From: mcoffin@IASTATE.EDU (Marie Coffin)
Subject: Re: Suggestion for Reducing Traffic
Reply-To: mcoffin@IASTATE.EDU (Marie Coffin)
Organization: Iowa State University
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 19:15:38 GMT

In article <1992Dec14.054914.20110@galileo.cc.rochester.edu>,
jstc_ss@troi.cc.rochester.edu (j. collins) writes:
> In <6093@sumax.seattleu.edu> sstover@sumax.seattleu.edu (   Wilde Dame   )
writes:
> 
> >Disclaimer in apprehension of complaints: no, I have not read r.a.p for
> >several days.  So, I'm commenting on the original article.  Pardon any
> >repetition.  However, deal with it. :)
> 
> >In article <1992Dec6.112618.29599@leland.Stanford.EDU>
jchien@leland.Stanford.EDU (Jennifer Crystal Fang-Chien) writes:
> >>
> >>	Just a suggestion here for creating a sub-group of
> >>rec.arts.poems.d (for discussion) or r.a.p.comments or something of
> >>that sort, so that r.a.p. would consist of poems only, where the other
> >>group would include feedback, replies, and flames.  It would reduce the
> >>number of posts to sort through, and also would help those who wish
> >>to only read poems.
> >>
> >>			What do you all think?
> 
> >I heartily agree.  r.a.p.d is the standard form for this, I believe (cf.
> >rec.humor.d, etc.) and I think it would be really useful.  However, most
> >of those groups require a moderator (at least rec.humor and
> >rec.humor.oracle) to ensure that articles to to the right place.  Are we
> >capable of handling this on our own? I would hate, on principle, to see
> >r.a.p become a moderated group.
> 
> >-- 
> >       Sheryl Stover  %  If you ask me what I have come to do in the world,
> >  & Hemingway & Clio  %  I who am an artist, I will reply: "I am here to
> >sstover@seattleu.edu  %  live aloud."                    -Emile Zola
> 
> actually I do not think rec.humor is moderated.  rec.humor.funny is though,
> (I think).  I agree also that we should get r.a.p.d.  Like everyone else
> I like reading comments and the discussion, but I would like to have it 
> seperate from the posting of the poems.  I also think we would be able
> of handling this on our own, unlike some other newsgroups out there this
> one rarely gets ugly. (IMHO)
> 
> peace,
> -justin m. collins <jstc_ss@troi.cc.rochester.edu>

Apologies to anyone who saw this twice -- I cancelled the previous garbled
version as quickly as I could.

I find this whole thread a bit confusing.  I will not natter on about kill 
files, since it has already been demonstrated that plenty of people don't
have access to them.  I should like to know 

1.  Why people want poetry and discussion to be separate, and

2.  Why that couldn't be accomplished (for those that want it) by going
    through rap and reading all the poems first and then reading the
    commentary when you feel like it.  This seems like a pretty simple
    solution to me, particularly since people on rap are very good about
    marking their comments as comments.  The only recent exception I can
    think of is Alex Karan, whose comments on Ken Wolman's poem confused
    me for a minute, because I couldn't think what he was talking about.

    I believe every newsreader in the known universe has the capability
    I am describing.  It seems to me that those who don't like commentary
    or who want it in a separate dish should learn how to use their 
    newsreaders and change their reading habits rather than changing rap.


Marie Coffin
Newsgroups: rec.arts.poems