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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!sun!qubix!jdb
From: jdb@qubix.UUCP (Jeff Bulf)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Howto Away The Garbage!
Message-ID: <1345@qubix.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-Aug-84 18:32:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: qubix.1345
Posted: Mon Aug 27 18:32:45 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 30-Aug-84 08:59:15 EDT
References: <9883@gatech.UUCP>
Organization: Qubix Graphic Systems, Saratoga, CA
Lines: 23

I've seen flames today from chuq and spaf both (there's firepower for you!)
about inappropriate postings to net.general. May I point out (again) that the
ambiguous name "general" contributes a lot to the problem.

Would anybody post

	    "Doghouse for sale in East Outhouse, NJ"

to a group called net.everyBodyInTheWorld, or even just net.everybody. No way,
Chollie! They would say "Them furriners out there in Australia, Sweden, and
California don't know beans about NooJuuzy doghouses. They'd just flame
at me about 'Who cares?'. I'd bettter post to net.wanted. I wonder if
nj.doghouses exists?"

    On t'other hand, THERE IS NO WAY A NOVICE CAN KNOW THAT "GENERAL" DOESN'T
MEAN "MISCELLANEOUS" instead of "everyBodyInTheWorld". They are both legitimate
meanings of that great ambiguator, "general".

    I suppose that flaming at the poor novice is a useful stopgap. Making the
trap less easy to fall into would be more useful.
-- 
	Dr Memory
	...{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!qubix!jdb