Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!kuhub.cc.ukans.edu!sloane
From: sloane@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: news.groups
Subject: Re: Fixing the unbroken
Message-ID: <19468.257f9076@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>
Date: 8 Dec 89 16:44:06 GMT
References: <55499@looking.on.ca> <765@lakart.UUCP> <57749@looking.on.ca>
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services
Lines: 18

In article <57749@looking.on.ca>, brad@looking.on.ca (Brad Templeton) writes:
> I am all in favour of drawing the line as low as we can as resources get
> cheaper and cheaper.  But it does have to be drawn somewhere.  Topics
> below that line simply have to become mailing lists, or groups with
> dynamic distribution.

So what is the cutoff point?  I have heard you mention 1 reader for every 2
machines.  The latest version of the arbitron survey shows an estimated 18981
sites on usenet.  Does this mean that any group with less than about 9000
readers estimated should be converted to a mailing list?  I suspect that a
mailing list with 9000 subscribers would cost a lot more than a newsgroup,
even if you don't count the administrative time it would take up.

Does anyone know what the break even point is, that is, when does a mailing
list become more economical than a newsgroup?
-- 
USmail: Bob Sloane, University of Kansas Computer Center, Lawrence, KS, 66045
E-mail: sloane@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu, sloane@ukanvax.bitnet, AT&T: (913)864-0444