Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version Vortex 1.1 8/4/83; site vortex.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!vortex!lauren
From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: Usenet Advertisements
Message-ID: <143@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 21-Sep-83 18:18:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: vortex.143
Posted: Wed Sep 21 18:18:18 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Sep-83 03:17:44 EDT
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 19

I for one do not object to occasional commercial notices -- they
sometimes are quite useful.  Of course, anything can get out of hand,
and when we start seeing Usenet ads for the "Bamboo Steamer", that's
when I'm switching to another profession -- fast!

One possible way to handle this situation might be to create a separate
newsgroup EXPLICITLY for notices which would be deemed strictly 
commercial.  Of course, there will always be some informational messages
with some commercial content, but I'm thinking here of messages that
are pretty much in the form of a press release or a basic advertisement,
such as we all see on the net from time to time.  Once in their
own newsgroup, individuals could easily decide whether or not they wished
to see them, and more "conservative" sites could decide whether or not
to forward such notices.  Of course, we should establish guidelines to avoid
overuse or misuse of this new group.

Whaddya ya' think?

--Lauren--