Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cbmvax!snark!eric From: eric@snark.UUCP (Eric S. Raymond) Newsgroups: news.admin Subject: Re: Usenet volume Message-ID: Date: 22 Dec 88 17:16:44 GMT References: <1995@van-bc.uucp> <1278@vsi1.uucp> <4409@cs.utexas.edu> Organization: John Dillinger Died For You Society Lines: 30 In article <4409@cs.utexas.edu>, berleant@cs.utexas.edu (Dan Berleant) writes: > Is there any chance of dynamic creation (and deletion) of newsgroups? > I have in mind that anyone can create a newsgroup for the purpose > of carrying on a discussion of a certain topic. Then, newsgroups > that do not have any postings for some length of time will be > automatically deleted by net wide rmgroup commands (or whatever). Not only is this possible, I have already implemented it! In 3.0 you can set a FLEXGROUPS option on any newsgroup hierarchy (I have it set for alt.all at my site) which works as you describe except that no rmgroup messages are necessary for cleanup. Instead, inactive groups are simply expired after a configured period of time. > Is this consistent with the social structure (?) of the usenet > newsgroup system, its projected future, and is it technically > feasible? I floated this proposal to the now-defunct backbone-admin list twice. The response was cautious approval from a few, reflexive territorial-defensive grunting from most, and excrement-throwing from another few. They didn't like the idea of giving up "control of the namespace". Human beings are such primates sometimes! Like you, I believe it is vital for the future. The net is getting too big for any set of 'first among equals' to control -- and as a libertarian anarchist *I* think this is a Good Thing! -- Eric S. Raymond (the mad mastermind of TMN-Netnews) Email: eric@snark.uu.net CompuServe: [72037,2306] Post: 22 S. Warren Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355 Phone: (215)-296-5718