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From: kenr@aat.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: ennui resolves USENET discussions
Message-ID: <215@aat.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Dec-83 12:17:39 EST
Article-I.D.: aat.215
Posted: Wed Dec 14 12:17:39 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Dec-83 01:11:30 EST
Organization: Ann Arbor Terminals
Lines: 39

Although I enjoyed debenedi's paper, I disagree with the 
conclusion.  His USENET paper, if you'll remember, concludes
with the thought that the net "is particularly well-suited
for resolving conflicts among groups."  This is undermined
somewhat, as he continues: "One problem with USENET is that
no one knows when a decision has been reached."  I disagree
with the first assertion because I believe the second.

How well suited can USENET be for conflict resolution if nobody
knows when a decision is reached? I don't believe that much
is ever really resolved on the net.  Certainly everyone gets a
chance to speak, but a consensus is seldom if *ever* achieved;
most discussions end because the point has become moot, or because
enough participants feel that the argument is futile and thus
become interested in something else.  Newsgroup creation arguments
frequently become moot, for example, because some news administrator
somewhere creates the newsgroup after tiring of the discussion.
Other topics die because newer, more interesting topics take their
place.

The life of "net.motss" is a prime example of both phenomena.  Discussion
raged for weeks about whether or not the newsgroup should be formed,
then the newsgroup appeared as if by magic, along with
a note that said words to the effect that "net.motss" was created,
please discuss related topics there, stop cluttering this newsgroup.
Within the new newsgroup, boors cast aspersions, and the rest of
us either replied or watched. Eventually the discussion wound down;
there hasn't been traffic in "net.motss" in weeks. There was no
resolution.  We just talked about something else.

The only conclusion that I come to with respect to USENET
is that we are all bored, and, ultimately, we don't really care
what happens to a discussion if something more interesting pops up.
That's the way I am, that's the way we all are.  Now let's talk
about something else.

Later,

Ken Rhodes	decvax!cbosg!cbosgd!aat!kenr