> If the ISPs want a usable Usenet, then they do have an alternative -
>namely, developing that tech to restrict group cross-posting on a per-group
>basis. As it is, such rigid limits will cause more problems than they solve.
>Given how much various newsgroups have split up, even many non-FAQ articles
>are appropriately crossposted to 5+ groups.
You're assuming of course that ISPs *CARE* about Usenet. Several admins I
dealt with (including the ones at my ISP) feel that it's a perk. This
attitude was especially prevalent at Universities. Expenditure of
equipment and man-hours on maintence of a widely derided medium isn't a
high priority on the lists of many IS folks. If they see it as just a
vehicle for spammers, then they'll axe the whole service, or put in limits
like this.
I have a problem too with your statement backing up large crossposted
articles. If the topics were so close, then they shouldn't have been
divided to begin with. People need to either post responsibly in a few
groups, or Usenet needs not to subdivide itself until everything has to be
crossposted to 39 groups for a message to be accurately relayed to those
who should be informed.
I'm sure if I wanted to be rabid about pushing Sandra Bullock info out onto
the net, I could post the Sandra Bullock faq into the alt.*celebrities
groups, and over into the alt.binaries.pictures.celebrities arena. But
there's a point where you just have to trust people who are looking for
information to make a good faith effort to find it - they'll have to come
looking for the Sandra Bullock newsgroup.
I think it's up to the FAQ community to evolve here. Push FAQs to the web,
and be prepared to have the way Usenet evolves upset some of the
foundations.
T
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Home: tlawson@amug.org Todd C. Lawson, Tempe, AZ, USA
School: tlawson@asu.edu "The journey of a thousand miles
Work: tlawson@archnemesys.com begins with one step." - JFK
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