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Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: ont.general,ont.uucp,can.general
Subject: storm arrives -- impending newsgroup cuts
Message-ID: <6046@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 11-Oct-85 12:23:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: utzoo.6046
Posted: Fri Oct 11 12:23:07 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 11-Oct-85 12:23:07 EDT
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 44

Effective one week from today, i.e. Friday 18 Oct 1985, unless I am given
some really good arguments to the contrary, utzoo will cease to accept or
forward the following newsgroups and their subgroups:

	net.philosophy
	net.politics
	net.religion
	net.bizarre
	net.flame

In addition, there is a significant probability that some or all of the
following will also get the axe shortly:

	net.music
	net.audio
	net.abortion
	net.auto
	net.movies
	net.women
	net.sf-lovers

The reason for all this is simple:  our phone bills are reaching the
danger point.  The last monthly bill was over $1000.  The cost-sharing
agreement with various local sites helps, but not enough.  The general
trends in overall traffic, traffic per newsgroup, and phone bills are
upward.  That first list of newsgroups, with their subgroups, constitutes
25% of recent traffic.  The second list adds another 15-20%.

When I say "really good arguments", please note that I do not mean telling
me that you just love net.X and would be driven to the depths of despair
(or homicidal rage) if it vanished.  What I mean is telling me why the group
in question is worth enough to you that WE should pay $200+/year for it.

Our expenditures on the network are justified in terms of the technical
information flow.  None of the above groups can be defended in this way.
Note that I have picked only the indisputably non-technical groups with
heavy traffic.  I regard things like net.sources.mac with a very jaundiced
eye, and their day may come, but right now I'm willing to consider them
legitimate.

I deeply regret having to do this, but I see no other solution.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry