From: ritz@ritz.mordor.com (Christopher Mauritz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,news.groups
Subject: Re: RFD: What to do with comp.binaries.atari.st/comp.sources.atari.st?
Date: 10 Jan 93 20:37:20 GMT
Organization: Ritz International, Inc. -- Import/Export Consultants
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Daniel Aylward (dud@hardy.u.washington.edu) wrote:

OS/2> I have thought for a while that a place to announce new software releases
OS/2> would be very useful.  Many times I've not been aware of the latest
OS/2> versions of software.  I had to ask Michael Bernards himself what the
OS/2> latest English version of Rufus was, and I had to get it from Bob Brodie
OS/2> via the F-Net!  The same is true with commercial software.  For example, I
OS/2> always try to get the latest version of Warp9 when it comes out.  It was
OS/2> over 2 months before I knew that the ExtendoSave version had been
OS/2> released!  So what might be a good idea is to open the newsgroups to
OS/2> discussion of the latest software, of all varieties.  When anyone finds a
OS/2> newly released title, they can post about it, tell where they can FTP it
OS/2> from, and, if people want them to, they could even uuencode it and post
OS/2> it, or post its source code.  Something like this wouldn't cut back on the
OS/2> purpose the groups currently serve, while adding something that could
OS/2> benefit a lot of users.

Um...you would like to dedicate a newsgroup to a subject which will have
"new software releases for the Atari ST" as its subject matter???  That
doesn't make any sense since the traffic, at best, would be a couple of
messages a month.  It would seem to make more sense to create a mailing
list instead or just include that information in comp.sys.atari.st.
I think you would have a hard time getting a new group approved, much
as the CPM users would have trouble getting comp.os.cpm.new.software
approved.  There just isn't enough traffic/readers/interest to justify
tens of thousands of machines having to carry/propagate the group.

Out of habit, I still look at the ST sections of stores (a VERY
rare thing) and I cannot remember the last time I saw a new
piece of commercial software.  However, that may be because there
are so few stores selling the products.  I am located in Manhattan,
the center of the largest city in the home country of Atari Corporation
and I cannot think of one store that supports the ST.  There are a
few stores, mostly music stores, that sell midi software and one
or two stores that have dusty old stock of ST games, but that is it.
If it wasn't for this newsgroup, and the Atari Lynx, I would have
thought Atari products had disappeared long ago.  You simply cannot
find them unless you turn over every rock for a 1000 mile radius.
I can understand the people in Germany still having a soft spot
for Atari since they get a lot of 3rd party support, but it simply
boggles the mind to see Americans/Canadians continue to cheerlead.

Skoal,

Chris

--
Christopher Mauritz                 | My views reflect those of my
ritz@ritz.mordor.com                | company since I own the company.
{backbone}!rutgers!spcvxb!ritz!ritz | Ritz International, Inc.
OS/2 OS/2 OS/2 OS/2 OS/2 OS/2 OS/2  | Import/Export Consultants
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st