Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site methods.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!genat!maccs!methods!peter From: peter@methods.UUCP (Peter Blake Mr Sys Adm) Newsgroups: tor.news Subject: Re: lsuc UUCP & news report Message-ID: <136@methods.UUCP> Date: Tue, 16-Dec-86 08:58:27 EST Article-I.D.: methods.136 Posted: Tue Dec 16 08:58:27 1986 Date-Received: Wed, 17-Dec-86 06:59:05 EST References: <1441@lsuc.UUCP> <7410@utzoo.UUCP> Reply-To: peter@methods.UUCP (Peter Blake Mr Sys Adm) Organization: Methodsworks, Inc., Burlington, Ontario Lines: 54 Keywords: news administration tools, lots of work Summary: We need a news flow monitor tool In article <7410@utzoo.UUCP> henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) writes: >I see a potential problem with this newsgroup. It already has two distinct >types of content: human discussions on local news problems, and voluminous >automated status reports. ..... >It may be worth considering two separate newsgroups. I'm glad Henry raised this issue, and I agree with Henry that tor.news is quickly developing into a problem. However, I am not convienced that creating another news group just for status reports is really the answer. We are still stuck with the problems of: 1) Who's going to read those reports after the novelty wears off? (Let's face it they are not exciting). 2) How are we going to recognize subtle flow problems? Not every news administrator is going to scrutanize the reports even from his/her own machine. (Its that boredom factor again). 3) How do we fix the problems? I believe that we really need to consider writing some cute code that will perform report/statistical analysis and inform us when a flow problem does exist. But before we all put our super-programming hats on and consome mass quanitites of extra-strong-programmers-coffee, I suggest that we, as a community, consider what we want to gain from such a tool(s) and how are we going to implement it (it is no good if only a few of us abide by the "rules"). Two goals that I think we would all like to see are: 1) Quick and accurate flow problem detection and analysis. Not only should problems be detected, a solution should be suggested to correct the problem. A relatively inexperienced news admin, like myself, are sometimes quite overwhelmed and appreciate suggestions and advice. (For you universities playing with expert systems, why not consider doing something for news administration). 2) Relief from manually monitoring the news. (My overall goal is to get the system to monitor itself and only bother me when there is a problem it can't handle - can you say lazy, I knew you could). How do the rest of you all feel? I realize that what I am suggesting will amount to a lot of effort; however, I believe that such effort will reap its own rewards. -- Peter Blake Deadline!?!? What's a deadline? Methodsworks Inc., 3385 Harvester Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7N 3N2 phone: (416) 632-6500 UUCP: ...!{utzoo!mnetor!genat!maccs,watmath}!methods!peter