Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!bionet!apple!chuq
From: chuq@Apple.COM (Chuq Von Rospach)
Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions
Subject: Re: Newsgroup question
Message-ID: <33550@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 28 Jul 89 17:14:43 GMT
References: <3826@shlump.nac.dec.com>
Organization: Life is just a Fantasy novel played for keeps
Lines: 30

>     Why do some newsgroups
>     go through a formal voting procedure and some do not? An example is
>     alt.romance.

The alt.all heirarchy is a special heirarchy. It isn't (strictly speaking)
part of USENET, but a parallel network that shares the same distribution
system. It was started because some people felt that the newsgroup creation
procedures on USENET were too restrictive, so they adopted a (more or less)
open "If you want it, create it" environment.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both systems. On USENET, it takes
more time and energy to create a newsgroup, but more people will read it.
With alt, you can immediately create it, but fewer people will get to see it
because alt isn't as widely distributed. The alt heirarchy also occasionally
falls prey to minor abuses like alt.weemba or the recent alt.maroney, both
newsgroups aimed primarily at making a political comment about a
controversial net-user rather than any useful purpose. 

In general, though, USENET and alt co-exist and complement each other. Alt
can be used for niche or temporary discussions or to see if a discussion
topic has enough continuing support for a full USENET group. It is also home
for groups that many USENET sites would find politically difficult to carry
(alt.sex, alt.drugs, etc). 



Chuq Von Rospach      =|=     Editor,OtherRealms     =|=     Member SFWA/ASFA
         chuq@apple.com   =|=  CI$: 73317,635  =|=  AppleLink: CHUQ
      [This is myself speaking. No company can control my thoughts.]