Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site adobe.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!Glacier!adobe!greid
From: greid@adobe.UUCP (Glenn Reid)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: Topology, connectivity, and garbage
Message-ID: <787@adobe.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 30-Oct-85 23:51:50 EST
Article-I.D.: adobe.787
Posted: Wed Oct 30 23:51:50 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 07:00:00 EST
Organization: Adobe Systems, Palo Alto
Lines: 51


The NET:  The net relies on UUCP links.  UUCP links rely on phone lines
and the existence of special software on each end to transfer information.
These phone lines and UUCP links have existed a lot longer than USENET.
Many of them are long-distance and were set up to facilitate the exchange
of useful technical information among computer students and professionals.
Somebody thought of "newsgroups", and discovered that the UUCP transport
system could be used to distribute such text in a manner similar to
electronic mail, but using the "chain-mail" approach to distribution.

News works great.  The problem is that its life blood depends upon the
existence of UUCP links which are very likely established for entirely
different reasons, and which may become newsfeeds as a matter of courtesy.

The problem now is that too much news and not enough technical information
is passing along some of these links, and something needs to be done about
it.  Some of the newsgroups are arguably technical, but the entire system
is arguably distinct from the mail system and the "raison d'existence" of
many of the UUCP links.  However, it is handy to have news and mail travel
the same paths, for many many reasons.

I think that a completely separate connectivity should be gradually built
for the USENET news system, with minimal centralized control, in such a
way that the all-or-nothing scenario which is cropping up is not a problem.

There is no reason to destroy net.anything other than for the sake of
phone bills, and most of the problem with that is historical.  We should
work to improve that.

Another thought:  have an "option" to news that allows a site to turn
off a newsgroup with the following behavior:  Any article posted to it
that hits that site will be returned to the sender informing him that
the news got no farther than that particular site.  That should discourage
people from posting the value of pi.  Or any article > n bytes.  Or
whatever.  Let's have a few constructive ideas, people.  All I see in
this group is one of the following arguments:

1)	The net is not free and there are a few great guys doing a great
	job and I support them 100%.

2)	The net and the whole world are free and egalitarian and I happen
	to like net.movies and I think I may just ignore that rmgroup and
	I pay very few phonebills, myself.

3)	I have a great idea about how to reconnect everybody's computers
	that will make all this a moot point. :-)

Glenn Reid
  decwrl!adobe!greid
-- 
You have new mail.