Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!sq!msb
From: msb@sq.UUCP
Newsgroups: news.software.b,news.admin,news.misc
Subject: Re: Cross posting to unwanted newsgroups
Message-ID: <1987Oct14.021942.22522@sq.uucp>
Date: Wed, 14-Oct-87 02:19:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: sq.1987Oct14.021942.22522
Posted: Wed Oct 14 02:19:42 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 15-Oct-87 19:41:19 EDT
References: <1651@killer.UUCP> <2700@tekgvs.TEK.COM> <4827@ncoast.UUCP>
Reply-To: msb@sq.UUCP (Mark Brader)
Followup-To: news.misc
Organization: SoftQuad Inc., Toronto
Lines: 49
Xref: sq news.software.b:808 news.admin:1047 news.misc:882
Checksum: 10934

[{...} designates opinions]

Bruce Barnett and Brandon Allbery have discussed the topic of reducing
inappropriate cross-postings, in articles cross-posted to news.admin
and news.software.b.  As this {is} as an inappropriate cross-posting,
I am now adding news.misc, where the topic {belongs}, and redirecting
followups there.

Bruce and Brandon suggest that the news software should support the
notion of "primary newsgroup".  This is {bad}.  If an article is on the
topic of travel to C-speaking countries, it is EQUALLY appropriate for
both rec.travel and comp.lang.c, and so are any followups as long as
they stay on that topic.  If the followups only go to one newsgroup,
interested people who don't subscribe to both groups may miss them.

When the topic drifts to travel in general, then {and only then} should
the newsgroup list be restricted to rec.travel; if the drift is the other
way, to a C-language topic, then the list should be restricted to comp.lang.c.

I do support the use of better software to restrict indiscriminate cross-
posted followups, but "primary newsgroup" {isn't} the way to do it.
{Obviously better} is to have the software that posts followups detect
the cross-posting case and interactively prompt the poster as to whether
to include each newsgroup, as someone else suggested recently.

	Is this article still appropriate for each of:
		Newsgroups: soc.men,soc.women,soc.misc
	? [ny] y
	REALLY? [ny] n	# oh, all right
	Include soc.men? [ny] y
	Include soc.women? [ny] y
	Include soc.misc? [ny] n

Such intelligent software {should} also warn when a Followup-To: line is
different from a Newsgroups: line, for it is the followupper's prerogative
to ignore the original poster's Followup-To:, as I did here, if they feel
it was badly chosen; but to do so they first have to notice that it exists.

Since most news is not archived, the impact of different methods on the
archiving {is} of lesser importance than the impact on normal reading.
Anyway, a sensible archiving system {ought} to handle cross-postings
properly in the first place.

Others' opinions on the value of these contrasting approaches, and others,
are invited...in news.misc.

Mark Brader			I've always wanted to be a mad scientist!
SoftQuad Inc., Toronto		Or perhaps just mad!
utzoo!sq!msb, msb@sq.com				-- Robert L. Biddle