Newsgroups: comp.databases
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa.edu!news.iastate.edu!news
From: GO.MSB@isumvs.iastate.edu 
Subject: Re: Database Mailing Lists
Message-ID: <1991Jun27.150304.23017@news.iastate.edu>
Sender: news@news.iastate.edu (USENET News System)
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1991 15:03:04 GMT
Lines: 60

In article <19621153@thinc.COM>,
ethan@thinc.COM (Ethan.Lish@THINC.COM) writes:
>In article <1991Jun24.214759.10746@mips.mitek.com>, barb@hp835.mitek.com (Barbara Rush) writes:
>>>In article <206@dmdev.UUCP> rohit@dmdev.UUCP (Rohit Mehrotra) writes:
>
>
>>>>How does one get on to the mailing lists for the following databases:
>
>>>>Oracle
>>>>Sybase
>>>>Informix
>
>Greetings -
>
>                        Is it time yet ?
>
>        Over the past six months comp.databases has withered away into a series
>of private mailing lists devoted to database packages.  What brave soul will
>call for the reorg of the group ?
>
>                comp.databases.oracle
>                comp.databases.sybase
>                comp.databases.informix
>                comp.databases.progress
>                comp.databases.ingress
>                comp.databases.dbvista
>                comp.databases.xbase
>
>--
---------------------------

I do not agree.  I see the purpose of this Newsnet group to create
discussion and illustrate strengths and problems associated with the
various DBMS products.  If you categorize each product, there will be
no cross-fertilization/discussion or exchange of ideas.  They will simply
become technical support groups, which is perhaps what some people want.
(This is probably a typical university versus industry situation).

I have learned a lot reading this news group over the last 6-8 months and
and feel we all would lose from the fragmentation of the readership.  I
agree that wading through 50-60 articles some days is a real pain, but the
exposure to others problems is, to me, illuminating (I am not alone in
this morass) and what these news groups are all about.

I use ORACLE.  I know its limitations.  It is interesting to read of
others finding the same things.  I am currently evaluating INGRES/ABF,
trying to find something better.  I haven't--only different.  I have
Informix on the shelf to evaluate this fall and just finished the first
part of a project using FoxPro.  From what I read, many are trying to
evaluate these products and others and are probably trying to use many of
them simultaneously.  I think continued discussion of the problems and
frustrations of users is a way to educate vendors of the inefficiencies
of their products (for those that read the newsnet and are open to
suggestions).  This general group also provides an indication of which
products to avoid.

Just my humble opinion.

Marvin Beck    Iowa State University
               Ames, Iowa