Xref: utzoo comp.sys.att:2195 unix-pc.general:200 news.groups:2280
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!uunet!zorch!scott
From: scott@zorch.UU.NET (Scott Hazen Mueller)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att,unix-pc.general,news.groups
Subject: Compromise on comp.sys.att/unix-pc.* merge
Summary: Gateway
Keywords: gateway, comp.sys.att, unix-pc
Message-ID: <394@zorch.UU.NET>
Date: 23 Jan 88 04:16:05 GMT
Reply-To: scott@zorch.UU.NET (Scott Hazen Mueller)
Organization: At Home; Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 40

I've been following the discussion on merging the unix-pc net into the main
Usenet with some interest now.  So far, I've seen two basic positions:

  1)  People who don't get unix-pc feel that they are missing out on something
      and would like to see unix-pc merged into comp.sys.att.

  2)  People who already get unix-pc feel that the unique nature of this net
      would get lost in a merger.

I think that it is possible to come up with a compromise that would be
satisfactory to both groups of people.  The creation of a gateway from the
unix-pc net into comp.sys.att would make postings from the former available
to all the sites that get the latter without requiring posters to explicitly
crosspost or requiring their sites to carry both groups.  It would also
ensure greater propagation and readership of the unix-pc networks.

Some considerations:  there would be a small increase in the amount of traffic
in comp.sys.att.  A gateway should not be created without some form of consent
by the backbone SAs.  It would be most easily implemented as a one-way gate
from the unix-pc net into comp.sys.att; possibly a *meaningful* (i.e., don't
just dump everything, one of the major objections to a merger) reverse gateway
could be implemented, but it would be a non-trivial task.  Not all of the
groups should be gatewayed; as an example, unix-pc.sources often contains
news patches, which would be redundant as well as misplaced in comp.sys.att.
It would be possible, I suppose, to ask the moderator of comp.sources.misc to
gateway unix-pc.sources, but that is beyond the scope of this posting.

I would be willing to do the work to create a gateway and to support it on
this system.  I already carry both unix-pc and comp.sys.att; I would have to
consult with the SAs at the sites that feed me before committing myself
completely, but I do not see any problems in that regard.

Comments, discussion and constructive criticism are welcome.  If the consensus
is positive and it seems necessary, I will gladly conduct a vote on the
matter.

       \scott
-- 
Scott Hazen Mueller   scott@zorch.UU.NET
(408) 245-9461        { uunet, pyramid!tolerant }!zorch!scott