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From: tneff@well.UUCP (Tom Neff)
Newsgroups: news.groups,news.admin
Subject: Re: OFFICIAL Guidelines (2nd try)
Message-ID: <11302@well.UUCP>
Date: 11 Apr 89 22:27:19 GMT
References: <2961@ncar.ucar.edu> <13561@steinmetz.ge.com>
Reply-To: tneff@well.UUCP (Tom Neff)
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Lines: 22

In article <13561@steinmetz.ge.com> davidsen@crdos1.UUCP (bill davidsen) writes:
>  As I have mentioned before, in the cause of reducing the cost to the
>net *any* list which has some number of readers (200 maybe) should be
>allowed to become a group by having the moderator post the names of the
>readers as yes votes. 

Some mailing lists are private and any decision to drop private status
and become a public newsgroup would probably not be unanimous, even if
the moderator supported the idea.  It would be disingenuous to stuff
the ballot box with dissenters' names.  If a mailing list conducted its
own poll beforehand and reported the votes for both sides, that would
be fairer; it would also be the status quo.

Any mailing list whose subject matter poses significant risk of
pointless flamage or idiotic news.drivel is much better off staying as
a list even if there are more than 200 members.  If the moderator gets
tired of his duties he should not have the easy out of issuing a
"newgroup" and collapsing onto the sofa, which would be a big
temptation if bill's idea were adopted.
-- 
Tom Neff                  tneff@well.UUCP
                       or tneff@dasys1.UUCP