Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site almsa-1 Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!almsa-1!control From: control@almsa-1 (William Martin) Newsgroups: net.news.group Subject: Re: Net.software.projects group idea Message-ID: <190@almsa-1> Date: Mon, 12-Aug-85 13:31:34 EDT Article-I.D.: almsa-1.190 Posted: Mon Aug 12 13:31:34 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 14-Aug-85 01:43:23 EDT References: <134@isis.UUCP> Reply-To: control@almsa-1.UUCP (William Martin) Distribution: net Organization: ALMSA-1, St. Louis, MO Lines: 30 Keywords: distributed software projects This appears to be a rather good idea... One point, regarding the proposal for having a "no followups" rule: I think that might be counterproductive. Suppose I post a note saying that I am working on idea "X". Across the net, there are twenty other people also working on idea "X" (the usual simultaneous occurrence of ideas when the time is ripe for them -- the history of science is full of examples of this). If they only mail to me, it is then up to me to put all of these people in contact with each other. I may not do this -- I may not know how, or may not have time, or maybe I want to get their ideas for myself and not let them collaborate. However, if followups are allowed, and all twenty people post notices that they, too, are working on idea "X", the info and the identities are public, and it is also apparent to others, who might have thought about devoting time and resources to idea "X", that it is being handled already by a lot of different people and/or organizations, and mybe they would be better off putting their resources into some other area. Of course, nothing would keep a "no followup" rule from being avoided by people simply posting newly-originated notices with similar subjects (or even putting a "Re:" in manually, so it would not be enforceable in any event -- it just seems that making that be an explicit goal might not be wise... Other than that, seems like a pretty good idea. Guess that means it'll never happen... :-) Regards, Will Martin ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA UUCP/Usenet: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin