Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!boulder!ccncsu!longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu!steved
From: steved@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu (Steve Dempsey)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: Article Classification is the key to solving USENET problems.
Message-ID: <1882@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU>
Date: 11 May 89 19:32:04 GMT
References: <11518@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com> <3222@looking.UUCP> <3233@looking.UUCP>
Sender: news@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU
Followup-To: news.admin
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523
Lines: 27


> Mechanisms such as ``References:'' lines and keywords will not be
> used properly until there are readers that take advantage of them.
> That is, in today's Usenet there is very little reason to retain
> or create such lines; they just create goo.  Yes, they were invented
> for a purpose -- but most users neither know nor care.  Once the
> readers are out there, the usage will take care of itself.

This is like saying there is no reason for automobiles until we have
drivers that take advantage of them.  So how is one supposed to learn
how to drive in a vehicle that does not run?

I, for one, often want to find THE parent article but can not because
the references chain has been clobbered.  It is particularly difficult
when articles have been cross-posted and the originial was in some other
group.  I am not willing to search every newsgroup for a subject when
I should be able to key on message ID.

The readers are alreay out there and the usage is not taking care of
itself.  That's what good news software is for: to protect the reader
from his own ignorance.

        
        Steve Dempsey,  Center for Computer Assisted Engineering
  Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523    +1 303 491 0630
INET: steved@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu, dempsey@handel.CS.ColoState.Edu
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