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From: moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: net.bizarre: SPC mailing list, Moderation, etc.
Message-ID: <2633@vax4.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 10-Sep-85 02:04:14 EDT
Article-I.D.: vax4.2633
Posted: Tue Sep 10 02:04:14 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Sep-85 11:41:56 EDT
References: <1969@amdahl.UUCP>
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA
Lines: 51

In article <1969@amdahl.UUCP> gam@amdahl.UUCP (G A Moffett) writes:
>Are there really any of its original supporters who still feel
>it is worth keeping around?

It's one of those things; yes, I find 95% of the stuff on net.bizarre either
mediocre or boring or stupid... Ah, but that extra five percent!  Bizarre
Gazette and news items, and some very funny & weird stuff.  Moderation would
seem to be the only way of keeping it alive; but (see below):

>[Maybe ``Stupid People's Court'' should have it's own mailing list --
>I'll subscribe!]

Two minds with but a single thought!  Started it two days ago, Gordon.
Great minds on the same beam and all that rot...  Keep those cards and
letters coming, kids...

ON MODERATION:

I thought about mod.bizarre a while ago, and decided that I would would
really love the idea -- especially if I was the moderator.  That would get
rid of the 95% crap ratio, and I wouldn't be doing any more work than I am
now, wading through net.bizarre.  However, the problem would be that the 5%
I really enjoy, and pass on to the moderated group, might not be the same 5%
many other readers enjoy.  The articles you enjoy might not appeal to me;
and while they would be perfectly bizarre and funny to you, they might not
be so in my eyes.  With groups like net.jokes, net.bizarre and net.flame,
moderation is really a problem:  what are the rules for deciding if an
article is funny?  What is an "appropriate" flame?  It's fairly easy to
decide if an article fits in mod.sports.football or mod.wine; but in
"aesthetic" newsgroups, moderation by definition throws out the baby with
the bathwater to some portion of the readership.  In the end, I think you
might as well call a mod.bizarre moderated by me "mod.moriarty".

If you're still game, let me know; but there's no way I can say I'd be a
"fair" moderator.  All I can probably say is that if you like my sense of
humor, you'd enjoy the moderated newsgroup.  Otherwise, it'll be a waste of
net space and time.  Chuq, I now understand what you mean by net.fascist...

[For those of you wanting to get on the Stupid People's Court mailing list
 (back issues available)]:

					Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
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