Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!uwvax!oddjob!mimsy!aplcen!wb3ffv!howardl
From: howardl@wb3ffv.UUCP (Howard Leadmon )
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: The death of USENET
Summary: Is it necessary, I would hope not, even thought I do..
Message-ID: <629@wb3ffv.UUCP>
Date: 18 Jun 88 21:38:37 GMT
References: <7475@swan.ulowell.edu> <2645@rpp386.UUCP> <56228@sun.uucp> <2350@inco.UUCP>
Organization: Fast Computer Service, Inc. - Middle River, MD
Lines: 48

In article <2350@inco.UUCP>, mack@inco.UUCP (Dave Mack) writes:
> 
> 1) Require that each site that accepts a feed to pass the groups it accepts
>    on to at least one other *long-distance* site. (Please think hard about
>    this one before flaming. Darwinism at its purest.) Obviously, this
>    produces far more connectivity than is necessary. The exception
>    would be sites that pay for their feed. And no, I have no idea how
>    this could be enforced, except by the upstream sites cutting off
>    slackers.

 Well I could see where this would help keep net speed up, but isn't there
enough sites around that we could all feed one or two other LOCAL sites ??
Now don't get me wrong, I personally feed sites in several different sates
at the moment, but if everybody wasn't so concerned about giving a new guy
on the block a feed I probably wouldn't have to feed out of state sites..

> 2) Store the articles on disk in a compressed (possibly batched or tarred)
>    form. Hack the newsreader software to accomodate it.

 This is a good idea, but it should be dependant on the site (like batching
news for transmission). Some sites would be more concerned with CPU overhead,
and others with disk storage..

> 3) Get rid of uncompressed transmission for both news and mail. We would
>    probably have to tack on some form of ECC.

 Again I say this should be site dependant..

> These are random suggestions. There are undoubtedly difficulties with
> all of them. Point them out. Try to improve on them.
> 
> If you have suggestions for methods of improving Usenet, please send them
> to me by e-mail. I will occasionally post a summmary to the net. Please be
> specific and realistic. We have to work within the constraints of 
> (soon-to-be-)available technology. Please do *not* suggest killing off
> newsgroups you don't like, or posters you don't like.
> 
> Dave Mack

 I feel this is a good topic to discuss, and hopefully the network as a whole
can benifit from this (instead of terribly suffer)...


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