Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!lll-lcc!unisoft!hoptoad!farren
From: farren@hoptoad.uucp (Mike Farren)
Newsgroups: news.groups,news.admin
Subject: Re: Fidonet (was Re: the USENET problems)
Message-ID: <2420@hoptoad.uucp>
Date: Tue, 14-Jul-87 04:44:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: hoptoad.2420
Posted: Tue Jul 14 04:44:21 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 16-Jul-87 03:31:02 EDT
References: <266@brandx.rutgers.edu> <15982@gatech.gatech.edu> <1496@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu> <193@mtuxo.UUCP> <45@oresoft.UUCP>
Reply-To: farren@hoptoad.UUCP (Mike Farren)
Distribution: na
Organization: Nebula Consultants in San Francisco
Lines: 35
Keywords: organization governing bodies
Xref: mnetor news.groups:1241 news.admin:701

In article <45@oresoft.UUCP> randy@oresoft.UUCP (Randy Bush) writes:
>Unfortunately, Fidonet's 'governing body', IFNA, met with the same kind of
>warm, friendly, cooperative attitude that such suggestions meet on usenet.
>Entire echo conferences (=newsgroups) died from the flaming and stupidity.
>Only about 20% of the >1500 public Fidonet nodes have even joined IFNA.

My point exactly.  Why would anyone expect a different reaction on Usenet?

>The stalwart just try to keep the mail/news flowing, respond seriously to
>the more serious and well thought out criticism, and try to prevent technical
>net.chaos.

Probably true here, too.  That doesn't change the fact that the
FidoNet stalwarts were (and are) a self-appointed group who took the
reins of power without much consultation amongst the governed.
Certainly, FidoNet is a less chaotic place with someone doing those
things, but I do wish that it had been handled a little more
democratically, or at the very least, with the _appearance_ of being a
democratic action.

I don't have a strong opinion on the Usenet Constitution/Government
issue.  Seems to me that mostly people are doing Good Things, and
being extremely open-minded and fair about it.  The only opinion on
the issue that I do hold is that if major changes are going to be
made, realize that there will also be major flaming about them, and be
prepared to deal with the flames somehow - either by ignoring them or
by addressing them (if you have the stamina).  DON'T expect big
changes to be swallowed whole - one of the beauties of this net is its
diversity and contrariness, and you are in grave danger if you ignore
that. 
-- 
----------------
                 "... if the church put in half the time on covetousness
Mike Farren      that it does on lust, this would be a better world ..."
hoptoad!farren       Garrison Keillor, "Lake Wobegon Days"