comp.sys.3b1?? (WAS: Re: Monthly posting about Unix-PC network)

[Bob Wilber]

"Sparkie" writes:
>Currently in the unix-pc.* groups there is a lot of confusion with PC users
>running things like Xenix.  They think the group is a general discussion group
>for PC unices.  The name "comp.sys.3b1" would help eliminate that confusion.
>I would recommend that we do something like the current unix-pc.* groups:
>	comp.sys.3b1.general
>	comp.sys.3b1.sources
>	comp.sys.3b1.uucp
>It seems to me that these are reasonable groups to have, although the latter
>two do not seem to get that much usage.  Perhaps just comp.sys.3b1 would be
>adequate.

Like every other sensible person, I would like to see the transformation
unix-pc -> 3b1.  I suggest creating precisely two newsgroups:

	comp.sys.3b1.general
	comp.sys.3b1.sources

When unix-pc.* is not being inundated by newbies with Intel boxes the traffic
is very light and can not really justify the fragmentation into .uucp and
.bugs.  The reason I suggest splitting out comp.sys.3b1.sources is because some
sites may be archiving it.  (Of course, it would help if people didn't post
requests for sources to that group.)  I think the best argument for the
renaming is that right now about two thirds of all unix-pc.* postings are being
cross posted to comp.sys.att (including this one) precisely because "everybody
knows" that unix-pc.* doesn't get distributed to all the people who want to
read it.  Creating comp.sys.3b1.* would eliminate the cross posting and have
the side effect that comp.sys.att would become more useful to everyone with an
AT&T machine that isn't a 3b1.

Bob Wilber    wilber at homxb.att.com