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From: merlin@hqda-ai.UUCP
Newsgroups: news.misc
Subject: Moderation vs. Filtration in comp.sources.misc
Message-ID: <389@hqda-ai.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 29-May-87 21:31:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: hqda-ai.389
Posted: Fri May 29 21:31:45 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 31-May-87 08:36:07 EDT
References: <315@pcrat.UUCP> <922@maynard.BSW.COM> <5164@necntc.NEC.COM> <317@pcrat.UUCP>
Organization: Army AI Center, Pentagon
Lines: 36
Keywords: comp.sources.misc brandon allbery
Summary: Open letter to Brandon Allbery, comp.sources.misc.


     I begin to wonder about the doings of comp.sources.misc.  I
wasn't too happy when it became a moderated group.  The short
history of this group suggests that there is a problem here, and I
think action is needed.

     We were first told that this group would only filter out the
non-source stuff.  For this reason, postings would not suffer the
delay inherent in using comp.sources.unix.

[I wanted to provide quotes for the above, but the relevant
articles have expired.]

     Later, Brandon Allbery (the moderator) decided that he would
test programs for machines that he had access to.  (See article
2500@ncoast.UUCP) VAX/VMS and other oddball OS :-) programs would
not be tested, but most Unix stuff would be.

     Now, we see binaries posted to comp.sources.misc.  This has
finally motivated me to act.

     Brandon, I think you should revert to the original position.
Filter non-source postings.  No testing.  No quality assurance.
No guarantee of any sort.  Just source, and nothing else.

     Of course, that may not be your idea of how to run
comp.sources.misc.  If you want to give it up, I'd be willing to
take the job.  (I have plenty of spooling space, and reasonably
reliable mail paths.)

     Please don't take this as a personal attack.  I think you've
made some mistakes, but I don't think you're malicious or stupid.
I invite a public discussion, to include any interested readers.
-- 
David S. Hayes, The Merlin of Avalon	PhoneNet:  (202) 694-6900
UUCP:  *!seismo!sundc!hqda-ai!merlin	ARPA:  merlin%hqda-ai@seismo.css.gov