Xref: utzoo unix-pc.general:6869 comp.sys.att:11202 news.groups:26572
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!pacbell.com!tandem!zorch!hico2!kak
From: kak@hico2.UUCP (Kris A. Kugel)
Newsgroups: unix-pc.general,comp.sys.att,news.groups
Subject: Re: Removal of unix-pc groups
Summary: But I TRIED this . . . .
Message-ID: <552@hico2.UUCP>
Date: 15 Dec 90 21:26:22 GMT
References: <58455@becker.UUCP> <27601FD3.6C20@tct.uucp> <60752@becker.UUCP>
Followup-To: unix-pc.general,comp.sys.att,news.groups
Organization: High Country Software
Lines: 65


In article <60752@becker.UUCP>, bdb@becker.UUCP (Bruce D. Becker) writes:
> 
> 	I made the statement quoted above in order to
> 	focus on some real problems about this whole
> 	proposal. There have always been propagation
> 	problems with unix-pc, but no-one tried enough
> 	to do very much. I've pointed out the fact that
> 	much of the problem seems relatively easily fixed,
> 	but the herd is stampeding... 
> 
	. . .
> 	I'm also pretty sure that not nearly enough has
> 	been done with the current unix-pc groups to
> 	ensure their continuing success, so how confident
> 	can we be that this new endeavor will suddenly
> 	become somehow better?
> -- 
>  Bruce Becker	Toronto, Ontario
>  Internet: bdb@becker.UUCP, bruce@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu
>  UUCP: ...!uunet!mnetor!becker!bdb
> 

Well, some of my least-responded messages have been
suggestions for investigating these problems.  I don't
know whether it's lack of interest, or poor presentation,
or poor distribution, or what, but the last time I said I'd
like to check to see what and where articles were getting
dropped, I got ONE (one) response.

I'm currently thinking about bi-weekly ihave-sendme
connections with various sites to try to solve dropped
article problems, and have contacted several sites about
this.  However, most of these sites are well-connected
to sites that are already well-connected to me.
I'm worried that this will increase my phone bills
without solving anybody's problems.

To fix unix-pc distribution problems, we almost need
something like a "mini-backbone" subset, guarenteeing
that unix-pc articles reaching one of the machines WILL
reach the other machines, and not using att, uunet, or the
internet.  (providing a complete and fully redundant path)

I know that an awful lot of my unix-pc news goes through
att (I posted an article about this, but saw no followups
and got no replies) Well, the att gateway was suddenly "down",
this week, and the resulting flood after it was fixed filled
disks from some of MY feeds, so articles got dropped.  I only
carry a small number of newsgroups, and hold articles for a 
long time, so the volume wasn't a problem for me.  But I hope
I built enough redundancy into my connections to handle losses
in the groups I do care about.

Anyhow, maybe the comp.sys...3b1 reorganization
will fix this.  I know I don't feel I've made
much progress working on it privately.
Meanwhile, if anybody has further comments
on this, I know I'd like to hear them.

                               Kris A. Kugel
                             ( 908 ) 842-2707
          { uunet | rutgers | att }!westmark!hico2!kak
                         {daver,ditka,zorch}!hico2!kak
                         internet: kak@hico2.westmark.com