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From: gnu@l5.uucp (John Gilmore)
Newsgroups: net.news.b
Subject: Re: Problem with mod groups:  cross-posting doesn't work.
Message-ID: <218@l5.uucp>
Date: Sat, 26-Oct-85 11:55:40 EST
Article-I.D.: l5.218
Posted: Sat Oct 26 11:55:40 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 29-Oct-85 01:04:28 EST
References: <209@l5.uucp> <987@munnari.OZ>
Organization: Nebula Consultants in San Francisco
Lines: 52

In article <987@munnari.OZ>, kre@munnari.OZ (Robert Elz) writes:
> John Gilmour (sun!gnu) complained that cross posting to mod
> groups is "broken".  I would have thought that obvious, since
> only the moderator can post to a mod group.

[Note:  I'm John Gil*more* and I'm l5!gnu.  I don't work at Sun.]
[Soon to be nebula!gnu, but that's another story.]
 
What I expected was that the message get would get MAILED to the 
moderator of mod.std.c and POSTED to net.internat.  Assuming the
moderator eventually posted my article, both articles should
show up in both newsgroups, with both newsgroup names in the
header, so followups will go to both groups.  Just as if I had
posted to net.internat and net.lang.c, for example, except that
the moderator has a chance to turn down the message for their
newsgroup.

It occurs to me that this doesn't work well, though.  If the moderator
reposts it with the same message-id, their version will be rejected
since my un-Approved: version will already be out in the net.  If with
a different message-id, it will show up twice in the net. group.  Maybe
the thing to do is to mail a copy and post a copy, with different
Newsgroups: lines but with a Followup-To: line for both groups; if so,
this should be done automatically rather than making every such poster
think deep thoughts about the structure of the net.
 
> The correct thing to do, would be to ask the moderator to cross
> post the article for you.  That is easy for a moderator to do.

Suppose the moderator rejects it?  I'd like to be able to post
it to the unmoderated group anyway.  And followups to my unmoderated
posting should go to the mod-group moderator as well as to the
unmoderated newsgroup; they might convince the moderator that
the message really was worth his groups' reading.
 
> Similarly, if something really belonged in two mod groups, the two
> moderators could co-operate between them to post the article, so it
> is only sent once (by one of the moderators) but approved by both.

I guess if it all works out in the end I'm satisfied.  The things I
am complaining about are:

1.  It didn't do the expected thing.
2.  I don't want a moderator censoring my postings to an unmoderated group.
3.  I don't want the extra delay in my postings to an unmoderated group.
4.  I haven't seen any evidence that moderators can cooperate in
    approving a cross-posting.  Does it work technically?  Do they do it?

I don't object to mod groups -- they have their place -- but if the net
really wants to use them (rather than "if a few net admins really want
us to use them") then they ought to work -- and work as well as what they're
claimed to replace.