Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!lll-crg!ucdavis!ucbvax!ucbarpa!fair From: fair@ucbarpa.BERKELEY.EDU (Erik E. &) Newsgroups: net.news.group Subject: Re: spaf's note on fa->mod groups Message-ID: <10805@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> Date: Sat, 26-Oct-85 05:29:52 EST Article-I.D.: ucbvax.10805 Posted: Sat Oct 26 05:29:52 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 27-Oct-85 07:31:57 EST References: <9100001@prism.UUCP> Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: University of California at Berkeley Lines: 37 In article <9100001@prism.UUCP> matt@prism.UUCP writes: > >Has anyone considered that the new mod names (mod.computers.*) are not >significant within the first 14 characters? This will break sites running >older versions of news and notes. Is it too late to request a name >change? (Perhaps mod.comp.*?) The last version of netnews which could not handle names longer than 14 characters was B 2.9. It is four years old at this point. I have no sympathy for sites that have not as yet updated to AT LEAST B 2.10. While backward compatability is a goal in new releases of netnews, you can't expect us to maintain backward compatability forever, especially if this precludes the use of new features. As for old notesfiles sites, I consider them in the same light as I do old netnews sites. A notesfiles site that expects to interact with the rest of USENET has to be prepared to track the standard and upgrade as necessary. I don't know exactly when the `alias' feature which handles long newsgroup names for notesfiles became available in notes, but I know it was in place when net.religion.christian was created nearly a year ago, because there was some silly foofrah in net.news.group at the time. The network can be viewed as society undergoing evolution, and those elements of the society that don't adapt to the changes will cease to be an effective part of that society. (creationists can send their flames to net.origins) The software is the basis of this society, and it changes as the nature of the network changes. It changes to the tune of popular demand, to fix problems found, and to experiment with new ideas in human communication by computer. Sites that don't update will eventually be left in the dust (although at the current pace, this takes years). keeper of the network news for ucbvax, Erik E. Fair ucbvax!fair fair@ucbarpa.BERKELEY.EDU