Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cheops.cis.ohio-state.edu!karl From: karl@cheops.cis.ohio-state.edu (Karl Kleinpaste) Newsgroups: news.admin Subject: Re: Is USENET stagnating? (long) Message-ID: Date: 2 Nov 89 13:55:34 GMT References: <40056@looking.on.ca> <1989Oct30.040015.3272@alembic.acs.com> <9499@max.u.washington.edu> <1989Nov2.064858.2465@brutus.cs.uiuc.edu> Sender: news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu Organization: Ohio State Computer Science Lines: 49 In-reply-to: coolidge@brutus.cs.uiuc.edu's message of 2 Nov 89 06:48:58 GMT coolidge@brutus.cs.uiuc.edu writes: > Yes, and some people love the freedom of alt.* and believe that it > _proves_ that the net is something new and useful. After all, alt.* > works in spite of complete disorganization. Given the recent rash of newgroups in alt, I am inclined to disagree with the idea that "alt works." (Not that John was claiming for himself that alt works.) Considering that in recent days (just days, not months or even weeks), we have seen alt.stupidity alt.peeves alt.cyberpunk.tech alt.cyberpunk.movement alt.sex.bondage alt.sex.bestiality alt.sex.masturbation alt.sex.masterbation it becomes impossible to take it seriously. The one alt group I've let pass here in months is alt.sources.wanted, because there was actually some sense to it, and enough effort was expended to determine its worth that an informal poll was conducted. (Yes, I know .bondage has been around for months. I periodically see another newgroup for it. I ignore all newgroups for subgroups of alt.sex.) defs.h's NONEWGROUPS is essential, IMO, even for alt. > there's the problem of libel and other legal issues. I suggest that libel and other legal issues are not a problem. Consider the legal problems that have presented themselves to the Usenet over the last N years: [1] Most recently, r.h.f -vs- JEDR. It managed to hit the papers; whoopie. No change to the operation of the Usenet, except that site `looking' has more newsfeeds than it used to. [2] The posting of a Mac terminal emulator to then-net.sources a number of years ago. The posting originated from a university which subsequently fell off the Usenet. The specific person responsible was never identified, and nothing further came of it. [3] The posting of Niven's _Man_of_Steel,_Woman_of_Kleenex_. Niven was so mellow about that it he didn't even care. (I recall quotes from Chuq's correspondence with him to the effect, "it's a very old story and not worth much to me now.") The evidence of these incidents is that legal issues are simply not a problem. We've had 10 years for someone to get truly uptight about the Usenet, and no one ever has. --Karl