Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site wlcrjs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!mhuxj!houxm!ihnp4!wlcrjs!david From: david@wlcrjs.UUCP (David Watson) Newsgroups: net.news.group,net.misc Subject: Re: Proposed newsgroup: net.news.public Message-ID: <477@wlcrjs.UUCP> Date: Fri, 14-Dec-84 02:37:23 EST Article-I.D.: wlcrjs.477 Posted: Fri Dec 14 02:37:23 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 15-Dec-84 00:35:16 EST References: <476@wlcrjs.UUCP> Reply-To: david@wlcrjs.UUCP (David Watson) Distribution: net Organization: chi-net, Public Access UN*X, Chicago IL Lines: 33 Xref: watmath net.news.group:2635 net.misc:7125 Summary: Count me in! In article <476@wlcrjs.UUCP> price@wlcrjs.UUCP (Douglas H. Price) writes: > >I propose the creation of a new newsgroup net.news.public, to act >as a forum for anyone concerned with the ownership, responsibility and >managment of Public Access Netnews sites, and any issues concerning >Public Access computing facilities as well. If discussion does not last, >we can, of course, remove this newsgroup in the future. > >Discussion? > Well, I plan to establish an open-access Site in Boston, and a net.news.public group seems like a useful and timely proposition if there are many others who share the same crazy idea. One interesting issue raised by the introduction of public-access Sites can be kicked around in net.news.public, and it goes something like this: "Suppose that, despite net.announce.newusers and other precautions, the new public-access sites generate a significant number of postings which ignore netiquette and distract ongoing discussions with naive or abusive messages. What (if anything) do we do about it, and how do we feel about opening the net to that possibility in the first place?" There are many ethical, technical, and psychological ramifications to this, not the least of which is the spectre of elitism. My opinion is that there will be lots of netnews problems associated with the introduction of large numbers of Unix micros into the marketplace over the next couple of years. Anyway, "net.news.public" seems like a great place to hash that kind of thing around, so I support the creation of this new group. -- -David M. Watson (Mail: ...ihnp4!harvard!lhasa!watson)