As long as we are taliking about rmgrouping ...

[Ron Natalie <ron>]

> Since when is someone's source code not ideas?  I didn't say anything about 
> discussion.  Life would be much different here without less.  
> 
> Someone posted bgrep.  A few days later someone posted bm, a better
> implementation of the same algorithm.
> 
> Isn't that an interchange of ideas.

No, look up interchange in the dictionary.  It means to give and recieve,
reciprically.  Net.sources is distribution, not interchange.  Net groups
are ideal for conversation.  They don't work well as a distribution
mechanism.

> Your restricted idea of what constitutes an idea demonstrates perfectly
> my point about the problem with moderated source groups.  Even
> a game source has been useful to me in gleaning a subroutine or function
> useful to me in my work.  I don't just take these sources and compile
> them, I find out how they work and I learn from the author's experience.

Eh?  I never said that it wasn't an idea, I said it wasn't interchange.
What is the difference in having a recognized respected moderator or some
Bozo fudging CANCEL messages for all the articles in net.sources he doesn't
like.
> 
> Another simple change would be to prevent postings to multiple groups. Why
> post six copies, choose the MOST appropriate group.  If the author of
> an article feels it MUST be in more than one group, he can make the
> extra effort of posting it several times.
> 
Encouraging multiple postings would be worse.  Most news software knows
how to deal with one article posted multiple places intelligently.  Perhaps
more idiot user handholding should be added to postnews?

WAIT, there are two discussions going here.  One is that someone published
a hit list of groups like net.sources.mac that should be deleted.  Big
deal, it wa probably just full of hot air.  Really valid groups will keep
getting recreated even if some oligarchy decides they are worthless and
deletes them.

What we were discussing is the advantages of using MOD instead of NET
for distribution style news groups.  Currently, I think the reason mod.
sources is not being used is ignorance.  People who either don't know
about mod.sources or don't know how to post to MOD groups.  The longevity
of your program is likely to be much larger going through a MOD group
than one I have to expire weekly to keep my disk space in line.

-Ron