Xref: utzoo news.admin:2219 news.groups:3823
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!cernvax!hslrswi!pan!jw
From: jw@pan.UUCP (Jamie Watson)
Newsgroups: news.admin,news.groups
Subject: Binary groups need their own hierarchy
Message-ID: <397@pan.UUCP>
Date: 17 May 88 06:43:36 GMT
Reply-To: jw@pan.UUCP (Jamie Watson)
Organization: Adasoft AG, Solothurn, Switzerland
Lines: 33


In reading the recent discussions about binary groups and binary postings, it
seems that there has too often been an assumption that anyone who objects to
binary postings is a "unix elitist" or is "anti-pc".  I think that this is
missing the point.  I object to binary postings because of what they are, not
because virtually all of them (at this time) are for pc's of some sort.  If
I undersand John Gilmore's recent postings, he feels the same way.  I would
not, under any circumstances, allow a binary from the net to be run on any
computer under my control.  This means that if the proposed "ABI" standard
ever becomes reality, and unix binaries start appearing on the net, I will
be every bit as opposed to them as I am to {pc,mac,atari,cbm,...} binaries.

If anything, the tendency toward binary postings seems to be increasing.  In
recent weeks there have been suggestions and/or proposals for new groups for
posting hypercard stacks (I think that was it), and gif image files.  While
these probably have less destructive potential than unknown executables, it
is likely that they are objectionable to a large portion of the net for many
of the other reasons associated with binary postings (size, limited interest,
etc.).

The solution offered to all those who object has consistently been to just
block comp.binaries at your news feed.  This, however, at this time requires
some specific action to be taken by a neighbor site, adding !comp.binaries
to the news/sys file entry.  I think the situation should be reversed.  By
putting binaries in their own hierarchy, bin.*, it would require specific
action to *receive* them, rather than to block them.  Given the occasionally
very large volume of postings in these groups, the rather limited interest
in them on a net-wide basis, and the tremendous volume of complaints, flames,
and counter-flames generated every time a large binary is posted, it seems a
good idea to try something to alleviate the problem, instead of just yelling
at each other about it.

jw