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From: jbuck@epicen.UUCP (Joe Buck)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: Re: proposed new structure for `fa' groups
Message-ID: <228@epicen.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 5-Oct-85 18:15:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: epicen.228
Posted: Sat Oct  5 18:15:07 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 7-Oct-85 04:25:03 EDT
References: <10523@ucbvax.ARPA>
Reply-To: jbuck@epicen.UUCP (Joe Buck)
Organization: Entropic Processing, Inc., Cupertino, CA
Lines: 59

In article <10523@ucbvax.ARPA> fair@ucbvax.ARPA (Erik E. Fair) writes:
>The `fa' groups are a relic of an earlier age.  It has been suggested
>many times that they be moved into mod.* groups, because the mod.*
>mechanism correctly reflects the nature of these groups.

Strongly agree, so far.

>... Here is the new naming structure that I propose:
>
>fa.laser-lovers	->	mod.computers.laser-printers
>fa.info-mac	->	mod.computers.macintosh
>fa.info-vax	->	mod.computers.vax
>net.works	->	mod.computers.works	(now gatewayed by rutgers)
>fa.human-nets	->	mod.human-nets
>fa.poli-sci	->	mod.politics
>fa.arms-d	->	mod.politics.arms-d
>info-applebus	->	mod.protocols.appletalk	(now hiding inside fa.info-mac)
>fa.info-kermit	->	mod.protocols.kermit
>fa.tcp-ip	->	mod.protocols.tcp-ip
>fa.telecom	->	mod.telecom
>fa.info-vlsi	->	mod.vlsi
>fa.arpa-bboard	->	net.announce.arpa-internet
>fa.info-terms	->	net.info-terms		(bi-directional gateway)
>
>Mailing lists which are probably of interest that are not gatewayed as yet:
>
>info-ibmpc	->	mod.computers.ibm-pc
>info-pyramid	->	mod.computers.pyramid
>sun-spots	->	mod.computers.sun
>info-apollo	->	mod.computers.apollo
>
>...
>The only issue I see as controversial are the actual names to be used.
>Gene Spafford <Spaf@gatech.CSNET> has suggested that `systems' be
>substituted for `computers' to broaden the range of topics that fall
>under that rubric.  I think that `computers' sufficiently describes the
>entire spectrum without being overly broad.
>
>Comments?

The most serious thing that's wrong is the names. It's not just whether
"computers" or "systems" must be used.

1) The names are way too long.
2) People on ARPA and people on USENET will be using quite different names.
3) Either the USENET people must all learn the real names in a hurry, or
   the alias files must get a lot bigger. Making the alias files bigger
   will increase the number of CPU cycles required by news.

I propose the following "radical" suggestion:

JUST CHANGE "fa" to "mod"! PERIOD! No 30-character newsgroup names!
Let's be kind to the users for once. If we are to gateway new ARPA groups,
use the official names as desribed in the "List of lists" document, as
nearly as possible (changing the names to lowercase).
-- 
Joe Buck				|  Entropic Processing, Inc.
UUCP: {ucbvax,ihnp4}!dual!epicen!jbuck  |  10011 N. Foothill Blvd.
ARPA: dual!epicen!jbuck@BERKELEY.ARPA   |  Cupertino, CA 95014