Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site utcsstat.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utcsstat!oz
From: oz@utcsstat.UUCP (Ozan Yigit)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: net.sources, the rise and fall of the net etc.
Message-ID: <2003@utcsstat.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Jul-84 23:06:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcsstat.2003
Posted: Mon Jul 16 23:06:45 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 16-Jul-84 23:37:49 EDT
Organization: U. of Toronto, Canada
Lines: 49

Laura Creighton of utzoo comments, in part:
>
>..... Also, it
>would be very nice if somebody fixed 42 bugs in some net.sources
>offerning and then posted the fixed version, rather than posting
>the 42 fixes one at a time.
>
The question is, how one can possibly coordinate this, when it is not
possible to have any consistency of posting across the network. The
fundamental issue here is not one of "some unenlightened individual
out there posted yet another piece of junk to wrong subgroup" or
"120 pieces of news arguing about ``char->long'' conversion". It is
merely another exercise of PRISONER'S DILEMMA.
(No room to describe the theory - see May-June 1983
issues of Scientific American under Metamagical Themas)
It is a game of cooperation vs defection. And this too, explains why
this network is *bound* to get out of hand at one point, perhaps
forcing the system administrators, the phone company and the general
membership with sour eyes to think of the implications carefully.
Ah, unlike doomsday preachers, I am very optimistic about a population
of intelligent and communicating souls. Especially when they are forced
to think. (:-) I guess i cannot help but point out the fact that the very
problem of net.sources is a BUG. Thus any mail, such as Laura's
~~ENOUGH OF ....~~ mail may be seen as a BUG-FIX. (Just like mine..)
SO, what happens if 42 concerned net-citizens try to FIX this bug along
with Laura ?? See the connection ??

NO, I cannot offer any solutions. Anything one can come up with, whether
it is computerized or sociological, is bound to be temporary, "STOPGAP" at
this point. Just like there is no stable solution to "rush hour" traffic.
And consider all the growing number of privately owned UN*X system out
there, willing and able (they got UUCP) to join the network to discuss
their opinions on net.food or to pick up the latest version of IBM-PC
MAKE. Thus, along with any such communication medium designed to
communicate everything to everybody, USENET must face the INFORMATION
OVERLOAD. I will be there too, trying to clean-up uncountable number
of news items off my RA81, or skimming the latest book reviews scrolling
past at 9600 baud.

flames, suggestions, ideas, prophecies are all welcome. After all, it
is our network, and if we fail, we ALL fail !!


					OZ (wizard of something or another..)
					York University
					Dept. of Computer Science

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