Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cbmvax!snark!eric From: eric@snark.UUCP (Eric S. Raymond) Newsgroups: news.software.b Subject: Re: need patch for controlling cross-posted articles Summary: Mr. Brader's suggestions are now in 3.0 Message-ID: Date: 27 Sep 88 17:47:53 GMT References: <14487@agate.berkeley.edu> <1988Sep23.122756.22442@sq.uucp> Organization: First Zenarchist International Lines: 40 Thank you, Mr. Brader, for a well and forcefully-stated reality check. In article <1988Sep23.122756.22442@sq.uucp>, msb@sq.com (Mark Brader) writes: > This is absolutely the wrong thing to do. The Newsgroups line specifies > a *set* of newsgroups, all equivalent; there has never been any understanding > that one was more important than the rest. True. I implemented the -C flag in response to suggestions from a couple of my beta sites. You've shown that they didn't think the problem through, nor did I. > The *right* thing to do is for the posting software to *warn* people when > they're posting [a followup to a crosspost or anything with a Followup-To] > and give them an extra chance to change the Newsgroups line. > This should happen after they have edited the article body. Done. Actually what I have postnews do is offer to bounce the user back into the editor if the Followup-To differs from Newsgroups. > The posting program should also *demand* a Followup-To line on all > cross-posted articles, whether originating or followups. Done. > If you're going to apply a fix, apply the right fix! Quite so. And, failing that, one should at least have one's brain in gear enough to recognize the right fix when suggested, and *then* apply it... the -C option is now dead. > And while you're at it, I further suggest that after people have edited > the message, they should be reminded of the Subject line and given a > chance to change that, and then be prompted for a Summary line. Both excellent suggestions. Done and done. My beta sites will receive these changes in Patch #6. -- Eric S. Raymond (the mad mastermind of TMN-Netnews) UUCP: ...!{uunet,att,rutgers}!snark!eric = eric@snark.UUCP Post: 22 S. Warren Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355 Phone: (215)-296-5718