Xref: utzoo comp.sys.ibm.pc:15022 news.admin:2031
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!wpg!russ
From: russ@wpg.UUCP (Russell Lawrence)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,news.admin
Subject: Re: Can something be done about 770K waste of time postings...
Message-ID: <428@wpg.UUCP>
Date: 29 Apr 88 01:23:01 GMT
References: <1574@looking.UUCP> <5041@nsc.nsc.com> <157@ncar.ucar.edu> <21335@amdcad.AMD.COM>
Organization: WP Group, POB 306, Metairie, LA 70004
Lines: 36
Summary: timing as a factor in news volume



From article <21335@amdcad.AMD.COM>, by phil@amdcad.AMD.COM (Phil Ngai):
> 
> It doesn't matter if it's a "commercial demo". If enough people want
> it then it is justified. 
> 
I was one of the guys who posted an immediate complaint last weekend 
when I saw the two SIZEABLE demos in the ibm group at the end of last 
week.  I must admit that I sent one of the posters (Chris Sylvain) a 
private flame, but later apologized to him when Herb Barad at Tulane
sent me a note telling me how USEFUL the demo might be to EE persons.

I think 'useful' is one of the operative words here;  in that context, 
maybe it was a good thing that Chris posted 'pspice'.  HOWEVER, another 
operative word is 'timing'.  I'm on the verge of losing my upstream feed 
for the comp group (which I pass on to other sites) because of the 
radical fluctuations in volume from day to day.  Some nights, my feed 
takes 3 hours at 1200 baud and other nights it take 13 hours...  so 
scheduling is a bitch! If news volume were a little more consistent, my 
problems as a news administrator would be cut in half.  

While freedom to post freely is a wonderful thing and valuable to all of 
us, I can't think of a quick way to alleviate radical fluctuations in 
news volume apart from introducing a moderator.  MAYBE, however, posters 
could be encouraged to limit their daily articles.  If PSPICE and the 
other demo had gone out over a six day period, I don't think anyone 
would have noticed.  Perhaps the authors of the "How to use the News" 
document could amend their suggestions to include a note about limiting
one's daily contributions.  Who knows?  Maybe a "down the volume" approach
might even rub off on talk.bizarre. :-)

-- 
Russell Lawrence, WP Group, POB 306, Metairie, LA 70004
AT&T:   +1 504 456 0001  
UUCP:   {philabs,hpda,nbires,amdahl,...}!uunet!wpg!russ