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From: brnstnd@kramden.acf.nyu.edu (Dan Bernstein)
Newsgroups: news.groups,comp.unix.internals,comp.unix.programmer
Subject: Re: Why don't we just gateway u-w to unix.programmer?
Message-ID: <10924:Sep910:09:1490@kramden.acf.nyu.edu>
Date: 9 Sep 90 10:09:14 GMT
Article-I.D.: kramden.10924:Sep910:09:1490
References: <26E7C052.73E@tct.uucp> <7489:Sep901:11:2390@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> <1990Sep9.051053.2696@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>
Organization: IR
Lines: 44

In article <1990Sep9.051053.2696@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> gl8f@astsun.astro.Virginia.EDU (Greg Lindahl) writes:
> In article <7489:Sep901:11:2390@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> brnstnd@kramden.acf.nyu.edu (Dan Bernstein) writes:
> >A very simple solution to this entire issue: Gateway the unix-wizards
> >mailing list to comp.unix.programmer rather than to comp.unix.internals.
> Why?
> Do wizards talk only about programming? No.
> Do wizards talk only about internals? No.

That's irrelevant. As you would be able to verify if you archived (or
read) these groups, almost all of the threads in unix-wizards are very
accurately described by ``UNIX programming discussions.'' Hence
unix-wizards is most appropriately gatewayed into comp.unix.programmer.
This also solves the possible problem of UNIX source licenses keeping
people away from unix-wizards just because they can't talk about UNIX
internals.

> It seems that the original proposal didn't rename comp.unix.wizards,
> it destroyed it.

The group wasn't ``destroyed'' by anything but the explosion of USENET.
It's no longer the corner of the net where wizards hold a private party,
with awestruck outsiders peering in for a glimpse of greatness. For
years now it's been just another newsgroup. Moderating it might bring
back the original but would destroy the different group that now exists.

> I've recommended to Eric Fair that he keep the inet
> group comp.unix.wizards, and make it self-moderated like alt.hackers
> to keep the noise down.

Sure, it would be nice for wizards to have a place to hang out and chat
without the restrictions of e-mail. (Why do you care?) Unfortunately, a
newsgroup that functioned the way u-w was meant to would be a ``magnet
group'' and would have to be moderated; changing comp.unix.wizards into
such a moderated group would eliminate the open forum that a lot of
people now consider a valuable resource.

Step 1 is to be realistic and gateway the mailing list into the most
appopriate newsgroup, hence solving the problems that started this
thread.

Step 2 is to make a wizards group like u-w used to be. I don't know the
best way to do this; let's get step 1 done first.

---Dan