Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
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.group
Subject: Re: The high readership of mod.newprod shows up a net falacy.
Message-ID: <899@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 21-Mar-86 15:57:19 EST
Article-I.D.: vortex.899
Posted: Fri Mar 21 15:57:19 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 31-Mar-86 03:47:33 EST
References: <506@looking.UUCP>
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 24

One reason for a separate group for such announcements is obvious.
Individual sites must be able to make their own policy decisions
regarding what groups they are willing to (or can) receive and forward.
Corporate policy at some firms may make the transmitting of such
announcements impossible (either now, or later if company management
at some firm happens to find out what their programmers are doing with
the network!)  In such a case, management may say, "get those commercial
announcements off of the computer, or turn off the damn network!"

So having a single group to turn off if required could be very
important for some sites.  Note that much of Usenet still operates
pretty much in the dark as far as company managers are concerned,
apparently.

Another point: the rules for posting to the group are fairly strict,
and this (along with the other efforts of the moderator) keeps the
announcements from getting hyped, repetitive, or very voluminous.
People are probably willing to subscribe to the group since they know
it is low volume without repeats or hype.  Most people would probably
become disgusted quite quickly with such a group that wasn't controlled
in that manner, or if the technical groups were intermeshed with
such materials.

--Lauren--