From: EIVERSO@cms.cc.wayne.edu
Newsgroups: alt.config
Subject: one last alt.music.techno argument before we die
Date: 21 Aug 92 02:54:42 GMT
Organization: Wayne State University, C&IT

I've tried several arguments and none can seem to convince a news admin
or two who doesn't want to deal with one more alt.* group. No matter what I
say, or how I say it, they simply say "we are bigger and stronger and
we don't want it"
 
If I present lists of others in favor of alt.music.techno, they produce a list
of persons-- half of whom have only said "but there already *is* an alt.rave"
as if alt.* groups had to be decided by vote.
 
I been trying to explain how a segment of usenet population (certainly not the
majority, but neither are alt.rave subscribers) really would want to post
if there only was a techno-exclusive group. To which they say "well, if they
want to post, where are they?"
 
Well, let me prove it to you. I received this email today from a very
prominent poster to many music newsgroups. I'm not mentioning his name,
because he hasn't yet approved my request to quote him.
Hint: he's from the UK
(My words are >indented)
------------------------------------------------------
> BTW. Are you in favor of an alt.music.techno group?
> Discussion has gone on for a while in alt.config.
 
I've seen the discussion but I've stayed out of it for reasons that will
become apparent.
 
> The dissenters say alt.rave is sufficient.
> I and others say they want a music-specific techno group.
> Some (myself included) don't like rave and don't want to
> associate with the rave group.
 
I can certainly see that. So much of what I've seen of alt.rave (I took a
look a week or so ago then unsubscribed) seems to be centring around where
the rave is on, smart drinks and the various drugs associated with the
scene. While I'm not anti-drug, I don't really want anything to do with
them and can see how you'd get annoyed that people were spending a lot of
time discussing the "experience" and not the music itself.
 
> I see you as one of the "big guns" who could help the cause.
> If you like the idea please post something positive to alt.config.
>
> If you don't like the idea, then forget I ever mentioned it. ;-)
 
Well, the reason I haven't contributed is that I'm really neither for or
against the idea. I can see why you want the new group but I'd never step
into a discussion about a group I wouldn't read myself. Y'see, for some
reason there is a fine dividing line between dance industrial and techno.
For reasons I can't quite fathom, I can be nuts about the likes of Front
242 and Die Krupps, yet totally cold about the vast majority of techno (and
I'm not just referring to the popular crap that gets in the charts over
here, but to more obscure stuff). Somewhere in the "gap" between the two
something disappears that means for some reason I don't like the music that
is generally referred to as techno (I'm meaning "techno" in the modern
dance music sense - Kraftwerk to me always used to be techno, but in the
older sense of the word). So I don't feel I can reasonably try to influence
people for/against a group that really wouldn't interest me anyway. Sorry
about that.
 
And describing me as a "big gun" will just make my already excessive ego
even worse :-)
--------------------------------------------------
 
That's the letter in it's entirety, save for identifying clues (remember I
didn't want to post his name until I get permission).
 
What it shows me is a person who is interested in techno and a major poster,
but he is turned off by the kind of techno and other subjects discussed in
alt rave. He is so turned off by alt.rave, that he will forego his interest
in classic techno and not even bother to debate the matter.
 
*THIS* is precisely the kind of person who would have a home in
alt.music.techno.
 
I cannot see engaing in a newgroup-rmgroup war with a couple of irate
news admins.
 
I guess I have to wait until techno is no longer popular at raves, or until
rave goes out of fashion, whichever comes first.
 
See you here again in about a year!
 
--Eric
Newsgroups: alt.config,alt.rave