Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!pyramid!octopus!pete From: pete@octopus.UUCP (Pete Holzmann) Newsgroups: news.admin Subject: Re: (Source<->Programmer as Binary<->End User)? Summary: nahhhh Message-ID: <269@octopus.UUCP> Date: 30 Jun 88 19:17:04 GMT References: <264@octopus.UUCP> <4683@gryphon.CTS.COM> Reply-To: pete@octopus.UUCP (Pete Holzmann) Organization: Octopus Enterprises, Cupertino CA Lines: 51 In article <4683@gryphon.CTS.COM> greg@gryphon.CTS.COM (Greg Laskin) writes: >binaries have little to do with programmers. Programmers use source code. >End users use binaries. The PROGRAMMERS that created this network are >chafing over the fact that it is becoming (has become) a common carrier >conduit for end users. This argument is (dare I say it?) silly. If I took away all the binaries from your system, you'd be dead in the water. Programmers are also users. Never forget that! The net has always been a common carrier conduit for programmers, whether it be technical information or *programs*. The most obvious example is the Usenet software itself. >Another reason for the complaints is that the >binaries are frequently not the original work of the poster. There's >a palpable difference between posting a binary for a program you wrote >and posting a binary that was picked up off a BBS somewhere. The second >form is using the net as a common carrier distribution medium, the first form >is an exchange of technical information. Welll... the first form is also a use of the net as a distribution medium. comp.unix.wizards is hardly the same as comp.sources.*. This doesn't mean that random BBS software should be also posted to the net! I agree with you completely there. The net is *not* just another BBS that wants people to upload any/everything they can find. In fact, this should be stated clearly in the new users document, since it is one of the key differences between the net and a BBS: Most BBS's say "if you are going to download a lot of stuff, please upload something too! Without your contributions, this BBS would die". Usenet says "If you are going to contribute something, make sure it is of high quality and of use to others. Otherwise, and in general, we'd rather you just read and download stuff. If you contribute too much stuff, Usenet will die". >...you also need to examine the sitituation from the >perspective of those of us who have to move and store the traffic. When >bandwidth becomes limited, the easiest fix is to kill the stuff with the >largest volume. Every administrator on the net makes individual decisions >about this (and many are not vocal about their decisions). As one who has to move and store the traffic, I deal with this a lot. You are right, the *easiest* fix is to kill stuff. I'd like us to do something better than the easiest way out. We may not have the programming resources to *do* something better, but why argue that the easiest thing is the *best* thing? Pete -- OOO __| ___ Peter Holzmann, Octopus Enterprises OOOOOOO___/ _______ USPS: 19611 La Mar Court, Cupertino, CA 95014 OOOOO \___/ UUCP: {hpda,pyramid}!octopus!pete ___| \_____ Phone: 408/996-7746