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Path: utzoo!utcsstat!laura
From: laura@utcsstat.UUCP (Laura Creighton)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: creating a new news group
Message-ID: <1562@utcsstat.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Dec-83 10:40:49 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsstat.1562
Posted: Fri Dec 16 10:40:49 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 16-Dec-83 10:53:42 EST
Organization: U. of Toronto, Canada
Lines: 37

There is an on-going discussion as to whether foo deserves its own newsgroup,
going on in net.news.group. The name (foo) changes periodically, but the game
remains the same. I am coming to the conclusion that the reason some people
are opposed to the creation of group foo is because they do not like foo and
thus get some satisfaction out of putting it down. 

This was brought out to me when I received mail that went "I do not read
any newsgroups but net.news and net.unix-wiards but I am opposed to the
creation of a newsgroup for something as foolish as a bad television
science fiction program". As far as I am concerned, this person is way off
base. If he isn't going to read it anyway, what does it matter what it is
called.

The people who really lose are the people who are not interested in news
about foo which is cluttering up newsgroup bar. I would expect that there
should be lots of articles which go "i hate foo, get it out of newsgroup
bar". It ought to be the people who like foo who have to be shown that
enough people dislike it to warrent a new newsgroup. But I do not think
that this is happening.

What I think is happening is that the people who like foo are saying "we
*DESERVE* a newsgroup of our very own" and the people who hate foo are
saying in retaliation "oh no you don't, I hate foo, it does not deserve
its own newsgroup, and you can keep it right here". The foo likers are
thus bating the foo haters, which is silly. The foo haters are shooting
themselves in the foot, which is also silly.

What we need is newsgroups, not to demonstrate that foo is a great thing
that deserves its own newsgroup, but for the convenience of all (more
or less, there will always be someone upset no matter what you do). One
of the convenient things to remember is that if you don't like foo it is
easier to unsubscribe than to keep using your 'n' key.

Comments?

Laura Creighton
utzoo!utcsstat!laura