Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!purdue!gatech!prism!iadt2jf
From: iadt2jf@prism.gatech.EDU (John A. Freeman)
Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions
Subject: Re: To flame, or not to flame...
Message-ID: <1541@hydra.gatech.EDU>
Date: 21 Aug 89 15:01:57 GMT
References: <20393@sequent.UUCP> <1989Aug20.035314.16826@xenitec.uucp>
Reply-To: iadt2jf@prism.gatech.EDU (John A. Freeman)
Distribution: na
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 41

In article <1989Aug20.035314.16826@xenitec.uucp> edhew@xenitec.UUCP (Ed Hew) writes:
>I respectfully suggest that perhaps the charter of news.newusers.questions
>should be ammended to prohibit flames, as they serve no useful purpose
>here.  This newsgroup should contain the following:
>	1/	requests for information
>	2/	fulfillment of requests for information

I heartily agree! This newsgroup was created expressly as a source of infor-
mation for novice net users. That is a valid and beneficial function. These
ongoing discussions about the relative correctness of anwers to the same 
question are absurd. Those of you who have posted your version of the arg-
ument against long signatures have wasted a hell of a lot more bandwith 
with redundant flaming than any dozen long sigs. Let's drop it, okay?
And furthermore, as experienced net users you should be in the habit of
reading the remaining postings before replying; repeat answers are the most
common waste of time on this (and many another) newsgroup.

>This again brings up the topic "should news.newusers.questions be a
>moderated newsgroup?".  If we as supposedly intelligent posters can't
>remember what group we're in, then we must either ask a moderator to
>make intelligent decisions for us, or create another newsgroup for flames.
>The last thing I want to see is a call for discussion on
>	news.newusers.questions.d	(flame.land)

Without a doubt this should be a moderated newsgroup. It's the only way to
provide the service that this newsgroup was intended to provide. If I have
a legitimate question about net usage, form, etiquette, etc., then I have a
right to an informative, educated, non-abusive answer, even if the question
sounds stupid to certain net.snobs who are hovering over this newsgroup.
Let's get a moderator, or two, or three (but no more), and limit net.newusers.
questions to questions and answers. Any discussion about the anwers (or the
questions) can be relagated to a news.newusers.questions.d group, as          
mentioned above.  



-- 
John A. Freeman
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
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