Subject: Re: draft RFD for comp.unix.bsd hierarchy.
To: None <netbsd-users@netbsd.org>
From: Jeff Weisberg <jaw@magoo.roc.ny.us>
List: netbsd-users
Date: 11/16/1994 23:47:57
kaleb keithley says:
| Okay, here's a draft RFD. I've already run it by the Usenet group-advice
| cabal and they have not responded in 12 hours; which is not to say that
| they still won't, it is Sunday after all.

While the idea of discussions pertaining to the greatest OS(es)
does give me a nice warm tingly feeling inside, I don't think
that this (your proposal) is it.

1) I don't like the idea of splitting into {386bsd,bsdi,freebsd,netbsd}.
The various factions are already too disjoint, and the creation of a
usenet split would serve only to drive the wedge deeper between the
factions. Currently the other (non-BSD)(both free and commercial) OSes have
much better PR, if our system is going to survive, we need Unity.
To mis-quote Winston Churchill:
	Unity at all cost,
	Unity in spite of all terror,
	Unity however long and hard the road may be;
	for without unity there is no survival.

2) Current usenet traffic does not warrant change on such a scale.

3) Jeff, as a rule, generally opposes the creation of new newsgroups
which would add to the already unbearably long time it takes to read
it all...:-)


Me, not being one to critisize without offering advice, will
offer some ideas (some of this also relates to a recent post
in comp.mumble-bsd-something.or.other)

We need to make our usenet presence a bit more, well, existant.
Move some of the mailing list traffic to the current newsgroups,
or possibly gateway some of the lists into the news flow.

Start with a reworking of c.u.bsd and c.o.386bsd.* heirarchy
something like c.o.bsd.{misc,announce,bugs,questions,...}, so
as to better localize discussions and reflect actual traffic.

Beat our swords into plowshares, shake the other guys hand, and
just get along. No I'm not suggesting complete merge of the various
factions (not realistic) but a little more cooperation, and less
flaming. (can't we all just get along...)


[it's getting late, I'll stop here for now]

	--jeff


Portions of kaleb's proposal:
|    Create fourth levels in comp.unix.bsd: c.u.b.{386bsd,bsdi,freebsd,netbsd}
|    Create topic groups:                   comp.unix.bsd.*
|    After a transition period:             delete comp.os.386bsd

|    The proposal is to create eight new groups. They are:

|    comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc
|    comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.announce
|    comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc
|    comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.announce
|    comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
|    comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.announce -- moderated by Jordan Hubbard.
|    comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc
|    comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.announce.

|    *.announce groups will be unmoderated unless volunteers step forward.

| RATIONALE:
	[ bobbitted ]
| CHARTERS:
	[ bobbitted ]