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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
Subject: Re: Is anyone else offended.....
Message-ID: <704@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 6-Jul-85 23:13:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: vortex.704
Posted: Sat Jul  6 23:13:47 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 8-Jul-85 01:08:48 EDT
References: <278@timeinc.UUCP>
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 28

While I support the concept of keeping net.flame flowing whenever
possible, I think it's going too far to say that all sites have
some sort of "responsibility" to pass along all groups.  To the
extent that they are able to do so without problems, then full
pass-through is to be encouraged, at least for the time being.

But many sites are operating in more restricted environments, and
have disk limits, CPU limits, or management edicts with which to 
deal.  It is not terribly reasonable to try force these sites into
disrupting their own local operations for the sake of Usenet!  There
are very few machines on the net whose sole reason for existence
is Usenet--most of them are supposed to be accomplishing other work
as well!  As we see more smaller machines join the net, the number
of sites unable, for one reason or another, to pass all or even any groups
will increase.  What this means is that more sites will need to get
their feeds from multiple points instead of just one, and more sites
will have to pay for some or all of the calls.  As volume increases,
this will be true even for technical groups, much less the non-technical
newsgroups.

Trying to "force" all sites into passing all groups is most likely
to result in many sites being forced to drop off the network 
completely.  While I personally think that net.flame serves a 
useful purpose, I still feel that each site must make an individual
decision regarding what groups they can reasonably pass.
The more the better, but it still IS up to the individual site.

--Lauren--