Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!pa.dec.com!hollie.rdg.dec.com!ryn.mro4.dec.com!ultnix.enet.dec.com!taber From: taber@ultnix.enet.dec.com (Patrick St. Joseph Teahan Taber) Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds Subject: Re: CALL FOR DISCUSSION ON NEW GROUP Message-ID: <4066@ryn.mro4.dec.com> Date: 4 Mar 91 14:12:26 GMT References: <16859@accuvax.nwu.edu> <6420@idunno.Princeton.EDU> <70889@microsoft.UUCP> <16890@accuvax.nwu.edu> <1991Feb28.195242.39518@eagle.wesleyan.edu> <708@thebeach.UUCP> Sender: guest@ryn.mro4.dec.com Reply-To: taber@ultnix.enet.dec.com (Patrick St. Joseph Teahan Taber) Organization: KC1TD@KB4N.NH.USA.NA.EARTH.SOLAR_SYSTEM.UNIVERSE.MIND_OF_GOD.01463 Lines: 66 In article <708@thebeach.UUCP>, spell@thebeach.UUCP (chris spell) writes: |>In <1991Feb28.195242.39518@eagle.wesleyan.edu> |>flinton@eagle.wesleyan.edu writes: |> |> |>>But, as regards "comp.sys.hp48", do you really want the name to |>suggest that |>>hp28 or 55 or 35 or 110 users shouldn't bother looking here? (OK, |>the HP110 |>>is a stretch for handhelds, but I have one and ... ) Maybe |>comp.sys.hh.hp ? |> |>Yes! There are not that many postings for these machines and they |>can |>go where they originally were comp.sys.handhelds. I doubt that many |>people will stop reading comp.sys.handhedls just because they are now |>reading all the hp48sx stuff in comp.sys.hp48. I sure won't because |>there won't be that much posted to comp.sys.handhelds after the 48sx |>stuff is gone. **The hp48sx has enough posted to it to merrit its |>own |>newsgroup.** Don't bet the farm. My experience with split groups is that when a split happens, posts to the new group end up cross-posted to the old group on the basis of shared interest. The reasoning is "well, this is written for the 48, but it wouldn't take much to make it work on , and those users read c.s.h, so I'll post it there too." So I'd be willing to bet that about 50% of c.s.h.hp48 would end up in c.s.h. I don't know that it would be a bad thing, because at least that would be enough traffic to keep the group alive. The next question is -- what happens when the 48 goes the way of the 28? When I first tuned into c.s.h it was dominated by the HP41. Then the 28C came out and THAT dominated the group. Then the 28S came out and THAT dominated the group and now there's a 48 which dominates the group. So why should the 48 have to take the heat? What will happen when the 58 comes out? (no -- I picked the number out of thin air.) The net.police in c.s.h.hp48 won't let it be there, so it will come home to c.s.h. Then we'll have another call for a split. My feeling is that the group is for handhelds. The HP48 is a handheld. Making a group specific to the 48 ignores history -- that the 48 posts will die down with a frightening suddenness when the next super machine comes along. And making a group that is general enough to handle the case of model changes would require a general name. Like maybe "comp.sys.handhelds"?? The other thing that I question is the assertion sometimes made that the number of HP related postings is keeping shy owners of other brands from posting the reams of code they have developed. Is getting the HP traffic off c.s.h enough? Wouldn't such shy developers be afraid to post their Wizard code because of all the Boss code that would flood the emancipated group? Wouldn't it be better, more nurturing and less scary if we made comp.sys.handhelds.boss and comp.sys.handhelds.wizard? Let's count the machines that think they're shouldered off the sidewalk by the HP thugs... I'll bet they can be numbered on the fingers of one hand. Let's make new groups for them. I doubt they'll have follow-on products and then they won't have to worry about being pushed aside by prolific postings from other users. - >>>==>PStJTT Patrick St. Joseph Teahan Taber, KC1TD If I was authorized to speak for my employer, I'd be too important to waste my time on this crap....