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From: dhb@rayssd.RAY.COM (David H. Brierley)
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d,news.misc
Subject: Re: Where did "alt." come from
Message-ID: <1179@rayssd.RAY.COM>
Date: Tue, 4-Aug-87 12:08:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: rayssd.1179
Posted: Tue Aug  4 12:08:09 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Aug-87 02:14:08 EDT
References: <2545@husc6.UUCP> <1232@bgsuvax.UUCP> <1410@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> <1004@hoqax.UUCP>
Sender: dhb@rayssd.RAY.COM (David H. Brierley @ Raytheon Company, Portsmouth RI)
Reply-To: dhb@rayssd.RAY.COM (David H. Brierley)
Organization: Raytheon Company, Portsmouth RI
Lines: 29
Keywords: arc Squashed
Xref: mnetor comp.sources.d:1042 news.misc:827

In article <1004@hoqax.UUCP> twb@hoqax.UUCP (BEATTIE) writes:
>In article <1410@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>, henry@garp.mit.edu (Henry Mensch) writes:
>> ...*ANYONE* can get the alt.all groups.  All it requires is
>> enough initiative on the part of your usenet administrator to arrange
>> for a feed. 
...
>What a load of CRAP!
>
>Until the original posting I never even heard of alt. groups.
>A newsgroup is either an official group or it isn't - there is no in
>between.

Oh, I see.  Because you have never heard of the newsgroup it doesn't exist.
Seems like a reasonable statement to me.  Guess I better unsubscribe to
alt.sources and alt.gourmand and while I'm at it I might as well tell all
my newsfeeds to stop sending me these non-existant newsgroups.

The "alt" in alt.* stands for "alternative".  It is an alternative to the
normal USENET backbone.  As Henry said, anyone can join.  All you have to
do is find someone who carries alt.* and arrange for a feed.
-- 
	David H. Brierley
	Raytheon Submarine Signal Division
	1847 West Main Road
	Portsmouth, RI 02871

Phone:		(401)-847-8000 x4073
Internet:	dhb@rayssd.ray.com
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