Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 alpha 5/22/85; site cbosgd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!mark From: mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton) Newsgroups: net.news.group Subject: Re: Ban the binaries! Message-ID: <1600@cbosgd.UUCP> Date: Mon, 11-Nov-85 15:50:39 EST Article-I.D.: cbosgd.1600 Posted: Mon Nov 11 15:50:39 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 12-Nov-85 04:41:58 EST References: <748@bu-cs.UUCP> <1778@peora.UUCP> <162@sdcc7.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Oh Lines: 32 I agree with Paul. I think one of the reasons why net.sources.mac has so much volume is that the binaries suck in libraries and runtime systems and such. Since we are now faced with several machines for which it might make equal sense to post binhex images, I propose the following: First idea: create a new top level distribution "sw" (for software). This is used for software distribution ala net.sources. We create subgroups such as sw.sources, sw.binhex, sw.disc, sw.wanted, sw.bugs. (Moderation might fit in here somewhere too, I can see sw.mod.sources, for example.) This distribution is not necessarily carried by the whole net, but just the parts that want it. In particular, I can imagine that sw.binhex might be only carried by places that want it. This would require that an alternate backbone be set up, so that only backbone sites using it would have to carry it. [To all of you who are griping about losing net.sources.mac because some backbone site won't pay for your free lunch, quit griping and form your own link to another site that carries it! If you form your own backbone you'll have control over it. If you won't pay for the traffic, and you can't find someone else who is generous enough to pay for it for you, then you have no business berating people who are unwilling to pay your bills.] Second idea: set up one or several hosts which are "sources servers", with the binaries (or binhex or whatever) available for public UUCP dialin. People who want the files can call the nearest server and grab the program. net.sources.mac could be used to announce that a new program is available from some set of servers. Mark Horton