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From: gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: Re: New newsgroup proceedures: we can decentralize
Message-ID: <635@hoptoad.uucp>
Date: Tue, 18-Mar-86 07:11:58 EST
Article-I.D.: hoptoad.635
Posted: Tue Mar 18 07:11:58 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Mar-86 04:21:47 EST
References: <5075@alice.uUCp> <3326@sun.uucp> <1195@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU> <1989@hao.UUCP>
Organization: Nebula Consultants in San Francisco
Lines: 35

In article <1989@hao.UUCP>, woods@hao.UUCP writes:
> If the entire backbone gets together on such a decision, then it will
> affect the entire net, whatever votes are taken. True, you could set up
> an alternate backbone, but that would just move the power into the hands
> of a *different* "select group".

There is an important distinction to be drawn here.  The "backbone" can
be a different set of sites for different subsets of the newsgroups.
If today's backbone decided not to carry net.continuous.arguments,
an alternate backbone could decide to carry it with minimal hassle --
it would take about 10 or 15 sites (not counting off-North-American sites)
who were willing to spend long distance $$ to see that group come through.
Once it hit your local area, unless a Spaffordite (like a Luddite?)
came through with an rmgroup for it, it would just propagate the way
all the "backboned" newsgroups do.  This does not transfer power away
from the old backbone; rather, it diffuses it to those who are willing
to "put their money where their mouth is".

BTW, I think removing net-wide "rmgroup" is a great idea.  Of course,
it should be replaced by a control message which causes the local site
to forward the article to "usenet" via email, so there is a way to tell
every site admin (in their morning mail) about news administration
things.  This is a little stronger than net.news.sa (how many people
read netnews before mail, or put net.news.sa first in their .newsrc?)
and should be used with more discretion, of course -- but at least it
tends to decentralize control of the usenet while maintaining
communication among the controllers.

This is an OPTION in current netnews software.  If you haven't turned
off automatic RMGROUP at *your* site, remake the news software with
MANUALLY #define'd.  See the instructions for building the news
software.
-- 
John Gilmore  {sun,ptsfa,lll-crg,ihnp4}!hoptoad!gnu   jgilmore@lll-crg.arpa
			     Post no bills.