Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site gatech.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gatech!spaf
From: spaf@gatech.UUCP (Gene Spafford)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: a new group??? (net.singles.js)
Message-ID: <11702@gatech.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 19-Jan-85 13:35:01 EST
Article-I.D.: gatech.11702
Posted: Sat Jan 19 13:35:01 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 20-Jan-85 06:18:40 EST
References: <139@ihdev.UUCP>
Reply-To: spaf@gatech.UUCP (Gene Spafford)
Organization: The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech
Lines: 46

Ahem.

As a quasi-official voice connected with the creation of new
newsgroups, let me point out that starting a new newsgroup for Jeff
Sargent is not something I support, nor is it warranted under the usual
rules for starting a new newsgroup -- no one would subscribe to it,
except (perhaps) Jeff himself.

I think that the majority of (posted) opinion seems to be that the
readers of net.singles are rather tired of seeing all of Jeff's
postings to the net.  Fine.  But let us not suggest any formal
censoring of Jeff.  In the past, he has had some valuable things to
say, and he has started some very interesting discussions.  If you are
tired of seeing Jeff's postings, don't read them.  Use "rn" to
automatically junk anything he posts.  Most importantly, stop replying
to him by posting news -- I think he keeps posting because he gets
people responding, even if negatively (and thus proving his belief that
he is an incredible failure).

We've had other such displays here.  The way to respond to people whose
postings habitually annoy you is to send them a note every time they
post something annoying.  Don't keep responding in the news.  If Jeff
starts receiving 50 or 100 or 500 pieces of mail telling him to quit
whining and go relate to real people instead of the terminal, maybe his
machine will be so busy processing mail that he won't be able to post.
And maybe he'll get the point.

I don't want to censor Jeff, nor do I think we should attempt to censor
anyone.  Even the most annoying have something for some of us to learn,
if they present it sincerely.  I think we've heard all of Jeff's
presentations too many times already, however, and it might be wise if
we all stopped giving him the same answers and responses.  If no one
posted replies to his postings, would Jeff continue to post?

Of course, we could always take up a collection to hire some poor
Purdue undergrads to break Jeff's fingers.  If he couldn't type for a
few months, it might force him to break his dependence on the net and
cause him to go out and form other, more rewarding, relationships
with real people.

Whatever.  A new newsgroup is not the way to go, though.
-- 
Gene "7 months and counting" Spafford
The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332
CSNet:	Spaf @ GATech		ARPA:	Spaf%GATech.CSNet @ CSNet-Relay.ARPA
uucp:	...!{akgua,allegra,hplabs,ihnp4,linus,seismo,ulysses}!gatech!spaf