Of flames and sources

[Brant Cheikes]

In article <412 at icus.UUCP> lenny at icus.UUCP (Lenny Tropiano) responds
to an article by loci!clb:
>*FLAME ON*

REALLY, gentlemen.  Must we sully the unix-pc groups with flamage?
It's bad enough that it happens in "official USENET" groups.

I don't think Mr. Brunow's comment ("delusions of grandeur?") was
directed at Mr. Tropiano.  Rather, he just expressed an opinion that
such a low-volume stream as unix-pc.* doesn't need something as
"grandiose" as a moderated sources group.  I don't agree, and I don't
think Lenny needed to turn around and defend his net-existence.

Now, to the point: I would agree that unix-pc does not need more
subgroups.  I only see 10-20 articles per day in .general, the volume
just doesn't justify increased "categorization."  In fact, I can't
even see the justification for unix-pc.uucp.  I've seen maybe 10
postings there in the last year.

As far as a moderated sources group goes: I'm aware that unix-pc
specific stuff is distributed over the net, archived here and there.
But there doesn't seem to be anyone doing the job of keeping track of
what's available in any organized way.  I'd like to see something like
what Salz and Allbery are doing, but for unix-pc-specific source code
only.  That is, periodic postings of lists of available software, with
someone to contact about getting the stuff.  I would prefer central
organization and archiving to lists of n people to contact along with
what they have.  I don't think this is grandiose, and a moderated
sources group would be useful.  If Lenny's willing to do that, great.
Lenny: can you handle keeping all the stuff online and available for
anonymous uucp?

We should be careful NOT to overlap unix-pc.sources with the other
sources groups.  That is, unix-pc.sources should be devoted to software
specific to the unix-pc ONLY.  Though it might be useful to
occasionally pass along the sources.unix and sources.misc lists when
they come out.

In sum, I think flames have no place on the unix-pc stream, while a
moderated sources group does.
-- 
Brant Cheikes
University of Pennsylvania
Department of Computer and Information Science
Internet: manta!brant at bpa.bell-atl.com, UUCP: {bpa,drexel}!manta!brant