From: fred_s@earwax.pei.com (Fred Scott)
Subject: Re: use a KILLFILE
Organization: Protocol Engines Incorporated
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 21:00:25 GMT

In article <9210071819.AA22956@vtserf.cc.vt.edu> jfurr@vtssi.vt.edu (Joel Furr) writes:
>I recalled that a Cthulhu oriented group had been proposed in alt.config some
>time back but had never been created and I reopened the discussion, noting
>that there seemed to be considerable interest in Cthulhu as evidenced by the
>invasion of the a.f.g feed, and of course the usual control fanatics spoke up
>and said "under no circumstances should you create this group.  use a kill-
>file, goddamnit."
>
>To which I responded, "1, not everybody has the resources and wherewithal to
>use killfiles,"  "2, by your argument, off topic messages in ANY group are
>okey-dokey, no matter what they do to the volume of on-topic traffic," and "3,
>for Christ's sake, stop telling people who want to create a new group that
>because the wonderful things called killfiles exist, you have no right to
>create any new group of any sort."
>
>The flames proceeded to erupt thereafter...

I will explain the flames, then, since you seem somewhat naive about them.

The trouble is, you're planting your feet right on the soapbox where a bunch
of *OTHER* net.dictators tend to speak from.

Periodically - quite frequently, in fact , some controversial thread will be
started in some newsgroup or newsgroups which sparks a hugh volume of followup.
While some may think the thread quite fascinating, others will become bored
with it right away.  After a few days of it, some joe.net.god inevitably
gets on the mike and announces: "I'm bored with this thread and I've EVEN seen
a post (*gawd!*) that didn't even refer directly to this newsgroup's charter
subject in it's ENTIRE TEXT!  So STOP POSTING ON THIS THREAD!  ALL OF YOU!!!
NOW!!!!!"  (OK, this is an exagerated example, but you get the picture.)

Generally, this person will be informed of the possibility of utilizing his
kill file by a number of posts of varying derision.  And personally, I
generally agree with the content, if not the general tenor, of the responses.
People should be fairly tolerant of long-lived threads which are somewhere in
the general ballpark of the newsgroup's purpose - if for no other reason than
the fact that policing against it is impossible and thoroughly unpleasant.

And because most of us have kill files, which should solve joe.net.god's
problem.  If he doesn't have a kill file, then we don't care.

>I don't really care what the people who keep posting about it being up to me
>if I want to drive without windshield wipers.  The analogy doesn't apply.

Your plight is admittedly different.

>All we wanted in this case was to create an alt.fan.cthulhu group so the
>morons would have someplace to go post.  It is *not* the responsibility of the
>victim group to wear blinders so they don't notice the invaders.   Aha, you
>say, there's a line I can quote out of Joel's message and compose some witty
>reply to!  Wrong.  Read on.
>
>If the ultimate answer to off-topic invaders in your newsgroup is "use a
>killfile" then for Christ's sake, what do we have newsgroup charters for?
>
>Hmmm?

Well, I'll tell you - I don't think you should be making alt.fan.cthulhu.
Not because your invaders are in the right to be posting to your newsgroup -
they're not.  (And you're correct, a newsgroup charter should mean
something.)  It's just that you're going about solving your problem
the wrong way.

The problem is: how do you get these guys out of *YOUR* newsgroup.  And the
answer is: there is no answer.  Just about every single newsgroup I've ever
read for more than two weeks has had some sort of invasion at some point in
time.  Either by those kind of cross-posting, "everybody-on-the-net-loves-our-
little-joke" terrorists or by the mutated thread from hell or something which
was misposted to the wrong group in the first place but is spawning followups,
anyway.  There's just nothing you can do about it and nothing you *should*
do about it.  If your little newsgroup is so important and wonderful, it'll
survive and thrive in spite of these things.

Another reason you shouldn't make alt.fan.cthulhu is that it won't solve your
problem.  You're being extremely naive to assume that the terriorists were
only posting to your group because they lacked their own.  I've got news for
you: they were (gasp!) doing it on purpose!  Somehow, I don't they're going to
change their behavior because you've "thoughtfully" created them a newsgroup
to go play in.  Newsgroups should be created only by people who truly want
to use them.

Fred
Newsgroups: news.groups,alt.config