Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!pdn!tscs!tct!chip From: chip@tct.uucp (Chip Salzenberg) Newsgroups: news.software.b Subject: Re: sys file entries for CNEWS Message-ID: <27F225C9.6EC4@tct.uucp> Date: 28 Mar 91 17:20:09 GMT References: <27EF7E26.40AD@tct.uucp> Organization: Teltronics/TCT, Sarasota, FL Lines: 31 According to tale@rpi.edu (David C Lawrence): > From: chip@tct.uucp (Chip Salzenberg) > > So what's next, automatic correction of misspelled newsgroups? > >In obvious cases, sure. ... Why do you insinuate that automatically >correcting something like a misspelling is such an unspeakable evil? See the Jargon file under hairy: `Do What I Mean is incredibly hairy.' I assert that it can't really be done right, so it shouldn't be done at all. >I disagree strenuously. Until I take the time to hack parsing and >rejection of bogus Distribution:s into inews then I will liberally err >on the favourable side of communication rather than silently fail to >inform him of problems. Hacking inews to generate bogus-distribution warnings is, IMHO, a Good Thing. I encourage you to post such hacks; I'd use them. On the other hand, eviscerating your sys file distribution fields to `compensate' for user mistakes is a Bad Thing. It compromises the behavior of the news transport in a misguided attempt to cover over a problem that isn't its fault. >The distribution subfield is not relevant in ME. (Learn something new every day...) Why is it not used in ME? -- Chip Salzenberg at Teltronics/TCT , "All this is conjecture of course, since I *only* post in the nude. Nothing comes between me and my t.b. Nothing." -- Bill Coderre