Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!uwvax!umn-d-ub!umn-cs!meccts!viper!dave
From: dave@viper.Lynx.MN.Org (David Messer)
Newsgroups: news.groups
Subject: The disservice of pushing for sci.aquaria
Message-ID: <2897@viper.Lynx.MN.Org>
Date: 13 Nov 89 02:12:02 GMT
Reply-To: dave@viper (David Messer)
Organization: Lynx Data Systems, Eagan, MN
Lines: 24

It may be that Richard has done us a disservice by pushing the name
sci.aquaria against the will of those people who care about the
group name-space.  A group for aquarium hobbiests is certainly
welcome on USENET, but, because of the name, it may not be generally
available.

Many people seem to be under the impression that this is a democracy --
it isn't -- USENET is an anarchy.  No system administrator is constrained
in the least by the "will of the majority".  The voting guidelines are
there to provide a method of suggesting popular groups to be voluntarily
carried by individual systems.

Unlike a true democracy, lobbying, ballet-box stuffing, and other political
actions don't matter, as the system administrators aren't sworn to abide
by the vote.  When an attempt is made to force the creation of a group
with an inappropriate content (i.e. when someone tries to copyright
the material in the group, or make money on it), or an inappropriate
name (i.e. sci.aquaria),  system administrators may simply choose not
to carry it.

This system won't be carrying sci.aquaria.
-- 
Remember Tiananmen Square.           | David Messer       dave@Lynx.MN.Org -or-
                                     | Lynx Data Systems  ...!bungia!viper!dave