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From: gregbo@houxm.UUCP (Greg Skinner)
Newsgroups: net.news.group,net.singles
Subject: Re: The realities of mod.personal
Message-ID: <1019@houxm.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 9-Dec-84 13:30:33 EST
Article-I.D.: houxm.1019
Posted: Sun Dec  9 13:30:33 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 10-Dec-84 03:20:01 EST
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Xref: watmath net.news.group:2620 net.singles:4794

> From: chabot@amber.DEC (L S Chabot)

> The issues of geographic distance for the individuals involved are not 
> significant.  What is more significant is do sites really want to pay for
> the expense of mod.personal in terms of any increase in phone bills and disk
> usage.  It is hard to tell, now, what percentage of usenet costs this would
> involve.  Considering that currently we do have the behavior of contributors
> and readers approaching other contributors through mail based on what they've
> read by the latter in newsgroup postings, mod.personal would be a natural
> evolvement.  My guess is that it would also not significantly increase usenet
> load--we really can't do any more than guess at this point in time.

I think the real issue is whether or not mod.personals is an appropriate group
for USENET, not whether it will cost hosts more money or what the geographic
distances between posters are.  Lately, there has been a rash of "creeping
newsgroup-creationism", or simply, groups have popped up just because someone
thought they ought to be there, without considering whether there was actually
a need for it.  (Example: net.forsale.)  The posting of ads selling cars, etc.
may be reasonable, but posting personal ads is getting a little extreme.  

A suggestion for those who wish a "personal" newsgroup -- set up a mailing list
with interested parties who want to swap information about each other.  If it
is a good list, it will soon pick up and a lot of people will join.  Perhaps
you could even create an e-mail dating service, but I don't think USENET
should be used as a vehicle for this. 
-- 
			Baby tie your hair back in a long white bow ...
			Meet me in the field, behind the dynamo ...

Greg Skinner (gregbo)
{allegra,cbosgd,ihnp4}!houxm!gregbo