alb@alice.UUCP (Adam L. Buchsbaum)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: Re: Suggestion for *MAJOR* topic reorganization
Message-ID: <2629@alice.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 1-Mar-84 20:57:59 EST
Article-I.D.: alice.2629
Posted: Thu Mar  1 20:57:59 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Mar-84 07:45:31 EST
References: <1022@pegasus.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 20

We can't rely on the Distribution field so much, merely because
not all sites run software which supports it (unfortunately).  Now,
don't give me the argument, ''Well, that's their fault; if they're
not going to keep up to date, to hell with them.''  It may be a
reasonable argument (yes, I believe everyone should run current
software), but if we are going to make such a major upheaval,
we simply have to make sure that the entire net will still run.  If
we rely on Distribution, the simple fact is that it won't.

As for the huge topic reorganization, I am against it.  The incredible
confusion and disarray it would cause outways the supposed benefits.
A major reorg like that would only serve to confuse matters and
make things worse, yes worse, and dirtier than they are now.  What
we have to do is just make sure that new groups are (1) actually
needed and (2) put in the right place.  If we organize from here
on, we can bear the slight disorganization that we now have.  Sometimes
it's better to live with a little mess than to make a bigger one
by scrubbing too hard.

Adam