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