Xref: utzoo alt.sources.d:149 alt.config:1212
Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!apple!well!pokey
From: pokey@well.UUCP (Jef Poskanzer)
Newsgroups: alt.sources.d,alt.config
Subject: Re: moderation of alt.sources vs. automated harangues
Message-ID: <14117@well.UUCP>
Date: 16 Oct 89 20:59:01 GMT
References: <1989Oct14.012800.12049@rpi.edu>
Reply-To: Jef Poskanzer <pokey@well.sf.ca.us>
Organization: Paratheo-Anametamystikhood Of Eris Esoteric, Ada Lovelace Cabal
Lines: 50

Making alt.sources moderated would be unacceptable.  If anyone tries it
I will immediately newgroup yet another sources group, since quick
turnaround and reliability against single-point hardware, software, and
moderator failures are desirable features.

I also agree that there is a problem with leaving alt.sources
unmoderated.  Sending mail to people who post non-source articles works
great for them.  No repeat offenders until this Dunc asshole.  But the
net has an infinite supply of bozos in addition to the fairly small
supply of Duncs.

I suggest that alt.sources be moderated, but the moderator's address
should be an automatic reply script that mails something like this back
to the sender:

    You have posted the appended article to alt.sources, which is a
    moderated newsgroup.  However, it's not *really* moderated, it's
    more like *self* moderated.  You see, back when it was unmoderated,
    many people would post non-source articles, either accidentally
    or through ignorance.  This was very annoying to those who archive
    the group.  So finally someone suggested making it moderated, but
    having the moderator's address be an automatic reply script that
    sends this message.

    There are plenty of other newsgroups for non-source postings about
    sources: alt.sources.d, comp.sources.d, comp.sources.bugs, comp.bugs.*.
    If your message is not source code of some kind, please post it in
    one of these other groups.
    
    If, on the other hand, your posting is source code, GREAT!!  The net
    needs more source code.  To post it for real, all you have to do
    is "forge" a moderator's approval.  Here's what you do: save the
    message into a file; edit it, and anywhere in the headers area add
    this line:
	Approved: by me
    Then feed it to inews like this:
	inews -h < file
    And that's all.  If you have any trouble with this procedure, feel
    free to mail the article to <insert human secondary moderator's
    address>, and it will be posted within a few days just like with
    a real moderated newsgroup.

I volunteer to set up this reply script.  Improvements to the wording
are welcome.
---
Jef

    Jef Poskanzer  pokey@well.sf.ca.us  {ucbvax, apple, hplabs}!well!pokey
 "Never do anything if you can find someone to do it better - except for the
             things you want to do most of all." -- Thomas James