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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!vortex!lauren
From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: Non-technical subjects in netnews
Message-ID: <138@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 17-Sep-83 11:20:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: vortex.138
Posted: Sat Sep 17 11:20:30 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Sep-83 04:09:36 EDT
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 20

While I certainly am not about to claim that all material on the
net is of "high quality" (cough, choke), I'm not too sure where
it says that all (or even most) of the material on the net
must concern "useful technical subjects".  Human nature being what
it is, it's the more "peripheral" topics that keep many people
interested enough to participate in the more serious discussions.

While we may indeed seem to be rather "top-heavy" with non-technical
materials, I *don't* believe it's desirable to impose the sorts of
controls which would be necessary (on a network-wide basis) to
avoid such a situation.  And where would we draw the line?  I for one
would not follow netnews as closely as I (attempt) to do if it were
purely a technical forum.

Of course, individual sites are always free to make newsgroup 
distribution decisions according to their own local feelings on this
matter, though backbone sites of course affect many "downstream" sites
if they impose restrictions.

--Lauren--