Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site opus.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!cires!nbires!opus!rcd
From: rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: Re: make newsgroup info easily available
Message-ID: <562@opus.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 20-Jun-84 22:05:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: opus.562
Posted: Wed Jun 20 22:05:04 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jun-84 11:08:28 EDT
References: <1352@pur-phy.UUCP>
Organization: NBI, Boulder
Lines: 31

How hard do we have to try?...

>A common complaint heard on the net is that mispostings are often the result
>of the site administrators failing to get the right information to the
>users. "Gosh, I wish this guy had read the netiquette article and the list
>of active newsgroups!"
IF your news system was set up right, it seems to me that it ought to be
hard for a user to get started WITHOUT at least seeing the netiquette
article.

>Relying on the systems people is wishful thinking.  Good grief, we don't
>even have a full time systems person here.  We're lucky to have access to
>the net at all.

To me, this sounds a bit like, "Good grief, I barely had the time and money
to get a car; do you really expect me to take the time to learn to drive?"
I don't really want to be harsh, but diving into the net (and I mean
posting, not just reading) without learning how to get along with the rest
of the crowd is bound to create problems.  SOMEbody put up the news
software at your site; that person ought to be able to take a little time
to help others get started.  OK, you may not have someone paid to do it -
so what?  Very few sites do.  This whole business of the net is basically
volunteer work.

>The information should be available from within the news user interface.

That's a good idea, and I'd like to see it.  But I still don't think it's a
substitute for users knowing what they're doing before they try to do it.
-- 
Dick Dunn	{hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd		(303)444-5710 x3086
	...Cerebus for dictator!