Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!husc6!huma1!fry
From: fry@huma1.HARVARD.EDU (David Fry)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Comp.binaries.mac moderation (FLAME)
Message-ID: <4947@husc6.harvard.edu>
Date: 14 Jul 88 03:50:38 GMT
References: <4927@husc6.harvard.edu> <9634@dhw68k.cts.com>
Sender: news@husc6.harvard.edu
Reply-To: fry@huma1.UUCP (David Fry)
Organization: Harvard Math Department
Lines: 53

In article <9634@dhw68k.cts.com> bytebug@dhw68k.cts.com (Roger L. Long) writes:
>In article <4927@husc6.harvard.edu> David Fry (fry@huma1.UUCP) flames:
>
>My job as moderator is not to decide what is important enough to post.
>I leave that to the people who post software.  What I *do* do is try to
>check out as much of the software as I can to verify that it at least
>runs to some extent; verify as best I can that its not copyrighted, or
>if it is, that permission is given to post; to package it in UseNet
>sized chunks; and to post to the net at a rate to keep the volume at
>"reasonable" levels.  The only time rating of the software occasionally
>comes into play is when something I deem of some importance gets
>posted, I'll often move it to the top of the queue.

This comes as news to me and changes the whole light of my
original posting.  I thought the idea of a moderated newsgroup
was to weed out "unworthy" messages or postings.  I see
that you are doing that to an extent by censoring commercial
software, etc.  I certainly can't fault Mr. Long after all.

It is my natural inclination to say the group *should* be
moderated in my original sense, but the main purpose for that
would be to cut down on net usage, expecting massive amounts
of programs to be posted everyday.  Since we see that's not
happening, the flow on comp.binaries.mac is quite reasonable
(from the perspective of Mac-users), it's unnecessary to
create hard feelings by having a benevolent dictator deciding
which programs live and which die.

I retract my original flame, but I would still encourage the
net public to post more carefully.  I don't think Humpback was
worth the cost.

>If it's of no interest to you, hit the 'n' key.

I'm very good at hitting the 'n' key, since I get so much
practice.  I was being concerned about the use of resources.
This stuff costs *somebody* some money.

>Well, if you didn't see them [two programs written by me] 
>						posted, then you should have sent me mail
>and asked why.  I would have responded that your postings hadn't made
>it here, and requested you repost, or mail them directly to me, and
>suggested several possible mail routes.  I see no need to flame me,
>since I do the best I can, on a totally volunteer basis.

	I will repost the above programs, and the source for the 
XCMD.  We all appreciate the work Mr. Long does at his
expense; I was merely suggesting improvements, improvements
that would, if anything, make his job easier. 

David Fry				fry@zariski.harvard.EDU
Department of Mathematics		fry@zariski.bitnet
Harvard University			...!harvard!zariski!fry
Cambridge, MA  02138