--- Moderation problems with comp.unix.microport ---

[Denis Fortin]

Greetings...

	A few weeks ago (maybe 2 months), the `comp.unix.microport' group
was created for users of Microport products (System V/AT, System V/386,
DosMerge, etc).  Since that time, traffic in the group has been abnormally
low (16 messages overall) given the amount of uPort traffic that normally
appeared in comp.unix.xenix.

	I believe that the reason for this dramatic drop in popularity
is the fact that the group is moderated.  Now, I am not raising the issue
of moderated groups vs unmoderated groups again (I actually tend to
prefer reading moderated groups).  Unfortunately, in this case I think
that the problems with that group are caused by issues *relating* to
moderation.

	In the past couple of months, I have posted about 5 messages to
comp.unix.microport.  Only one of these has reached me thus far, and
four others have been returned by uwvax, complaining that it couldn't
talk to uwmacc in 7 days (or was it 10?).

	I checked the path that pathalias recommended to get to uwspan 
(where the moderator lives).  It is:

	...!uunet!mimsy!rutgers!uwvax!uwmacc!uwspan!<user>

Unfortunately, this path doesn't seem to work.  Furthermore, uwspan
has marked the uwmacc link as (DEAD) -- it is possible that uwmacc still
talks to uwspan even if uwspan doesn't talk to it anymore, but it seems
a bit doubtful.

I tried re-routing my message through the following path:

	...!uunet!mimsy!rutgers!uwvax!geowhiz!uwspan!<user>

by going through the maps manually, but I haven't heard anything since.

	Now, I understand that every once in a while people stand up
and complain "I haven't been able to reach the moderator", but since the
traffic in comp.unix.microport is so low, I assume that it isn't just
me who is having problems...

	As a quick fix, I suggest un-moderating the group for now
so that uPort users can once again exchange information, and then if
we find that the volume (or S/N ratio) in comp.unix.microport warrants
it, we'll re-arrange for moderation.
-- 
Denis Fortin                            | fortin at zap.UUCP
CAE Electronics Ltd                     | philabs!micomvax!zap!fortin
The opinions expressed above are my own | fortin%zap.uucp at uunet.uu.net