Date   : Fri, 02 Aug 1996 16:51:57 +0200
From   : Robert Schmidt <rsc@...>
Subject: Re: Suggestion: comp.sys.acorn group for 8-bit micros [Was: Re: BBC-B doesn't work anymore.]

P. Emery wrote:
> Seems to me that there are already plenty of Acorn newsgroups. 

You only read the ones you want.  8-bit Acorn users have to read most of the
Acorn groups to find what's relevant to them.  If the .8bit group comes
through, I (for one) will unsubscribe from the rest of the comp.sys.acorn
groups.

> Admittedly,
> 8-bit users must be having a hard time finding articles specific to them,
> but I don't think creating yet another newsgroup will help matters when
> there is already a mailing list. 

A mailing list is harder to come by than a newsgroup.  It's more fuss.  A
newsgroup is bound to attract a larger audience than a mailing list.  It's
easier to post a "stray" question to a newsgroup, rather than having to join
a mailing list to make sure you catch the replies you're hoping for.

> Even with the current set of groups, we're
> getting plenty of postings going to the wrong group: hardware questions in
> .misc, software questions in .hardware, and we never did clear up the
> question of whether PC games should be discussed in .games or in
> .exta-cpu... 

How does this affect the suggestion for creation of an 8-bit group?  Each
new group adds order, not disorder.
What is the point of having a .misc group anyway?  (Except discussions like
these...)

Most modern newsreaders are (as is pointed out often enough) good at not
showing articles that have been crossposted in more than one group.  Also,
as long as .8bit doesn't exist, 8-bit posts will have to go to one *or more*
of the existing comp.sys.acorn groups.  With the .8bit group, at least we
get a proper group that they can be pointed to, or follow-upped to.  

The people who post wrongly, or crosspost to .misc, are usually new to the
hierarchy.  After some time, those who stick around will become regulars and
post to the proper newsgroup.

> Adding another group will increase confusion (and you can bet
> that many postings to an 8-bit group will get crossposted to .misc anyway).

If people see that as a problem, maybe the .misc group is a problem.  An
8-bit group will at least have a purpose.

You have to realise that the .8bit group will not *add* a lot of traffic to
the comp.sys.acorn hierarchy.  It will try and sift out the 8-bit traffic
that is indeed going on, and direct it to a dedicated forum.  In addition,
the people who are currently on the bbc-micro mailing list might move most
of their activity to .8bit, and since they've already been clever enough to
join the dedicated mailing list, they are clever enough not to crosspost
unless appropriate.

> Also, you are more likely to get followups to an 8-bit related posting by
> putting it in .misc anyway because many current 32-bit owners started out
> with a model B and could contribute to an 8-bit discussion.

That's a valid point, and I agree, but only for a while.  Won't the 32-bit
users who are interested in and willing to answer 8-bit questions also
subscribe to the .8bit group?  I also bet the the rest of the 32-bit users
consider the 8-bit postings as junk that they would rather be without.
 
> You can keep creating newsgroups ad nauseam, but you can bet that the more
> groups you have, the more articles you will see in the wrong groups.

Is there logic behind that statement?  If we had one big Usenet group, then
all postings would be in the right group, right?  
 
> >Uh... I feel silly now, but the Archimedes is 16-bit, right?
> 
> Oh dear me. Start feeling even sillier.

Thanks for your enlightment.  17, then.
 
--
Robert Schmidt <rsc@...       > 
Software Developer / Vingmed Sound tel +47 67124237 fax +47 67124355
Private tel +47 22352293 WWW http://www.nvg.unit.no/~rsc

It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.