Re: What's the story?

[lwv26@cas.org (Larry W. Virden)]

According to David Empson <dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz>:
:At least it was renamed from "comp.sys.apple" to "comp.sys.apple2" at
:some point (before my time).  I expect this was done because many
:Mac messages were being posted here, or it was decided to split the
:group from general discussion about computers made by Apple into the
:specific product families.
:

David, the reason I and the other old timers renamed this newsgroup is
quite similar to the reasons many folk are working on changing newsgroups
today.  Back then, comp.sys.apple was for Apple 2 since that was the only
computer Apple made.  Then the Apple III and Lisa came around, and we didn't
mind the occasional post. 

But one day, the Mac was introduced and newsgroups all over the much
smaller Usenet universe were flooded.  So the comp.sys.mac newsgroup was
created.  But new folk didn't think to use comp.sys.mac since c.s.a had
apple's name in it.  And there were lots of cross postings that folk
would not stop, and flaming by the new Mac owners against the antique
Apple IIs, etc.

We didn't want to suffer with moderation, so we tried a rename (one of the
first I remember occuring in comp.*).  A lot of sites didn't do renames
automatically, so it took quite a long time for everyone to get the new
group.  And the new Mac users just followed along, despite the fact that
there is no reason to confuse apple2 and mac.
Now most of Usenet is suffering the same trials with Windows (and even more
so with Windows 95) users.

And the Apple 2 folk still get the intrusions of Mac users who for some
reason still get confused, even though there hasn't even been an Apple
2 computer sold for some time.

Sigh.
-- 
:s Larry W. Virden                 INET: lvirden@cas.org
:s <URL:http://www.teraform.com/%7Elvirden/> <*>
:s Unless explicitly stated to the contrary, nothing in this posting should 
:s be construed as representing my employer's opinions.