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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!davidson
From: davidson@sdcsvax.UUCP (Greg Davidson)
Newsgroups: net.news.group,net.internat
Subject: Against the fall of net.internat
Message-ID: <1149@sdcsvax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 20-Oct-85 05:11:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcsvax.1149
Posted: Sun Oct 20 05:11:21 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 21-Oct-85 06:51:01 EDT
Organization: EECS Dept. U.C. San Diego
Lines: 40
Xref: linus net.news.group:3248 net.internat:43

(If you read net.internat and are not in Europe, please send me a note;
I'll do a census and inform the net - so PLEASE, EVERYBODY, RESPOND!)

I was shocked to read in net.internat that it was to be closed to US
readership without a discussion in the group because (1) most of the
submitted articles originate in Europe and (2) it's creation did not
follow the proper creation rules.  I think that this is an important
group, and should by its subject matter receive a worldwide distribution.

First, net.internat is not just an European group, as the recent
vigorous discussion of how to accommodate Chinese characters exhibits.
I have also noticed many postings by US authors (though its the
readers' locations that count), so they should not be ignored, even if
outnumbered.  I have been reading it, and I'm sure many other people
outside of Europe have been also.

As for the business of closing groups that are not properly formed,
net.internat followed a mandate from the last EUUG conference in
Copenhagen.  Need I remind US readers that the EUUG is the sister
organization to Usenix in the States?  This is hardly a thoughtless,
irresponsible basis from which to create a newsgroup.  If we could
afford the time to debate newsgroup creations at UNIX conferences,
it would be very nice - preferable to using net.news.group.

The creator of net.internat was not familiar with the protocol for
approving newsgroups with US distribution, but this is understandable
since he is not from the States.  I'm sure the smaller European USENET
community have their own protocol for these things, or will soon - it
would behoove us to be more tolerant of this kind of error.

Please allow net.internat to continue while we have a chance to ask how
many people are reading it.  If the name is objectionable, that can be
easily remedied.

_Greg Davidson		decvax!sdcsvax!davidson
			ucbvax!sdcsvax!davidson
			davidson@ucsd.arpa

P.S.  If you read net.internat & are not in Europe, don't forget to
send me a note!