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"