Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!uunet!mcvax!ukc!strath-cs!nott-cs!anw From: anw@nott-cs.UUCP (4) Newsgroups: comp.lang.c Subject: Re: Posting Message-ID: <613@tuck.nott-cs.UUCP> Date: 24 May 89 11:18:46 GMT References: <1989May15.215656.15717@ziebmef.uucp> <4490@alvin.mcnc.org> <2102@blake.acs.washington.ed Sender: root@cs.nott.ac.uk Reply-To: anw@maths.nott.ac.uk (Dr A. N. Walker) Organization: Department of Mathematics, The University, NOTTINGHAM, NG7 2RD, UK. Lines: 39 In article <1989May23.030223.24871@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: >In article <922@maestro.htsa.aha.nl> fransvo@htsa.UUCP (Frans van Otten) writes: >>How would you feel about a moderated comp.lang.c.questions group ? [...] > [...] >(b) If there is also an unmoderated group, how do you propose to keep > the wars out of it? For some time now I've been trying to formulate a proposal for a "semi-moderated" style of group, suitable for "comp.lang.c", "comp.graphics", "sci.maths", "rec.games.chess", and other groups in which novices and experts mix. The idea is: A. Novice asks a question. Detected by "Subject: Blah ... ?". ^ B. Novice tries to reply. "Subject: Re: Blah ... ?". This reply fails. Well, it probably gets posted locally, but when it reaches a "backbone", it is posted to the semi-moderator, dropped in the bit-bucket, bounced, or whatever. A. N. Expert tries to reply. "Subject: Re: Blah ... ?", but *also* has an "Expert: A. N. Expert" line. This works. Follow-ups, by novices or experts, now also work, 'cos they include the "Expert:" line. Thus, all respondents have either to be experts, or to have seen the expert reply. Novices who ask questions without the "?", novices who pretend to be experts, and experts who bungle, are hung, drawn and quartered in the usual way. Articles that aren't questions are posted normally; only the inexpert immediate responses to questions are zapped, but that alone might prevent many of the sillier wars. Details left to the imagination. Comments? -- Andy Walker, Maths Dept., Nott'm Univ., UK. anw@maths.nott.ac.uk