Xref: utzoo news.groups:8398 news.admin:5254 Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!uunet!cdin-1!fred From: fred@cdin-1.UUCP (Fred Rump) Newsgroups: news.groups,news.admin Subject: Re: Proposed OFFICIAL Newsgroup Creation/Deletion Guidelines Message-ID: <132@cdin-1.UUCP> Date: 24 Mar 89 19:01:45 GMT References: <1634@ncar.ucar.edu> Reply-To: fred@cdin-1.UUCP (Fred Rump) Organization: CompuData, Incorporated, Philadelphia, PA Lines: 41 Summary: Expires: Sender: Followup-To: Distribution: Keywords: The creation part sounds like it's always been and seems to be reasonably enforceable. No further comment there. But on the deletion of newsgroups there should be some statistical tool that initiates the actual deletion process. As we all know it is easy to approve but much more difficult to reverse the process. We need a VALID reason that reasonable netters can respect and be somewhat logical about. If, for instance, group ABC has not had enough activity over a pre-determined timeframe, the deletion process should automatically commence. The number of votes to delete should NOT be as stringent as the number to create as many people won't bother voting to delete something they have no interest in. On the other hand the fever of the discussion to create may have instigated enough interest to vote YES for the benefit of those who clamored for it. But now if those who demanded a new group have not sufficiently used it, let's correct a hasty mistake quickly and painlessly. The alternative is an evergrowing set of special interest groups that may become a slow end of the net. We do have mail where a handful of interested individuals can communicate with each other without broadcasting to the world. Perhaps they were able to meet each other thru a newsgroup which then fizzled past the point of continuing interest for all but a handful of individuals. So let them continue, but not in news. Perhaps some of the more knowledgeable counters of postings can shed some light as to how many messages or posters they consider to be an active group. Somehow I think the number of active posters should be a critical factor in the deletion discussion. If the 'readers' never respond, maybe there isn't much to say? Fred Rump ...uunet!cdin-1!fred -- Fred Rump, Pres. | UUCP: {rutgers,cbmvax,bellcore}!bpa!cdin-1!fred CompuData, Inc. | or ...{allegra killer gatech!uflorida decvax!ucf-cs} 10501 Drummond Rd. | !ki4pv!cdis-1!cdin-1!fred Philadelphia, Pa. 19154| or ...!uunet!cdin-1!fred or fred@cdin-1.uu.net