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Posting-Version: version VT1.00C 11/1/84; site vortex.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!bellcore!vortex!lauren
From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: Re: keyword-based news
Message-ID: <834@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 8-Oct-85 15:27:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: vortex.834
Posted: Tue Oct  8 15:27:49 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Oct-85 07:27:21 EDT
References: <3227@nsc.UUCP>
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 43

I almost couldn't stop laughing here when I saw Chuqui's article
claiming "he didn't want to waste the network's time with point-by-point
refutations of arguments."  Uh huh.  He has always seemed perfectly
happy to post long point-by-point refutation articles when he thought
he had some valid way to argue.  But hey, if he has nothing to say
on some of these points (whatever the reason), that's OK by me.

---

My arguments against keyword-based netnews are not new.  I've pointed
out these same issues whenever this topic has appeared (and it has
appeared in the past, and has been argued about in netnews, long
before Chuqui appeared on the scene).  I consider keyword-based netnews,
if implemented in the manner so far described, to be ANOTHER PROBLEM,
not a solution.  My opinions regarding the way to solve our
existing problems are pretty well known, and I think that most
of the network knows how I personally am proceeding.  I feel that
moderated groups and alternate services (e.g. Stargate) show the most
promise for providing useful services in the medium to long-run.
I feel that "solutions" that do not include some form of moderation
are stopgaps that will have no long-term usefulness as the network
continues to grow.

Keyword systems do nothing to help control our traffic and cost
problems.  In fact, they make it MORE likely that discussions will
mushroom off in bizarre directions (no pun intended) and make it HARDER
for individual sites to control what they wish to send or receive.
Keyword systems don't even necessarily help find items of interest,
due to the four error modalities already discussed in
previous messages.  Now, if someone wants to implement keywords
as an ADDITION to newsgroups (not to REPLACE newsgroups)
the problems are less serious--but the four error
modes still exist and will present major problems, especially
with everyone attempting to choose their own keywords OR automatic
systems trying to do so.  It takes pros to pick and manage keyword
systems, and this implies a level of centralization we simply don't
have and can't have in the Usenet environment.  And even with
pros, most of the same basic problems with keywords exist.  Perhaps 
in Stargate some centrally organized keywords will be possible--but even
in such a situation I would tend to discourage too much reliance
on keyword systems.

--Lauren--