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From: spaf@cs.purdue.edu (Gene Spafford)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: Suggestions for a new backbone
Message-ID: <5262@medusa.cs.purdue.edu>
Date: 28 Oct 88 14:32:37 GMT
Article-I.D.: medusa.5262
References: <5178@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> <8187@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US> <895@ncar.ucar.edu> <8280@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US> <12309@terminus.UUCP>
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Reply-To: spaf@cs.purdue.edu (Gene Spafford)
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University
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Let me suggest that if this thread of discussion is to continue that
names not be included as "examples."  During the comp.women debacle,
there was considerable strong opinion on each of *many* (not just two
diametricly opposed) sides.  There were some people all for the group
as stated, some violently opposed to putting it anywhere but talk, and
some who threatened to never carry it or to start a rmgroup war.

The key is, that everyone on the backbone list expressing an opinion
was a long-time, concerned admin.  The names aren't especially
important unless you're trying to cause further strife.  People like
Erik Fair, Rick Adams, Greg Woods, Mel Pleasant, Mark Horton and myself
(to drop just a few of the names) were all involved, and I think no two
of us shared the same opinion on the subject.  That is the significant
factor -- not who said what.

A compromise was reached that was satisfactory for the moderator, and
which was grudgingly approved by almost all parties involved.  No one
was especially excited about the compromise (that's the nature of
compromises), but the group got created in some form and has had a lot
of worthwhile (IMHO) traffic since.  I don't believe anyone has refused
to carry the group, and no rmgroups were issued on it.  As such, the
compromise was a roaring success.

The *process* is the matter of interest here.  It did not work
smoothly, it pointed up some major flaws in the system, and it gave
some of us a slightly different insight into ourselves and the others
taking a stand on the issue.  If anything needs to be debated or
discussed, let's do that without impugning any of the personalities
involved.  Without naming names, let me note that *everyone* taking an
extreme stand on the issue has also devoted an incredible amount of
time and effort to the Usenet, and in almost every other way deserves
to be recognized as a valuable net-citizen.

Besides which, these folks are my friends so it pains me to see people
abuse them in public....
-- 
Gene Spafford
NSF/Purdue/U of Florida  Software Engineering Research Center,
Dept. of Computer Sciences, Purdue University, W. Lafayette IN 47907-2004
Internet:  spaf@cs.purdue.edu	uucp:	...!{decwrl,gatech,ucbvax}!purdue!spaf