Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sdccsu3.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!sdccsu3!brian From: brian@sdccsu3.UUCP (Brian Kantor) Newsgroups: net.news.group Subject: Re: nuke net.general? Message-ID: <1951@sdccsu3.UUCP> Date: Wed, 20-Jun-84 10:58:50 EDT Article-I.D.: sdccsu3.1951 Posted: Wed Jun 20 10:58:50 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 23-Jun-84 04:11:30 EDT References: <32@cbosgd.UUCP> Organization: UCSD beer & pizza society Lines: 45 x It seems to me that the controversy regarding net.general is due in a large part to the misconception of many users as to its purpose. It is easy (in retrospect) to see that the name 'general' can easily be interpreted in at least two ways: 'general interest' and 'general subject matter'. Specifically, that people misunderstand the title 'general' is insufficient reason for deleting the newsgroup; something more in the way of justification is needed. Net.misc was created for the express purpose of taking articles that didn't really have a home anywhere else, but when it is NOT INTUITIVELY OBVIOUS that one should use net.misc instead of net.general then there is a question as to the appropriateness of the title vs its 'intended' usage. Yes, there are netiquette articles explaining what newsgroups to use, when not to use net.general, when to use net.misc, etc. As any of you who have to deal with users in the real world know, few users read the instructions, fewer still understand them, and only a small number actually obey them. In a network as undisciplined as this one, it is surprising that net.general works as well as it does. No, I'm not fond of reading lots of messages that don't apply to me in any way. But I don't believe that the situation will change by simply nuking net.general. We must FIRST devise a substitute, intuitively obvious to the greatest number of people, that is a newsgroup expressly for those items of very widespread interest. After that is established, net.general can be nuked and net.misc will take its rightful place as the catchall newsgroup. I don't have a suggestion for the title of the newsgroup. Or rather, I have several, none of which is satisfactory. Lets discuss it here and see what we can come up with? -- -Brian Kantor, UC San Diego ihnp4 \ Kantor@Nosc decvax \ akgua ----- sdcsvax ----- brian dcdwest/ ucbvax/