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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!vortex!lauren
From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: mod.personal a VERY bad idea
Message-ID: <456@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 29-Nov-84 16:23:55 EST
Article-I.D.: vortex.456
Posted: Thu Nov 29 16:23:55 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Dec-84 06:48:33 EST
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 26

The time has come to realize that this network, and the money of the
people who support it, isn't supposed to provide every service anyone
might possibly want.  Personal "services" are best kept local and
non-public.  I don't think it's reasonable for the entire network 
to be pressured into carrying such materials; it's just another nail
in the coffin for the day that various administrators see how their
money is being wasted and crack down on ALL netnews.  If you insist
on using computers for such things, feel free to start up a local
BBS -- the whole world doesn't need to see and pay for this sort
of material.

I also feel that the "tell me if you want this group" polls
are meaningless.  Most responses to such polls will always be
positive, since only the people who like the idea tend to take the
time to respond -- the people who think the idea is stupid or a waste
tend to just skip the message.  And many people never see the polls
at all (I didn't in this case.)

If mod.personal(s) is created, I strongly urge sites to carefully
consider whether this is really the sort of material you want
to spend your netnews money on, and whether such topics are really
suitable for nationwide and worldwide distribution.  If we don't
start showing *some* sense soon, it's all going to come down around
us, sooner or later.

--Lauren--