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From: mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: inappropriate postings
Message-ID: <64347@oliveb.atc.olivetti.com>
Date: 28 Aug 90 03:55:16 GMT
Sender: news@oliveb.atc.olivetti.com
Lines: 44


	It is quite interesting, the wrong turn that has been
taken in this discussion about splitting rec.birds.

John Shipman writes:

> Here is the original charter of this group (from the latest
> listing of active newsgroups in news.announce.newusers):

> rec.birds     Hobbyists interested in bird watching.

	The dictionary defines the hobby of bird watching as:
"To identify wild birds and observe their actions and habits
in their natural habitat as a recreation."

	It is quite obvious that the "captive bird" postings
are inappropriate to this newsgroup.

	Now the "captive bird" people claim that we should be
tolerant. Yet, when inappropriate postings are made to most
newsgroups, the poster is flamed from head to toe unceasingly
until they are hounded from the group. By this measure the 
"captive bird" people have gotten more than their fair share
of tolerance.

	The "captive bird" people claim that it is little
trouble to "N" through the postings that don't interest one.
Yet, avoiding this inconvenience is the very reason that they
left rec.pets in the first place. They claim that the number
of articles that one has to "N" through in rec.birds is such
a trifle compared to rec.pets. Yet, there is a world of difference
in having to "N" through appropriate articles that don't interest
one, and having to "N" through articles that are inappropriate to
the newsgroup in the first place.

	The issue, to rec.birds, is not whether the group should
be split to accomodate groups of differing interests. The definition
of rec.birds is quite clear, and accomodates the appropriate
people quite nicely, without change. The issue is whether we can 
convince the inappropriate people to take their postings and their 
discussion of a newsgroup split back to the appropriate place, namely
rec.pets.

Mike