Too much cross-posting?

[Vernon C. Hoxie]

In article <674 at whizz.uucp>, bbh at whizz.uucp (Bud Hovell) writes:
> Over the past several months, I've become increasingly aware of the huge
> percentage of articles which cross-post between comp.sys.att and unix-pc.*.
> When I get into comp.sys.att (second in order in my .newsrc), I find
> myself virtually wearing out the 'n' key. (An intuitive guess is that fully
> 70% of the comp.sys.att traffic that I see arriving here is cross-posted
> stuff from unix-pc.*).
> 
> I know there has been some discussion of this in the past - why has it been
> decided to leave the unix-pc group a non-standard group not to be carried
> routinely in the standard feed? Who benefits - and how?
>  
Bud:
	The reason you have to pour over so many unix-pc postings is
that these groups are poorly distributed and in order to get to many of
us, the posters are kind enough to cross post.  In fact, I can't post
except through comp.sys.att.

	I also would like to know why distribution of the unix-pc group
is so difficult to come by.  I have been trying for the last year to get
it here.  Assuredly, someone in the Denver area does receive it
since 'boulder' is a backbone site.

	The system administrator at 'scicom' informed me a couple of
months ago that he had found a source for it.  I know he is trying to
help me but there seems to be an aversion of some sort elsewhere to
providing full distribution.  As yet, I haven't received anything which
has not been cross posted.  Last week, I sent out a request on
'unix-pc.test' for anyone to respond if they received the message.
So far there have been no responses.  My guess is that it never got onto
the net.

	The result is that people like you, who have no interest in the
unix-pc, but are interested in other discussions on comp.sys.att have to
grope through our activities.

	I don't know why the distribution system falls down when the
administrators need only add 'unix-pc,' to the '/usr/lib/news/sys' file.
Surely this is not a heavy load when they do forward so many "junk" groups.

	I have been wondering about suggesting that the group names be
changed so that it starts with 'comp.xxxx'.  Since this is already an
entry in the '/usr/lib/news/sys' file, we could all benefit.  Perhaps even
some of our European friends could then join in on the discussions. 
That is, if the full 'comp.' distribution is carried over there.

	Next time I'll really get on my soap-box. :-)
-- 
Vernon C. Hoxie		       {ncar,nbires,boulder,isis}!scicom!zebra!vern
3975 W. 29th Ave.					voice: 303-477-1780
Denver, Colo., 80212				( TB+ )  uucp: 303-455-2670