The overrating of usenet and other nonsense

[nathan@visi.com (Nathan Mates)]

In article <6i6hsq$a2a@gap.cco.caltech.edu>,
Todd P. Whitesel <toddpw@ugcs.caltech.edu> wrote:
>His whole point is that without comp.sys.apple2 there would be plenty of
>Apple II world left. That was my point as well, in a previous post.

>Usenet is certainly unique among online forums, but it is by no means a
>crucial community pillar or anything.

   I read a fun quote today about a similarly canned-by-the-maker
computer platform's usenet group at
http://www.seganet.com/news/042898d.html

--- snip

Ah, USENET. That oft-despised yet still validated Lover's Leap for the
incestuous pairing of advocacy and rationality we've all been tempted
to visit in our less lucid moments. The very spawning ground for
well-nigh every mutant rumor and pestilential conspiracy theory to
inflict the leprous skin of the industry we've all come to know and
love. Some of you have been there. Some of you haven't. Either way,
you'll get your dose of syphilitic content whether you like it or not,
spewed straight from the screed of yours truly, as I endeavor to wrap
up the latest USENET Saturn news each week, minus the perennial
trollwork, N64 vs Saturn vs Playstation sputum, and all the festering
AOL newbie "I NeeD 31337 KoDeZ PLeeZ" backwash.

--- snip

   [Of course, here, it's Mac vs PC vs Apple II vs consoles, but the
AOL comment's still pretty valid.] Unmoderated usenet groups all
across the board are deteriorating into cruddy messes because people
who are not held accountable for their words, lies, and off-topicness
will continue to keep that up-- without any responsibility, people do
misbehave. 

   The Babylon 5 newsgroups had a set of dedicated attackers whose
sole point was to lie, start flamewars, and generally try and disrupt
a peaceful community. A moderated group was formed, and those who had
to waste time dealing with mistruths (like "4D sound" and "X is not
piracy, even though the law specifically says it is") didn't have to
do so anymore, and productive, useful discussions went way up. Same
with the online services for Apple IIs-- keeping such lies away from
the group in the first place prevents such nonsense from beginning.

Nathan Mates

--
<*> Nathan Mates http://www.visi.com/~nathan/      <*>
# What are the facts? Again and again and again-- what are the _facts_?
# Shun wishful thinking, avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors
# think-- what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? -R.A. Heinlein