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From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: Re: receiving vs. sending satellite netnews
Message-ID: <484@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Dec-84 19:15:58 EST
Article-I.D.: vortex.484
Posted: Thu Dec 27 19:15:58 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Dec-84 08:04:51 EST
References: <185@masscomp.UUCP>
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 90

I have discussed the reasons for screening netnews numerous times
in the past (legal, technical, and "publishing"-wise) and I am
not going to go over it all again.  I'm getting very tired of repeating
the same stuff over and over in this group, and I'm sure other
people are also.

As I have also mentioned numerous times, materials for stargate
would ultimately be routed quickly (via mail) to moderators for
satellite distribution.  This will require some carefully designed
software and routes, but the end result is that the satellite
people will get the stuff by satellite and the non-satellite
people will receive materials through conventional means, usually
later.

To the extent that moderators are screening conventional netnews
materials (and not materials mailed directly to them, like mod.*
groups are now -- this is the best model, by the way) it will
help if the moderators are well connected to primary nodes
so they get the news early.  However, my own view is that the
mod.* model, where moderators are mailed the materials, or where
the materials pass to several moderators by mail (not by netnews),
is the most accurate picture.  Of course, these moderators would
want to be well located to avoid mail delays, but many of the people
who are currently volunteering for such tasks are already in such
postions (topologically-speaking).

It is possible that, over time, the satellite service would tend
to split off from Usenet proper in some ways.  For example, if
people could submit articles to the moderators via direct mail
(perhaps via an 800 number or some such, perhaps not) the moderators
would then be even more in the position of magazine editors, and
the service is a big electronic magazine, hopefully of high quality.
People can still submit whatever they like, and most stuff (that
fit the topic catagories and is of general interest) would
get sent -- quickly too.  There has never been anything like this
before, where random people could submit items, that are usually
accepted, for a satellite broadcast magazine running 24 hours/day.

While such a service would not be suitable for the quick flame sessions
that some people have now on Usenet, such people (and anyone else who
wanted to) could of course continue to use Usenet proper. 

In other words, it is incorrect to view (ultimately) the concept
of satellite netnews as a high-tech Usenet.  Rather, it is another
way for people to communicate.  Presumably, even if the sort of
scenario discussed above came to pass (and it is only one
scenario) the moderators could be watching for interesting Usenet
items to send off.  Also, presumably, there would be gateways
so that the ordinary Usenet sites could receive some or all
of the satellite materials (albeit much more slowly than by satellite)
if this were deemed desirable.  The two services could co-exist in 
a symbiotic way, with each handling the sort of traffic that would
be best suited for its mode of operation and sharing when 
desirable.

This is all speculation of course.  But it's a model that I think
could result in a very useful information service with which many
people would want to participate.

--Lauren--

P.S.  I'm starting to spend too much time generating messages
like this.  Please do not be surprised if you find me not responding directly
to some of the netnews messages that continue to appear on this topic, with 
my messages only appearing occasionally for status reports.  I have laid
out the project as best I can for now, and just don't have the time for
doing messages like this every day.  Please remember that this
is an experiment.  I suggest that you sit back and relax a little
bit to see what comes forth from the discussions among the various
parties involved in the project, who are not under my control in
any case.  I'll keep the network informed of what occurs with the
experiment and the discussions, which are in extremely preliminary
stages right now.  

But I'm going to have to bow out of explaining this stuff over
and over again, especially when it's so much in its infancy and
I have infinite piles of TECHNICAL issues to deal with.  I really
can't handle the politics too at this point, and given the
experimental status of the project right now, the politics don't
really mean very much.  If you have specific questions,
feel free to send me mail, but I'm going to avoid spending
the time (that I don't have!) to do too many more messages like this one.

We may be getting a bit ahead of ourselves.  Some of the discussion
now would be like a biologist, having successfully cloned a worm,
worrying about to which college he'll send his first artificial human
for post-graduate work...

--Lauren--