[History] 1986 in Lists of Newsgroups (Revised)
Joe Bernstein
that I originally posted on January 19, 2002, and this post
supersedes that one. I found one error and several omissions while
working on the 1987 through 1994 posts which will follow, and follow
up to, this one. I will post separately a diff showing the changes,
but since several people have told me that they keep their own
archives of these posts, I thought best also to repost the full
article.
I know of errors also in the year-summary for 1980 and 1981, and in
the hierarchy-summaries for NET.* and net.*. Please do not
anticipate corrected versions of those posts at this time; I may or
may not do them in the coming weeks, but the chains of References
headers argue against doing so.
This post, without these first three paragraphs, will shortly be
available at my website; the original will presumably remain at
Google but not at my site.
For an introduction to this thread's chronological posts, please see
the first post in the series, for the year 1981, with message-ID
<3c4a3cbf$0$95686$892e...@authen.puce.readfreenews.net>.
This is the year of the Great Renaming, beginning with the September 1
posting. I doubt I need to add any more preface here, except to note
that this is also the year of the first single-group FAQs. For the
1986 through 1989 year-summaries, I've considered it reasonable to
track what single-group FAQs I could find; unfortunately, this is no
longer reasonably doable for the years 1990 and onward. In the
second, somewhat vapourous, stage of this project, I expect to note
pretty much all FAQs as part of the hierarchy-summary work.
Joe Bernstein
Lists of Newsgroups Posted in 1986
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 31 December 1985)"
January 1, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 23...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 31 December 1985)"
January 1, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 23...@gatech.CSNET
Added: mod.compilers, mod.sources.doc.
Summary: In mod.*, from 0 to 0 unmoderated groups, from 40 to 42
moderated groups (from 3 to 3 inactive), from 40 (3 inactive) to 42 (3
inactive) total. In net.*, no change: 176 unmoderated groups, 3
moderated groups, 179 total. 221 (or 218) total (45 or 42 moderated,
176 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 13 January 1986)"
January 16, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 24...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 13 January 1986)"
January 16, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 24...@gatech.CSNET
Added: mod.os.os9, mod.os.unix, mod.techreports.
Added, but inactive for lack of a moderator: mod.os.
Removed: mod.unix.
Summary: In mod.*, from 0 to 0 unmoderated groups, from 42 to 45
moderated groups (from 3 to 4 inactive), from 42 (3 inactive) to 45 (4
inactive) total. In net.*, no change: 176 unmoderated groups, 3
moderated groups, 179 total. 224 (or 220) total (48 or 44 moderated,
176 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 13 January 1986)"
February 1, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 25...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 30 January 1986)"
February 1, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 25...@gatech.CSNET
No changes.
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 13 February 1986)"
February 16, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 27...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 30 January 1986)"
February 16, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 27...@gatech.CSNET
Added: net.lang.c++.
Summary: In mod.*, no change: 0 unmoderated groups, 45 moderated
groups (4 inactive), 45 (4 inactive) total. In net.*, from 176 to 177
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 179 to 180
total. 225 (or 221) total (48 or 44 moderated, 177 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 19 February 1986)"
March 1, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 28...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 19 February 1986)"
March 1, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 28...@gatech.CSNET
Added: net.micro.atari8, net.micro.atari16.
Removed: net.micro.atari.
Although net.micro.atari had been removed, it remained on the list of
gated unmoderated groups for months to come.
Summary: In mod.*, no change: 0 unmoderated groups, 45 moderated
groups (4 inactive), 45 (4 inactive) total. In net.*, from 177 to 178
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 180 to 181
total. 226 (or 222) total (48 or 44 moderated, 178 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 2 March 1986)"
March 2, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 28...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 2 March 1986)"
March 2, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 28...@gatech.CSNET
Added: mod.mac, mod.mac.binaries, mod.mac.sources.
Rendered active by getting a moderator: mod.os.
Removed: mod.computers.macintosh.
Summary: In mod.*, from 0 to 0 unmoderated groups, from 45 to 47
moderated groups (from 4 to 3 inactive), from 45 (4 inactive) to 47 (3
inactive) total. In net.*, no change: 178 unmoderated groups, 3
moderated groups, 181 total. 228 (or 225) total (50 or 47 moderated,
178 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 14 March 1986)"
March 16, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 30...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 2 March 1986)"
March 16, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 30...@gatech.CSNET
Added: net.sources.d.
Summary: In mod.*, no change: 0 unmoderated groups, 47 moderated
groups (3 inactive), 47 (3 inactive) total. In net.*, from 178 to 179
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 181 to 182
total. 223 (or 219) total (50 or 47 moderated, 179 unmoderated).
"Checkgroups message"
April 1, 1986
net.news.group, net.news.adm
Message-ID: 31...@gatech.CSNET
This begins a two month period during which Google's archives, derived
for this period from the University of Toronto's, include no lists of
active newsgroups, nor lists of moderators, nor changes postings about
these lists. However, the archives do include checkgroups messages,
and the first changes postings after the gap refer to postings within
the gap. This leads me to believe that I'm seeing a gap in archive
retention, rather than a gap in original posting.
Checkgroups messages at this time did not carry moderation flags nor
indications of which groups were gatewayed. Thus the only facts that
can be documented for these two months from posts of this sort are the
bare addition or removal of newsgroups.
No changes.
"Checkgroups message"
April 17, 1986
net.news.group, net.news.adm
Message-ID: 33...@gatech.CSNET
Added: mod.computers.68k, mod.mag, mod.mag.otherrealms. Since all
mod.* groups at this time were moderated, and the first lists of
moderators after the gap indicate that these groups were, at that
time, moderated, I presume they were so created. There is no basis
for guessing whether any of them started out inactive, although none
but mod.mag fit the usual pattern for inactive mod.* groups.
Removed: net.internat. (It would be restored in the next list. Gene
Spafford is on record from around this time as objecting to the
group.)
Summary: In mod.*, from 0 to 0 unmoderated groups, from 47 to 50
moderated groups (from 3 to probably 3 inactive), from 47 to 50 (from
3 to probably 3 inactive) total. In net.*, from 179 to 178
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 182 to 181
total. 231 (or 228) total (53 or 50 moderated, 178 unmoderated).
"Checkgroups message"
May 3, 1986
net.news.group, net.news.adm
Message-ID: 34...@gatech.CSNET
Added: net.internat (again).
Summary: In mod.*, no change: 0 unmoderated groups, 50 moderated
groups (3 inactive), 50 (3 inactive) total. In net.*, from 178 to 179
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 181 to 182
total. 232 (or 229) total (53 or 50 moderated, 179 unmoderated).
"Checkgroups message"
May 17, 1986
net.news.group, net.news.adm
Message-ID: 36...@gatech.CSNET
Added: mod.amiga, mod.amiga.binaries, mod.amiga.sources,
mod.computers.masscomp, net.house, net.politics.terror. Again, I
assume that all the mod.* groups were created moderated and active.
Summary: In mod.*, from 0 to 0 unmoderated groups, from 50 to 54
moderated groups (from 3 to 3 inactive), from 50 (3 inactive) to 54 (3
inactive) total. In net.*, from 179 to 181 unmoderated groups, from 3
to 3 moderated groups, from 179 to 184 total. 238 (or 235) total (57
or 56 moderated, 181 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 24 May 1986)"
June 2, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 37...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 17 May 1986)"
June 2, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 37...@gatech.CSNET
Added: net.consumers.house, net.micro.ns32k.
Removed: net.house, net.micro.16k.
Unmoderated: mod.computers.workstations. (This group could have been
removed from the List of Moderators at any time over the preceding two
months, of course, but at any rate, it isn't on the June 2nd one.
Since it returns on the June 19 list, this is probably an error, not a
real change.)
Summary: In mod.*, from 0 to 1 unmoderated groups, from 54 to 53
moderated groups (from 3 to 3 inactive), from 54 (3 inactive) to 54 (3
inactive) total. In net.*, no net change: 181 unmoderated groups, 3
moderated groups, 184 total. 238 (or 235) total (56 or 53 moderated,
182 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 19 June 1986)"
June 19, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 39...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 19 June 1986)"
June 19, 1986
mod.newslists,net.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 39...@gatech.CSNET
Added: mod.announce, mod.announce.newusers, mod.conferences,
mod.comp-soc, mod.music.love-hounds.
Re-moderated: mod.computers.workstations.
This is the first posting to remove net.micro.atari from the list of
gatewayed unmoderated newsgroups, and the first to add
net.micro.atari8 and net.micro.atari16 to that list.
Summary: In mod.*, from 1 to 0 unmoderated groups, from 53 to 59
moderated groups (from 3 to 3 inactive), from 54 (3 inactive) to 59 (3
inactive) total. In net.*, no net change: 181 unmoderated groups, 3
moderated groups, 184 total. 243 (or 240) total (62 or 59 moderated,
181 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 27 June 1986)"
July 1, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 40...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 21 June 1986)"
July 1, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 40...@gatech.CSNET
Removed: net.works.
Summary: In mod.*, no change: 0 unmoderated groups, 59 moderated
groups (3 inactive), 59 (3 inactive) total. In net.*, from 181 to 180
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 184 to 183
total. 242 (or 239) total (62 or 59 moderated, 180 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 13 July 1986)"
July 16, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 41...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 13 July 1986)"
July 16, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 41...@gatech.CSNET
This is the last set of lists before the Great Renaming began; in an
intriguing coincidence, it follows by twelve days the oldest
surviving post that is arguably a single-group FAQ, "Access to UNIX-
related organizations, standards, and publications", by John
Quarterman, to mod.std.unix, which he moderated, with message-ID
<52...@ut-sally.UUCP>. It's probably worth saying a little about
my criteria for saying that. In my book, a document that's meant
to be read by the entire net is not a single-group FAQ; this
disqualifies most of the periodic postings in what would become
news.*, especially, of course, those in any new users' group. Because
this chronology is essentially structured around single-group changes,
I don't try to track those postings herein. On the other hand, a
posting that isn't repeated is also not an FAQ, in my opinion. (In a
later year-summary I bend this rule to note an FAQ for a gated
newsgroup that was put into the newsgroup's archive without being
posted at all.) Finally, a document that fills only a narrow piece of
a group's topic space is unlikely to merit my notice. In general, the
closer a document comes to the modern ideal of a full FAQ - with
copious information, links or other forms of access to stuff not in the
document, netiquette stuff, and actual answered questions - the more
likely I am to mention it here. I may relax this attitude towards
noting all periodic postings, in the second stage of this project, or
may not; time will tell.
Anyway, Quarterman's document does not take FAQ form - there are
no questions - but covers a sizable part of his group's topic
space, and was reposted and elaborated for five years. So I
think there are good arguments for considering it the first single-
group FAQ. Unfortunately, I'm not well equipped to date it; the
posting I've cited claims to be a "rewrite and update of an
earlier mod.std.unix article", but that earlier article doesn't
appear to be at Google.
My recollection - unsupported by anything I can find in Google -
is that the Standard History of single-group FAQs, on news.groups,
holds that the first was Eugene Miya's for sci.space. In subsequent
year-summaries I will return to this, but all I want to mention now
is that the first *suggestion* of a single-group FAQ preserved at
Google, at least the first with the key phrase "frequently asked"
in it, appears to be Miya's, but to net.astro, on February 13,
1985: <7...@ames.UUCP>. This included a long answer to a single
FAQ. It does not seem to have resulted in any periodic posting,
however. In general, I'm not noting suggestions of FAQ documents
from here on out, except in the context of actual documents that
resulted from them; a number of groups, including some rather
large and well-respected ones, had a lot more FAQ-suggesters than
FAQ-writers in the early years.
Added: mod.philosophy, mod.philosophy.tech, mod.psi.
Removed: net.announce, net.announce.newusers.
Summary: In mod.*, from 0 to 0 unmoderated groups, from 59 to 62
moderated groups (from 3 to 3 inactive), from 59 to 62 (from 3 to 3
inactive) total. In net.*, from 180 to 180 unmoderated groups, from 3
to 1 moderated groups, from 183 to 181 total. 243 (or 240) total (63
or 60 moderated, 180 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 31 August 1986)"
September 1, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 44...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 30 August 1986)"
September 1, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 44...@gatech.CSNET
This list shows that the Great Renaming has begun. It starts small:
"First they came for the...".
The gap between the July 16 list and this one is a real gap in posting
(the changes postings for September 1 indicate that the previous
postings were in fact dated July 16). There are two additional gaps
before year's end, October 1 and November 16, also real gaps in
posting. These gaps, the first in some time, intervene in every stage
of the renaming of the net.* groups, and so are spectacularly
ill-timed from the historical point of view (although it's perfectly
comprehensible that there *would* be delays in routine tasks during
the renaming!).
Added: mod.music.gaffa, mod.sources.games, talk.bizarre,
talk.religion.
Removed: mod.music.love-hounds.
Since talk.religion was immediately renamed, talk.bizarre is thus
indisputably the Big 8 group that has lived longest under the same
name, by a matter of several weeks. This strikes me as poetic
justice.
Summary: In mod.*, from 0 to 0 unmoderated groups, from 62 to 63
moderated groups (from 3 to 3 inactive), from 62 to 63 (from 3 to 3
inactive) total. In net.*, no change: 180 unmoderated groups, 1
moderated group, 181 total. In talk.*, from 0 to 2 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 0 to 2 total. 246 (or 243)
total (64 or 61 moderated, 182 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 15 September 1986)"
September 16, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 45...@gatech.CSNET
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 15 September 1986)"
September 16, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 45...@gatech.CSNET
This list documents the rest of the creation of talk.*. In the
process, it shows the *.misc convention as governing the Big 7 from
birth (there's even a renaming of a general group to *.misc in this
very list!).
A corresponding cosmetic change: While the net.* and mod.* lists
retained the hierarchical structure (separate columns for "subgroups")
until the end, the Big 7 lists were aligned flush left from the start;
since for some time net.* and mod.* shared space in the lists with the
Big 7 hierarchies, the upshot is that the lists change appearance
halfway through. I'll also note that while multi-line descriptions
had been on their way out for a long time (I doubt they ever appeared
in the checkgroups messages), I have not yet seen one for any Big 7
group.
Trivia note: this list also features the last group to be created in
net.*.
Added: mod.religion, mod.religion.christian, net.music.makers,
talk.abortion, talk.origins, talk.philosophy.misc, talk.politics.misc,
talk.politics.theory, talk.religion.misc, talk.rumors. Note that
mod.religion would never appear (at all) in the Lists of Moderators,
and I therefore count it as an unmoderated group.
Removed: talk.religion.
Summary: In mod.*, from 0 to 1 unmoderated groups, from 63 to 64
moderated groups (from 3 to 3 inactive), from 63 to 65 (from 3 to 3
inactive) total. In net.*, from 180 to 181 unmoderated groups, from 1
to 1 moderated group, from 181 to 182 total. In talk.*, from 2 to 8
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 2 to 8 total.
255 (or 252) total (65 or 62 moderated, 190 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 4 October 1986)"
October 16, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 47...@gatech.EDU
"Changes to List of Moderators"
October 16, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 47...@gatech.EDU
This list shows the creation of misc.*, sci.*, and soc.*, and the
removal of the net.* groups that had been put into talk.*.
Added: misc.consumers, misc.consumers.house, misc.headlines,
misc.invest, misc.jobs, misc.kids, misc.legal, misc.misc, misc.taxes,
misc.text, misc.wanted, sci.astro, sci.bio, sci.crypt,
sci.electronics, sci.lang, sci.math, sci.math.stat, sci.math.symbolic,
sci.med, sci.misc, sci.physics, sci.research, sci.space,
sci.space.shuttle, soc.college, soc.culture.african,
soc.culture.celtic, soc.culture.greek, soc.culture.indian,
soc.culture.jewish, soc.culture.misc, soc.misc, soc.motss, soc.roots,
soc.singles, soc.net-people, soc.women.
Removed: net.abortion, net.origins, net.philosophy, net.politics,
net.politics.terror, net.politics.theory, net.religion,
net.religion.jewish, net.rumor.
talk.origins replaces net.origins in the list of gatewayed unmoderated
groups.
Summary: In misc.*, from 0 to 11 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 0 to 11 total. In mod.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 64 moderated groups (3 inactive), 65 (3 inactive)
total. In net.*, from 181 to 172 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 1
moderated group, from 182 to 173 total. In sci.*, from 0 to 14
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 0 to 14 total.
In soc.*, from 0 to 13 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated
groups, from 0 to 13 total. In talk.*, no change: 8 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 8 total. 284 (or 281) total (65 or 62
moderated, 219 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 31 October 1986)"
November 1, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 55...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 31 October 1986)"
November 1, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 55...@gatech.EDU
This list shows the creation of comp.* and news.*, along with a single
placeholder rec.* group, and shows the removal of the net.* groups
that had been placed into misc.*, sci.*, and soc.*.
Added: comp.ai, comp.arch, comp.bugs.2bsd, comp.bugs.4bsd,
comp.bugs.misc, comp.bugs.sys5, comp.cog-eng, comp.databases,
comp.dcom.lans, comp.dcom.modems, comp.edu, comp.emacs, comp.graphics,
comp.lang.ada, comp.lang.apl, comp.lang.c, comp.lang.c++,
comp.lang.forth, comp.lang.fortran, comp.lang.lisp, comp.lang.misc,
comp.lang.modula2, comp.lang.pascal, comp.lang.prolog,
comp.lang.smalltalk, comp.lsi, comp.mail.headers, comp.mail.misc,
comp.mail.uucp, comp.misc, comp.org.decus, comp.org.usenix,
comp.os.cpm, comp.os.eunice, comp.os.misc, comp.periphs,
comp.sources.d, comp.sources.wanted, comp.std.internat,
comp.sys.amiga, comp.sys.apple, comp.sys.atari.8bit,
comp.sys.atari.st, comp.sys.att, comp.sys.cbm, comp.sys.dec,
comp.sys.hp, comp.sys.ibm.pc, comp.sys.intel, comp.sys.m6809,
comp.sys.m68k, comp.sys.mac, comp.sys.misc, comp.sys.nsc.32k,
comp.sys.tandy, comp.sys.ti, comp.terminals, comp.text,
comp.unix.questions, comp.unix.wizards, comp.unix.xenix, misc.forsale,
news.admin, news.config, news.groups, news.misc, news.newsites,
news.software.b, news.software.notes, news.stargate, news.sysadmin,
rec.misc.
Removed: mod.motss, net.analog, net.astro, net.astro.expert, net.bio,
net.college, net.columbia, net.consumers, net.consumers.house,
net.crypt, net.followup, net.general, net.invest, net.jobs, net.kids,
net.legal, net.math, net.math.stat, net.math.symbolic, net.med,
net.misc (but see below), net.motss, net.net-people, net.nlang,
net.nlang.africa, net.nlang.celts, net.nlang.greek, net.nlang.india,
net.physics, net.religion.christian, net.research, net.roots, net.sci,
net.singles, net.social, net.space, net.suicide, net.taxes, net.test,
net.wanted, net.wanted.sources, net.women.
One of the three lines of net.misc's former description remained in
the List of Active Newsgroups, although net.misc was not itself
listed.
Each of the following list of groups replaces its net.* predecessor in
the list of gatewayed unmoderated groups, but in each case, the
gateway is flagged to indicate that it isn't certainly known to work:
comp.emacs, comp.lang.ada, comp.lang.c, comp.lang.pascal,
comp.lang.prolog, comp.mail.headers, comp.os.cpm, comp.sys.atari.8bit,
comp.sys.atari.st, comp.sys.misc, comp.terminals, comp.unix.questions,
comp.unix.wizards, sci.astro, sci.physics, and sci.space. A similar
caution is added concerning the gateway of talk.origins.
Summary: In comp.*, from 0 to 61 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 0 to 61 total. In misc.*, from 11 to 12
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 11 to 12 total.
In mod.*, from 1 to 1 unmoderated group, from 64 to 63 moderated
groups (from 3 to 3 inactive), from 65 to 64 (from 3 to 3 inactive)
total. In net.*, from 172 to 131 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 1
moderated group, from 173 to 132 total. In news.*, from 0 to 9
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 0 to 9 total.
In rec.*, from 0 to 1 unmoderated group, from 0 to 0 moderated groups,
from 0 to 1 total. In sci.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no change: 13 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In talk.*, no change: 8
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 8 total. 314 (or 311) total
(64 or 61 moderated, 250 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 29 November 1986)"
December 1, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 70...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 29 November 1986)"
December 1, 1986
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 71...@gatech.EDU
This list shows the real creation of rec.*, and the removal of the
net.* groups that had been placed into comp.* and news.*.
Added: rec.arts.books, rec.arts.comics, rec.arts.drwho,
rec.arts.movies, rec.arts.poems, rec.arts.sf-lovers,
rec.arts.startrek, rec.arts.tv, rec.arts.tv.soaps, rec.arts.wobegon,
rec.audio, rec.autos, rec.autos.tech, rec.aviation, rec.bicycle,
rec.birds, rec.boats, rec.food.cooking, rec.food.drink, rec.food.veg,
rec.games.board, rec.games.bridge, rec.games.chess, rec.games.empire,
rec.games.frp, rec.games.go, rec.games.hack, rec.games.misc,
rec.games.pbm, rec.games.rogue, rec.games.trivia, rec.games.video,
rec.gardens, rec.ham-radio, rec.ham-radio.packet, rec.humor,
rec.humor.d, rec.mag, rec.motorcycles, rec.music.classical,
rec.music.folk, rec.music.gdead, rec.music.makers, rec.music.misc,
rec.music.synth, rec.nude, rec.pets, rec.photo, rec.puzzles,
rec.railroad, rec.scuba, rec.skiing, rec.skydiving,
rec.sport.baseball, rec.sport.basketball, rec.sport.football,
rec.sport.hockey, rec.sport.misc, rec.travel, rec.video,
rec.woodworking.
Removed: mod.legal, mod.test, net.ai, net.arch, net.bugs,
net.bugs.2bsd, net.bugs.4bsd, net.bugs.usg, net.bugs.uucp,
net.bugs.v7, net.cog-eng, net.cse, net.database, net.dcom, net.decus,
net.emacs, net.eunice, net.graphics, net.info-terms, net.internat,
net.lan, net.lang, net.lang.ada, net.lang.apl, net.lang.c,
net.lang.c++, net.lang.f77, net.lang.forth, net.lang.lisp,
net.lang.mod2, net.lang.pascal, net.lang.prolog, net.lang.st80,
net.lsi, net.mail, net.mail.headers, net.micro, net.micro.6809,
net.micro.68k, net.micro.apple, net.micro.amiga, net.micro.atari8,
net.micro.atari16, net.micro.att, net.micro.cbm, net.micro.cpm,
net.micro.hp, net.micro.mac, net.micro.ns32k, net.micro.pc,
net.micro.ti, net.micro.trs-80, net.news, net.news.adm, net.news.b,
net.news.config, net.news.group, net.news.newsite, net.news.notes,
net.news.sa, net.news.stargate, net.periphs, net.sources.d, net.text,
net.unix, net.unix-wizards, net.usenix.
mod.legal and mod.test remained on the List of Moderators despite
their removal from the List of Active Newsgroups.
Each of the following list of groups replaces its net.* predecessor in
the list of gatewayed groups, which is here renamed the list of
gatewayed "world" groups ("world" being Spafford's name for what I
consistently call the Big 7). In each case, the gateway is flagged to
indicate that it isn't certainly known to work: rec.arts.sf-lovers,
rec.ham-radio, rec.ham-radio.packet, rec.railroad, rec.video.
net.micro.amiga is removed from the list (but comp.sys.amiga is not
added); net.lang.forth is replaced by comp.lang.forth without any
caution that the gateway may not work.
Summary: In comp.*, no change: 61 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 61 total. In misc.*, no change: 12 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 12 total. In mod.*, from 1 to 1 unmoderated group,
from 63 to 61 moderated groups (from 3 to 2 inactive), from 64 (3
inactive) to 62 (2 inactive) total. In net.*, from 131 to 66
unmoderated groups, from 1 to 1 moderated group, from 132 to 67 total.
In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9
total. In rec.*, from 1 to 62 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 1 to 62 total. In sci.*, no change: 14
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no
change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In
talk.*, no change: 8 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 8 total.
309 (or 306) total (63 or 60 moderated, 246 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 10 December 1986)"
December 16, 1986
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 79...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 15 December 1986)"
December 16, 1986
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 79...@gatech.EDU
This list shows the removal of those net.* groups that had been placed
into rec.*, after which net.* was a ghost hierarchy consisting of just
five groups whose fate was still being debated. Thus was completed
the first stage of the Great Renaming, the renaming of net.*.
It also shows the creation of the first, quasi-experimental, Big 7
moderated group, news.lists. And thus was begun the second stage of
the Great Renaming, the renaming of mod.*.
On December 9, 1986, Clyde T. Poole posted the first "DECUS Questions
Answered" post. (Internal evidence strongly suggests it really is
the first, though the series of these posts is not fully archived.)
This appeared in comp.org.decus and comp.sys.dec and had message-ID
<65...@ut-sally.UUCP>. It continued to appear under essentially the
same subject line for over five years. Unlike John Quarterman's
"Access" post(s), it actually took question and answer format, so a
case can be made for seeing this rather than those as the oldest
single-group FAQ.
Added: news.lists.
Removed: mod.mag, mod.movies, net.audio, net.auto, net.auto.tech,
net.aviation, net.bicycle, net.books, net.comics, net.cooks,
net.cycle, net.games, net.games.board, net.games.chess, net.games.emp,
net.games.frp, net.games.go, net.games.hack, net.games.pbm,
net.games.rogue, net.games.trivia, net.games.video, net.garden,
net.ham-radio, net.ham-radio.packet, net.jokes, net.jokes.d, net.mag,
net.movies, net.music, net.music.classical, net.music.folk,
net.music.gdead, net.music.makers, net.music.synth, net.pets,
net.poems, net.puzzle, net.railroad, net.rec, net.rec.birds,
net.rec.boat, net.rec.bridge, net.rec.nude, net.rec.photo,
net.rec.scuba, net.rec.ski, net.rec.skydive, net.rec.wood,
net.sf-lovers, net.sport, net.sport.baseball, net.sport.football,
net.sport.hockey, net.sport.hoops, net.startrek, net.travel, net.tv,
net.tv.drwho, net.tv.soaps, net.veg, net.video, net.wines,
net.wobegon.
mod.legal and mod.test remained on this List of Moderators, despite
their official nonexistence (and the lack of a mod.test moderator).
Summary: In comp.*, no change: 61 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 61 total. In misc.*, no change: 12 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 12 total. In mod.*, from 1 to 1 unmoderated group,
from 61 to 59 moderated groups (from 2 to 2 inactive), from 62 (2
inactive) to 60 (2 inactive) total. In net.*, from 66 to 4
unmoderated groups, from 1 to 1 moderated group, from 67 to 5 total.
In news.*, from 9 to 9 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 1 moderated
groups, from 9 to 10 total. In rec.*, no change: 62 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 62 total. In sci.*, no change: 14
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no
change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In
talk.*, no change: 8 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 8 total.
245 (or 243) total (61 or 59 moderated, 184 unmoderated).
This is the last newsgroup list/moderator list pair known to me posted
in 1986.
Annual summary: In comp.*, from 0 to 61 unmoderated groups, from 0 to
0 moderated groups, from 0 to 61 total. In misc.*, from 0 to 12
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 0 to 12 total.
In mod.*, from 0 to 1 unmoderated group, from 40 to 59 moderated
groups (from 3 to 2 inactive), from 40 (3 inactive) to 60 (2 inactive)
total. In net.*, from 176 to 4 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 1
moderated groups, from 179 to 5 total. In news.*, from 0 to 9
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 1 moderated groups, from 0 to 10 total.
In rec.*, from 0 to 62 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated
groups, from 0 to 62 total. In sci.*, from 0 to 14 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 0 to 14 total. In soc.*,
from 0 to 13 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 0
to 13 total. In talk.*, from 0 to 8 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 0 to 8 total. Total, from 176 to 184
unmoderated groups, from 43 (3 inactive) to 61 (2 inactive) moderated
groups, from 219 (or 216) to 245 (or 243) total.
--
Joe Bernstein, writer j...@sfbooks.com
<http://www.panix.com/~josephb/newsgroups/history/>
Joe Bernstein
year-summary, so people who've already read the old version don't have
to read the new one in full. People who archived the old one should,
however, replace it with the new one, and not just with this changes
posting, which is, of course, a diff, and is not the clearest diff in
the world.
I assume Google will archive this posting, but I won't; as far as my
website is concerned, the 1986 post has *always* been the revised
version...
Joe Bernstein
*** 1986.txt Mon Jul 14 04:30:42 2003
--- 1986r.txt Sat Nov 1 14:37:04 2003
***************
*** 2,8 ****
the first post in the series, for the year 1981.
This is the year of the Great Renaming, beginning with the September 1
! posting. I doubt I need to add any more preface here.
Joe Bernstein
--- 2,14 ----
the first post in the series, for the year 1981.
This is the year of the Great Renaming, beginning with the September 1
! posting. I doubt I need to add any more preface here, except to note
! that this is also the year of the first single-group FAQs. For the
! 1986 through 1989 year-summaries, I've considered it reasonable to
! track what single-group FAQs I could find; unfortunately, this is no
! longer reasonably doable for the years 1990 and onward. In the
! second, somewhat vapourous, stage of this project, I expect to note
! pretty much all FAQs as part of the hierarchy-summary work.
Joe Bernstein
***************
*** 302,307 ****
--- 308,361 ----
mod.newslists,mod.announce.newusers,net.news.group
Message-ID: 41...@gatech.CSNET
+ This is the last set of lists before the Great Renaming began; in an
+ intriguing coincidence, it follows by twelve days the oldest
+ surviving post that is arguably a single-group FAQ, "Access to UNIX-
+ related organizations, standards, and publications", by John
+ Quarterman, to mod.std.unix, which he moderated, with message-ID
+ <52...@ut-sally.UUCP>. It's probably worth saying a little about
+ my criteria for saying that. In my book, a document that's meant
+ to be read by the entire net is not a single-group FAQ; this
+ disqualifies most of the periodic postings in what would become
+ news.*, especially, of course, those in any new users' group. Because
+ this chronology is essentially structured around single-group changes,
+ I don't try to track those postings herein. On the other hand, a
+ posting that isn't repeated is also not an FAQ, in my opinion. (In a
+ later year-summary I bend this rule to note an FAQ for a gated
+ newsgroup that was put into the newsgroup's archive without being
+ posted at all.) Finally, a document that fills only a narrow piece of
+ a group's topic space is unlikely to merit my notice. In general, the
+ closer a document comes to the modern ideal of a full FAQ - with
+ copious information, links or other forms of access to stuff not in the
+ document, netiquette stuff, and actual answered questions - the more
+ likely I am to mention it here. I may relax this attitude towards
+ noting all periodic postings, in the second stage of this project, or
+ may not; time will tell.
+
+ Anyway, Quarterman's document does not take FAQ form - there are
+ no questions - but covers a sizable part of his group's topic
+ space, and was reposted and elaborated for five years. So I
+ think there are good arguments for considering it the first single-
+ group FAQ. Unfortunately, I'm not well equipped to date it; the
+ posting I've cited claims to be a "rewrite and update of an
+ earlier mod.std.unix article", but that earlier article doesn't
+ appear to be at Google.
+
+ My recollection - unsupported by anything I can find in Google -
+ is that the Standard History of single-group FAQs, on news.groups,
+ holds that the first was Eugene Miya's for sci.space. In subsequent
+ year-summaries I will return to this, but all I want to mention now
+ is that the first *suggestion* of a single-group FAQ preserved at
+ Google, at least the first with the key phrase "frequently asked"
+ in it, appears to be Miya's, but to net.astro, on February 13,
+ 1985: <7...@ames.UUCP>. This included a long answer to a single
+ FAQ. It does not seem to have resulted in any periodic posting,
+ however. In general, I'm not noting suggestions of FAQ documents
+ from here on out, except in the context of actual documents that
+ resulted from them; a number of groups, including some rather
+ large and well-respected ones, had a lot more FAQ-suggesters than
+ FAQ-writers in the early years.
+
Added: mod.philosophy, mod.philosophy.tech, mod.psi.
Removed: net.announce, net.announce.newusers.
***************
*** 563,574 ****
their removal from the List of Active Newsgroups.
Each of the following list of groups replaces its net.* predecessor in
! the list of gatewayed unmoderated groups, but in each case, the
! gateway is flagged to indicate that it isn't certainly known to work:
! rec.arts.sf-lovers, rec.ham-radio, rec.ham-radio.packet, rec.railroad,
! rec.video. net.micro.amiga is removed from the list (but
! comp.sys.amiga is not added); net.lang.forth is replaced by
! comp.lang.forth without any caution that the gateway may not work.
Summary: In comp.*, no change: 61 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 61 total. In misc.*, no change: 12 unmoderated groups, 0
--- 617,630 ----
their removal from the List of Active Newsgroups.
Each of the following list of groups replaces its net.* predecessor in
! the list of gatewayed groups, which is here renamed the list of
! gatewayed "world" groups ("world" being Spafford's name for what I
! consistently call the Big 7). In each case, the gateway is flagged to
! indicate that it isn't certainly known to work: rec.arts.sf-lovers,
! rec.ham-radio, rec.ham-radio.packet, rec.railroad, rec.video.
! net.micro.amiga is removed from the list (but comp.sys.amiga is not
! added); net.lang.forth is replaced by comp.lang.forth without any
! caution that the gateway may not work.
Summary: In comp.*, no change: 61 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 61 total. In misc.*, no change: 12 unmoderated groups, 0
***************
*** 604,609 ****
--- 660,675 ----
moderated group, news.lists. And thus was begun the second stage of
the Great Renaming, the renaming of mod.*.
+ On December 9, 1986, Clyde T. Poole posted the first "DECUS Questions
+ Answered" post. (Internal evidence strongly suggests it really is
+ the first, though the series of these posts is not fully archived.)
+ This appeared in comp.org.decus and comp.sys.dec and had message-ID
+ <65...@ut-sally.UUCP>. It continued to appear under essentially the
+ same subject line for over five years. Unlike John Quarterman's
+ "Access" post(s), it actually took question and answer format, so a
+ case can be made for seeing this rather than those as the oldest
+ single-group FAQ.
+
Added: news.lists.
Removed: mod.mag, mod.movies, net.audio, net.auto, net.auto.tech,
Joe Bernstein
<3c4a40c1$0$95686$892e...@authen.puce.readfreenews.net>.
Although the main lines of 1987 repeated those of 1986 - the Great
Renaming was finished this year; moderated groups continued to dominate
the new creations for much of the year; the Backbone Cabal remained
firmly in control - the cracks did begin to show as well. A number of
the mod.* groups were renamed into unmoderated replacements in April or
May; the inet distribution (discussed in detail below, under June) and
alt.* (not treated in detail at this stage of my research, but created
in May) appeared, and "alternative" hierarchies started being
"officially" listed in September; beginning in November, "votes" became
an official part of newsgroup creation, which for the first time had a
documented process. And while these signs of the future were
accumulating, the present could also be convulsive; a massive expansion
of comp.* in October has the Cabal's signature on it. Despite numerous
moments of calm, nothing about 1987 really resembled watching paint dry.
Joe Bernstein
Lists of Newsgroups Posted in 1987
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 31 December 1986)"
January 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 87...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 29 December 1986)"
January 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 87...@gatech.EDU
Added: misc.handicap, talk.religion.newage.
Removed: mod.vlsi, net.announce.arpa-internet.
rec.music.gdead is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups.
mod.legal remained on this List of Moderators, despite its official
nonexistence, but mod.test was finally removed.
Summary: In comp.*, no change: 61 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 61 total. In misc.*, from 12 to 12 unmoderated groups, from 0
to 1 moderated groups, from 12 to 13 total. In mod.*, from 1 to 1
unmoderated group, from 59 to 58 moderated groups (from 2 to 2
inactive), from 60 (2 inactive) to 59 (2 inactive) total. In net.*,
from 4 to 4 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 0 moderated group, from 5 to 4
total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group,
10 total. In rec.*, no change: 62 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 62 total. In sci.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no change: 13 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In talk.*, from 8 to 9
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 8 to 9 total. 245
(or 243) total (60 or 58 moderated, 185 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 14 January 1987)"
January 16, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 97...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 13 January 1987)"
January 16, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 97...@gatech.EDU
Added: comp.os.minix, mod.mag.fidonet.
comp.lang.modula2 is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups, and
the flag indicating that the gateway may not work is removed from
rec.railroad.
mod.legal remained on this List of Moderators, despite its official
nonexistence.
Summary: In comp.*, from 61 to 62 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 61 to 62 total. In misc.*, no change: 12
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 13 total. In mod.*, from 1 to 1
unmoderated group, from 58 to 59 moderated groups (from 2 to 2
inactive), from 59 (2 inactive) to 60 (2 inactive) total. In net.*, no
change: 4 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 4 total. In news.*,
no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 10 total. In
rec.*, no change: 62 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 62 total.
In sci.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14
total. In soc.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups,
13 total. In talk.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 9 total. 247 (or 245) total (61 or 59 moderated, 186
unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 31 January 1987)"
February 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 11...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 13 January 1987)"
February 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 11...@gatech.EDU
No changes.
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 11 February 1987)"
February 16, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 12...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 13 January 1987)"
February 16, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 12...@gatech.EDU
Added: comp.windows.x.
comp.windows.x is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups.
mod.legal remained on this List of Moderators, despite its official
nonexistence.
Summary: In comp.*, from 62 to 63 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 62 to 63 total. In misc.*, no change: 12
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 13 total. In mod.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 59 moderated groups (2 inactive), 60 (2 inactive)
total. In net.*, no change: 4 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups,
4 total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated
group, 10 total. In rec.*, no change: 62 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 62 total. In sci.*, no change: 14 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no change: 13
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In talk.*, no change:
9 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 248 (or 246) total
(61 or 59 moderated, 187 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 26 February 1987)"
March 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 13...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 26 January 1987)"
March 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 13...@gatech.EDU
Added: comp.binaries.atari.st, comp.sources.atari.st.
comp.os.minix is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups, and the
flag indicating that the gateway may not work is removed from
comp.emacs.
mod.legal remained on this List of Moderators, despite its official
nonexistence.
Summary: In comp.*, from 63 to 63 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 2
moderated groups, from 63 to 65 total. In misc.*, no change: 12
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 13 total. In mod.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 59 moderated groups (2 inactive), 60 (2 inactive)
total. In net.*, no change: 4 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups,
4 total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated
group, 10 total. In rec.*, no change: 62 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 62 total. In sci.*, no change: 14 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no change: 13
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In talk.*, no change:
9 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 250 (or 248) total
(63 or 61 moderated, 187 unmoderated).
GENE SPAFFORD AND/OR JEFF FORYS
This and the next List of Active Newsgroups were posted with the usual
From: header, signature, message-ID, etc., all pointing to Gene
Spafford. However, each has a last- modified-by line with an e-mail
address which a single post archived in Google identifies as Jeff
Forys's. There is no reference in the body of either post to any help
from Jeff Forys or anyone else.
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 15 March 1987)"
March 16, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 13...@gatech.EDU
GENE SPAFFORD
The Lists of Moderators do not have any signs at all of changes in who
did what.
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 15 March 1987)"
March 16, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 13...@gatech.EDU
Added: comp.bugs.4bsd.ucb-fixes, rec.arts.movies.reviews.
mod.legal remained on this List of Moderators, despite its official
nonexistence.
Summary: In comp.*, from 63 to 63 unmoderated groups, from 2 to 3
moderated groups, from 65 to 66 total. In misc.*, no change: 12
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 13 total. In mod.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 59 moderated groups (2 inactive), 60 (2 inactive)
total. In net.*, no change: 4 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups,
4 total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated
group, 10 total. In rec.*, from 62 to 62 unmoderated groups, from 0 to
1 moderated group, from 62 to 63 total. In sci.*, no change: 14
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no change:
13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In talk.*, no
change: 9 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 252 (or
250) total (65 or 63 moderated, 187 unmoderated).
GENE SPAFFORD AND/OR JEFF FORYS
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 31 March 1987)"
April 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 14...@gatech.edu
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 31 March 1987)"
April 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 14...@gatech.EDU
The additions symbolise what the lists do not make explicit: these are
at least the last surviving, and possibly altogether the last, lists
from before the renaming and elimination of mod.*.
Added: comp.sources.amiga, comp.std.unix.
comp.mail.headers is removed from the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups,
ironically enough.
mod.legal remained on this List of Moderators, despite its official
nonexistence. While comp.std.unix is shown as unmoderated on this List
of Active Newsgroups, it is listed in this List of Moderators; since it
was in fact the renaming target of mod.std.unix, and was listed as
moderated in future Lists of Active Newsgroups, I assign the error to
this List of Active Newsgroups, and count the group as moderated in the
summary.
Summary: In comp.*, from 63 to 63 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 5
moderated groups, from 66 to 68 total. In misc.*, no change: 12
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 13 total. In mod.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 59 moderated groups (2 inactive), 60 (2 inactive)
total. In net.*, no change: 4 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups,
4 total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated
group, 10 total. In rec.*, no change: 62 unmoderated groups, 1
moderated group, 63 total. In sci.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no change: 13 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In talk.*, no change: 9
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 254 (or 252) total (67
or 65 moderated, 187 unmoderated).
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 1 May 1987)"
May 3, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@gatech.gatech.edu
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 1 May 1987)"
May 3, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@gatech.gatech.edu
These are the lists that show the Great Renaming's conclusion, the
renaming of mod.*. I have no evidence as to whether lists for mid-April
are missing (the Supersedes: header wasn't yet being used by Spafford);
as things are, we see the renaming almost, but not entirely, complete,
after the lists of April 1 merely said it would happen "sometime in
1987". One noteworthy aspect of this renaming is the number of groups
that were unmoderated in the course of their renaming, the first
significant reversal to the trend towards moderation in Usenet in
several years. This aspect is slightly obscured by the fact that the
mod.* groups being removed were, in most cases, presented as unmoderated
in these lists (that is, they neither had "(Moderated)" in their
description lines nor had moderators listed in the List of Moderators);
but if you compare the totals for the April 1 lists with those for the
following, May 17, lists, the change should be fairly clear.
The oldest post known to me that appears to be a regularly posted
group-specific posting guidelines/netiquette document, Brandon
Allbery's "Welcome to comp.sources.misc", first appeared April 28,
1987, with message-ID <24...@ncoast.UUCP>. (This appeared several
times in the group in question, then moved to comp.sources.d.
While I haven't tried to trace its history thoroughly, I have come
across evidence of at least nine postings. I note other examples
below, but no other set of posting guidelines this early seem to
have been posted as many times.)
Added: comp.ai.digest, comp.binaries.amiga, comp.binaries.mac,
comp.compilers, comp.dcom.telecom, comp.doc, comp.doc.techreports,
comp.graphics.digest, comp.laser-printers, comp.mail.elm,
comp.mail.maps, comp.newprod, comp.org.fidonet, comp.os.os9,
comp.os.research, comp.os.vms, comp.protocols.appletalk,
comp.protocols.kermit, comp.protocols.misc, comp.protocols.tcp-ip,
comp.risks, comp.society, comp.sources.bugs, comp.sources.games,
comp.sources.mac, comp.sources.misc, comp.sources.unix, comp.std.c,
comp.std.misc, comp.std.mumps, comp.sys.apollo, comp.sys.ibm-pc.digest,
comp.sys.m68k.pc, comp.sys.mac.digest, comp.sys.masscomp,
comp.sys.pyramid, comp.sys.ridge, comp.sys.sequent, comp.sys.sun,
comp.sys.workstations, comp.text.desktop, comp.unix, comp.windows.misc,
comp.windows.news, misc.psi, news.announce.conferences,
news.announce.important, news.announce.newusers, rec.food.recipes,
rec.guns, rec.mag.otherrealms, rec.music.gaffa, sci.philosophy.tech,
soc.human-nets, soc.politics, soc.politics.arms-d,
soc.religion.christian.
Removed: mod.amiga.binaries, mod.amiga.sources, mod.computers.sequent.
Listed, but only as "obsolete" (and not as moderated): mod.announce,
mod.announce.newusers, mod.ai, mod.amiga, mod.compilers, mod.computers,
mod.computers.68k, mod.computers.apollo, mod.computers.masscomp,
mod.computers.ibm-pc, mod.computers.laser-printers,
mod.computers.pyramid, mod.computers.ridge, mod.computers.sun,
mod.computers.vax, mod.computers.workstations, mod.conferences,
mod.comp-soc, mod.graphics, mod.human-nets, mod.mac, mod.mac.binaries,
mod.mac.binaries.sources, mod.mag.fidonet, mod.mag.otherrealms, mod.map,
mod.music, mod.music.gaffa, mod.newprod, mod.newslists, mod.os,
mod.os.os9, mod.os.unix, mod.philosophy, mod.philosophy.tech,
mod.politics, mod.politics.arms-d, mod.protocols,
mod.protocols.appletalk, mod.protocols.kermit, mod.protocols.tcp-ip,
mod.psi, mod.rec, mod.rec.guns, mod.recipes, mod.religion,
mod.religion.christian, mod.risks, mod.sources, mod.sources.doc,
mod.sources.games, mod.techreports, mod.telecom, mod.std, mod.std.c,
mod.std.mumps, mod.std.unix, net.sources, net.sources.bugs,
net.sources.games, net.sources.mac.
A group that was never listed on the List of Active Newsgroups,
talk.politics.arms-d, appears on the List of Moderators this time with
the same moderator as soc.politics.arms-d. I do not count it in the
following summary.
Summary: In comp.*, from 63 to 73 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 39
moderated groups, from 68 to 112 total. In misc.*, from 12 to 12
unmoderated groups, from 1 to 2 moderated groups, from 13 to 14 total.
In mod.*, from 1 to 57 unmoderated groups (from 0 to 57 "obsolete"),
from 59 to 0 moderated groups (from 2 to 0 inactive), from 60 (2
inactive, 0 "obsolete") to 57 (0 inactive, 57 "obsolete") total. In
net.*, from 4 to 4 unmoderated groups (from 0 to 4 "obsolete"), from 0
to 0 moderated groups, from 4 (0 "obsolete") to 4 (4 "obsolete") total.
In news.*, from 9 to 9 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 4 moderated groups,
from 10 to 13 total. In rec.*, from 62 to 62 unmoderated groups, from 1
to 5 moderated groups, from 63 to 67 total. In sci.*, from 14 to 15
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 14 to 15 total.
In soc.*, from 13 to 13 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 4 moderated
groups, from 13 to 17 total. In talk.*, no change: 9 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 308 (or 247) total (54 moderated,
254 or 193 unmoderated).
GENE SPAFFORD AND/OR JOHN GILMORE
Again, the only sign that this posting was not entirely Gene Spafford's
work is the last-modified-by line, which this time explicitly credits
John Gilmore. This is repeated with the next postings, after which the
postings are once again Gene Spafford's alone, for a considerable
period. Amusingly, these lists are almost exactly contemporary with the
beginning of alt.* (May 7 according to the Great Renaming FAQ), in which
John Gilmore was centrally involved.
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 16 May 1987)"
May 17, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@gatech.gatech.edu
GENE SPAFFORD
Again, the change in personnel is not reflected in the moderators lists.
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 16 May 1987)"
May 17, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@gatech.gatech.edu
These are the first newsgroup lists, ever, to include no net.* groups;
the Great Renaming is here over with. More substantively, the three-way
split of misc.jobs shown here may be the first reorganisation, depending
on how you define such things. It's interesting to note that despite
the general trend at this time towards creating all non-comp.* groups as
moderated, and despite the genuinely bad reputation jobs groups have
since earned, the misc.jobs.* progeny were in fact created unmoderated.
Added: misc.jobs.misc, misc.jobs.offered, misc.jobs.resumes.
Removed: mod.announce, mod.announce.newusers, mod.ai, mod.amiga,
mod.compilers, mod.computers, mod.computers.68k, mod.computers.apollo,
mod.computers.masscomp, mod.computers.ibm-pc,
mod.computers.laser-printers, mod.computers.pyramid,
mod.computers.ridge, mod.computers.sun, mod.computers.vax,
mod.computers.workstations, mod.conferences, mod.comp-soc, mod.graphics,
mod.human-nets, mod.mac, mod.mac.binaries, mod.mac.binaries.sources,
mod.mag.fidonet, mod.mag.otherrealms, mod.map, mod.music,
mod.music.gaffa, mod.newprod, mod.newslists, mod.os, mod.os.os9,
mod.os.unix, mod.philosophy, mod.philosophy.tech, mod.politics,
mod.politics.arms-d, mod.protocols, mod.protocols.appletalk,
mod.protocols.kermit, mod.protocols.tcp-ip, mod.psi, mod.rec,
mod.rec.guns, mod.recipes, mod.religion, mod.religion.christian,
mod.risks, mod.sources, mod.sources.doc, mod.sources.games,
mod.techreports, mod.telecom, mod.std, mod.std.c, mod.std.mumps,
mod.std.unix, net.sources, net.sources.bugs, net.sources.games,
net.sources.mac.
Listed, but only as "defunct": misc.jobs.
comp.sources.misc is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups; the
flags indicating that the gateways may not work are removed from
rec.arts.sf-lovers and sci.physics.
Summary: In comp.*, no change: 73 unmoderated groups, 39 moderated
groups, 112 total. In misc.*, from 12 to 15 unmoderated groups (from 0
to 1 "defunct"), from 2 to 2 moderated groups, from 14 to 17 total. In
mod.*, from 57 to 0 unmoderated groups (from 57 to 0 "obsolete"), from 0
to 0 moderated groups, from 57 (57 "obsolete") to 0 (0 "obsolete")
total. In net.*, from 4 to 0 unmoderated groups (from 4 to 0
"obsolete"), from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 4 (4 "obsolete") to 0 (0
"obsolete") total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, no change: 62 unmoderated
groups, 5 moderated groups, 67 total. In sci.*, no change: 15
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 15 total. In soc.*, no change:
13 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 17 total. In talk.*, no
change: 9 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 250 (or
249) total (54 moderated, 196 or 195 unmoderated).
GENE SPAFFORD AND/OR JOHN GILMORE
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 16 May 1987)"
June 1, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@gatech.gatech.edu
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 31 May 1987)"
June 1, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@gatech.gatech.edu
No changes.
BOB WEISSMAN FOLLOWED BY ERIK E. FAIR
"New groups coming in without newgroup?"
June 4, 1987
news.groups, news.admin
Message-ID: 3...@acornrc.UUCP
"Re: New groups coming in without newgroup?"
June 5, 1987
news.groups, news.admin
Message-ID: 19...@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
The first discussion known to me of the inet distribution is the thread
started by Bob Weissman's post <3...@acornrc.UUCP>. I assume there was
private discussion somewhere prior to this, but given Erik Fair's
history of doing things and then telling people about them only after
the fact, I could be wrong. Regardless, in this particular case, he
only waited a day to announce what a volley of complaints had already
advertised, namely his creation of the inet distribution, whose
manifesto is his post <19...@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>.
Unfortunately for present purposes, this manifesto *does* indicate that
at that point there were 83 inet groups, but does *not* list them. In
fact, it would be another six months, as far as I've been able to tell,
before Fair would get around to producing a public list of inet groups.
The only lists thus far known to me are therefore those contained in
complaints, first Bob Weissman's, and later one from Bill Shannon in
October. Few groups overlap between these two complaint-lists.
During 1987, inet groups were one of the main sources of Big 7 groups.
Thus even if I wanted to be picky and say that the inet distribution is
separate from the Big 7 or 8 (which was meaningful in 1987 but no longer
is), I'd still *have* to research its history in order to deal with the
histories of a number of Big 8 groups. That said, given that lists are
my main materials for this stage of my work, and there are no lists of
inet groups until late in 1987, *for now* I'm confining my research
(such as it is) to the lists from Weissman in June, Shannon in October,
and Fair in December.
All of that said, someone may be wondering what the inet distribution
actually *was*. Um. The easy part is "distribution". In the early
days of Usenet software, a header was implemented which would restrict
posts to those computers that actually wanted them, the Distribution:
header. The idea was that this way, if you wanted to advertise for
example an event in Chicago, you'd put Distribution: chi, and people in
Osaka wouldn't be stuck with your post all the way across the Pacific.
This approach, though still implemented in most software, never really
worked all that well - people tended not to pay attention to the header,
local newsgroups were created that replaced its main function, and
servers often grabbed whatever they could get regardless of distribution
code.
But it provided cover for what Erik Fair wanted to do. He had already
been, for some time, the "guardian of the gateway" at Berkeley, the main
connection between Usenet newsgroups and ARPAnet mailing lists. (See
the year-summary for 1985 and the hierarchy-summary for fa.*, whose
renaming into mod.* he spearheaded, that year, in that capacity.) He
now conceived the ambition of, I am not making this up, creating a
newsgroup for *every* ARPAnet (soon to be Internet) mailing list. And
he put each of these newsgroups into the Big 7 hierarchies, rather than
some separate hierarchy like the old fa.* (which some gatewayers were
still using). His excuse for foisting this on servers all over the
world was that if they didn't want the dozens or hundreds of resulting
new newsgroups, they didn't have to take them: they could just refuse
the inet distribution, because every post injected by the mailing list
gateway at Berkeley would have that distribution code. It should be
fairly obvious that this did *not* guarantee that inet-refusing servers
wouldn't see those newsgroups (people *not* at Berkeley could, and did,
post to them without using the inet distribution code), but Fair carried
on, more or less obliviously, for several years, steadily less
ambitiously, thank God.
I'm being, I suppose, excessively harsh here (partly out of my
pronounced dislike for Fair based on what I've seen of his posts and
actions). The fact is that there are several good things to be said for
the inet phenomenon, although it used up the credit long before it
finally died.
First of all, Fair was entirely correct in asserting that Usenet
software is better, and Big 7 hierarchical naming is easier searched,
than mailing list software and mailing list non-hierarchical naming.
Added to this, there's the fact that Usenet was being archived (albeit
not, in 1987, particularly well). Most of what survives of early
ARPAnet or Internet mailing lists, as far as I know, was actually
archived from Usenet servers; while I haven't researched the situation
for these later mailing lists, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest
if once again, their Usenet (inet) incarnations were much or all of what
we have left.
Also, as the lists above have already shown, the "official" groups were
only being created with *extreme* slowness at this time. inet and
alt.*, which was created less than a month earlier, forced the issue of
whether "official" Usenet would ever grow again. In fact, if Fair was
telling the truth about the number of inet groups he started with, then
there's a decent chance that inet groups formed a sizable majority of
the total growth shown in the year-end summaries at the end of this
post. Of the growth of 101 groups in 1987, obviously the 53 inet groups
should be counted here, but the question is how many of the 48 groups
added to the "official" list had also started out in inet (which is,
after all, missing some 30 groups from the 83 it started with). I
suspect the total number of inet groups surviving at the end of 1987,
whether as inet groups or "promoted" to the Big 7 proper, exceeded 70,
and none of these had existed in 1986.
And inet's final major advantage became the fundamental rationale for
the explosive growth that in fact followed *in* the "official" list.
This point was that if there are enough people subscribed to a mailing
list, it's actually more efficient to ship one copy to every computer
(Usenet) than one copy to every subscriber (mailing list). The
implication - that widespread readership was the best reason to use
Usenet - became the core of the "voting" process of newsgroup creation
beginning later in 1987. I suppose, in this sense, we do have something
better to thank Fair for than the problems that the remaining inet
groups caused the Big 8 for over fifteen years.
Anyway, on to Bob Weissman's highly incomplete list.
Added: comp.lang.postscript, comp.software-eng, comp.protocols.iso,
comp.protocols.iso.dev-environ, sci.lang.japan, soc.culture.japan,
soc.culture.esperanto.
Summary: IN INET, at least 4 comp.* groups, at least one sci.* group,
and at least two soc.* groups. (But Erik Fair reported eighty-three
groups total, so these numbers are very probably all far too low.)
I will not be incorporating inet groups into the regular summaries for
1987, because there's no full list of them available until the year's
end. Where I know a group added to the Big 7 to have been an inet group
previously, I'll mention the fact, but in most such cases, I don't yet
know. It probably wouldn't be unreasonable to assume all groups created
later in 1987 to have been inet in origin unless evidence suggests
otherwise.
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 17 June 1987)"
June 18, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@gatech.gatech.edu
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 17 June 1987)"
June 18, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@gatech.gatech.edu
Added: comp.binaries.ibm.pc, comp.hypercube, rec.humor.spc,
sci.med.aids, soc.men.
Removed: misc.jobs.
The flag indicating that the gateway may not work is removed from
rec.ham-radio.packet, in the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups.
Summary: In comp.*, from 73 to 73 unmoderated groups, from 39 to 41
moderated groups, from 112 to 114 total. In misc.*, from 15 to 14
unmoderated groups (from 1 to 0 "defunct"), from 2 to 2 moderated
groups, from 17 to 16 total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated
groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, from 62 to 62
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups, from 67 to 68 total.
In sci.*, from 15 to 15 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 1 moderated group,
from 15 to 16 total. In soc.*, from 13 to 14 unmoderated groups, from 4
to 4 moderated groups, from 17 to 18 total. In talk.*, no change: 9
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 254 total (58
moderated, 196 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 17 June 1987)"
July 1, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@gatech.gatech.edu
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 17 June 1987)"
July 1, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@gatech.gatech.edu
No changes, a fact that's all the more surprising given the months left
to pass before the next lists. (Gene Spafford was relocating; watch the
Message-IDs.)
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 7 September 1987)"
September 15, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 19...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 7 September 1987)"
September 15, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 19...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
The first "Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies" post appeared at this time
too. It listed five alt.* groups (and noted that total traffic in them
was only 10-30 messages per week!) and four unix-pc.* groups. It
mentioned inet as part of the "inet/ddn" distribution (I'm not aware of
any official link between inet and the Defense Data Network, but I
suppose it makes sense that Erik Fair would have been involved with any
Usenet gatewaying of the latter network, whose ancestry, like inet's,
lay in the ARPAnet). If you want to find it at Google, its Message-ID
is <19...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu>.
The "Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies" posts continued, usually
monthly, for nine years. It's my impression that they fairly
consistently lagged behind actual newsgroup creation in alt.* (I don't
know about other hierarchies). I'm not tracking this series of posts'
progress in detail at this stage, partly because of the unreliability
created by the lags, and partly because most of the hierarchies it
covered aren't within my purview. The exception is that usually, though
not in 1987, these posts provided the most usable lists of inet groups,
for which purpose I will use them. I'll also provide as much of a
summary as I have the patience for at the date of each year's final
posting (in 1987, this was December 2, below). I will obviously not
list every alt.* group added to this list hereafter - before this post
died, it expanded to thousands of lines, mostly in alt.* - but will note
the first appearance of a noteworthy group or sub-hierarchy in alt.*, or
of a hierarchy elsewhere in the list. I'm not now researching when such
groups (etc.) were actually created, and I may never do so. The alt.*
groups listed this first time were alt.config, alt.drugs, alt.gourmand
(the real renaming of mod.recipes), alt.sources, and alt.test.
Several more groups seem to have begun getting regularly posted
posting guidelines specific to those groups over the summer of 1987,
but only one would last. Brandon Allbery posted on July 4 a
"Welcome to comp.binaries.ibm.pc" post that was repeated August 1, but
in that post he also reported that he would be retiring, which is
presumably why the series didn't continue. On July 24, Miriam Nadel
posted "Guidelines for Posting to Soc.women (Draft)"; however, while
another draft appeared in August, this doesn't seem to have resulted
in a lasting series of posts. But on August 10, Rich Salz posted
"Introduction to comp.sources.unix", and this seems to have appeared
fairly regularly until 1995.
I only know of one new FAQ, in the narrower sense of a content-
rather than guidelines-oriented post, originating in 1987. Its first
attestation actually dates to December 29, but refers to the document
having been posted "since summer", so I'll mention it here. This is
a post by James Armstrong, handle The Prime Minister, to news.misc,
message-ID <22...@terminus.UUCP>, in which he refers to an FAQ among
other periodic postings to rec.arts.drwho. Unfortunately,
rec.arts.drwho is not archived at Google before mid-December, 1989,
and no copies of the FAQ material older than 1990 seem to survive;
by that time, there were nearly a dozen periodic postings to the
group exfoliated from this starting point. Some later versions of
the core FAQ do credit Armstrong and date his work to 1987, so I do
feel comfortable in taking his word for what he'd been doing.
Brad Templeton, the first moderator of rec.humor.funny, has been known
to insist that rec.humor.funny was created unofficially, without a vote,
and in general without the approval of the Powers That Be. Whatever the
truth of this claim in general, note that it *was* already listed on the
official list before voting had become the norm; there was nothing
distinctive about rec.humor.funny not being voted on.
Added: rec.arts.int-fiction, rec.humor.funny.
Unmoderated in place: comp.mail.elm.
Summary: In comp.*, from 73 to 74 unmoderated groups, from 41 to 40
moderated groups, from 114 to 114 total. In misc.*, no change: 14
unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, no change:
9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, from 62
to 63 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated groups, from 68 to 70
total. In sci.*, no change: 15 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group,
16 total. In soc.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated
groups, 18 total. In talk.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 9 total. 256 total (58 moderated, 198 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 30 September 1987)"
October 1, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 19...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 23 September 1987)"
October 1, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 19...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
Added: comp.unix.ultrix, rec.music.beatles.
In the "Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies" post, message-ID
19...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu, a noteworthy addition to alt.*: alt.flame.
Noteworthy newly-listed hierarchy: bionet.*, run by Rob Liebschutz.
Summary: In comp.*, from 74 to 74 unmoderated groups, from 40 to 41
moderated groups, from 114 to 115 total. In misc.*, no change: 14
unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, no change:
9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, from 63
to 64 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 70 to 71
total. In sci.*, no change: 15 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group,
16 total. In soc.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated
groups, 18 total. In talk.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 9 total. 258 total (59 moderated, 199 unmoderated).
BILL SHANNON
"new newsgroups?"
October 7, 1987
news.sysadmin, news.groups
Message-ID: 30...@sun.uucp
This is a post complaining about groups that no checkgroups had
advertised, and asking whether a bunch of newgroups hadn't made it to
Shannon's server. This is a possible explanation, but I think it more
likely that the groups in question were inet groups. The catch is that
nine of the nineteen groups he listed were in fact shown as "official"
on the next List of Active Newsgroups. I don't know whether his
complaint simply happened to coincide with the first major episode of
"promoting" inet groups en masse, or he really did miss a batch of
newgroups, or both. One of the groups made "official" nine days later,
however, was also on the earlier list provided by Bob Weissman, so was
pretty certainly really an inet group; of the ten groups *not* made
"official" nine days later, the nine that survived to the full lists of
inet groups were still inet; so I really think the others probably were
too. (The one stillborn group was comp.sys.ibm!)
Added: comp.ai.neural-nets, comp.editors, comp.edu.composition,
comp.lang.icon, comp.lang.scheme, comp.periphs.printers,
comp.sys.dec.micro, comp.sys.encore, comp.sys.ibm, comp.sys.ibm.pc.rt,
comp.sys.sgi, comp.sys.transputer, comp.sys.xerox, comp.sys.zenith,
comp.sys.zenith.z100, comp.theory, comp.theory.cell-automata.
Summary: IN INET, probably at least 21 comp.* groups, at least one
sci.* group, and at least two soc.* groups. (Again, these numbers are
very probably all far too low.)
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 13 October 1987)"
October 16, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 20...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 13 October 1987)"
October 16, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 20...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
Added: comp.ai.nlang-know-rep, comp.mail.mh, comp.os.xinu,
comp.protocols.ibm, comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc, comp.society.futures,
comp.sys.celerity, comp.sys.proteon, comp.sys.tahoe,
comp.theory.info-retrieval, misc.security, rec.equestrian,
rec.games.programmer.
Added probably or certainly by promotion from inet:
comp.ai.neural-nets, comp.lang.postscript, comp.lang.scheme,
comp.protocols.iso, comp.software-eng, comp.sys.dec.micro,
comp.sys.encore, comp.sys.ibm.pc.rt, comp.sys.sgi, comp.sys.transputer,
comp.sys.xerox, comp.sys.zenith.z100, sci.lang.japan, soc.culture.japan.
Summary: In comp.*, from 74 to 94 unmoderated groups, from 41 to 43
moderated groups, from 115 to 137 total. In misc.*, from 14 to 14
unmoderated groups, from 2 to 3 moderated groups, from 16 to 17 total.
In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13
total. In rec.*, from 64 to 66 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7
moderated groups, from 71 to 73 total. In sci.*, from 15 to 16
unmoderated groups, from 1 to 1 moderated group, from 16 to 17 total.
In soc.*, from 14 to 15 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated
groups, from 18 to 19 total. In talk.*, no change: 9 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 285 total (62 moderated, 223
unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 31 October 1987)"
November 2, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 21...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 31 October 1987)"
November 2, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 21...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
These lists show the calm between storms. The comp.* newsgroup creation
festival of the previous lists was, in a sense, the Backbone Cabal's
last hurrah, because also on November 2, Gene Spafford posted a
newsgroup creation process (Message-ID: <21...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu>) in
which the "votes" of users once again counted for something, as they
had, much less formally, before the Cabal took over. But that process
itself required time to complete, so these lists don't yet show
creations done that way. The Cabal in fact gave up no real power -
Spafford pointed out that while anyone could send a newgroup, only he,
Erik Fair, Rick Adams, Mark Horton, and Greg Woods were really trusted,
and he also wrote that the Backbone admins could override a vote result.
But from this point forward, the Cabal was identified with rules, which
it had to pay at least some degree of heed; the ballot box might be
stuffed or overruled but could not be dispensed with.
Added: comp.sys.mac.hypercard.
Summary: In comp.*, from 94 to 95 unmoderated groups, from 43 to 43
moderated groups, from 137 to 138 total. In misc.*, no change: 14
unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In news.*, no change:
9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, no
change: 66 unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 73 total. In sci.*,
no change: 16 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 17 total. In
soc.*, no change: 15 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 19 total.
In talk.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9
total. 286 total (62 moderated, 224 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 16 November 1987)"
November 16, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 23...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 13 November 1987)"
November 16, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 23...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
Added: rec.arts.anime, rec.models.rc, soc.culture.china.
Unmoderated in place: comp.binaries.ibm.pc, believe it or not. (This
would not be permanent; a search for a moderator was in progress.)
Summary: In comp.*, from 95 to 96 unmoderated groups, from 43 to 42
moderated groups, from 138 to 138 total. In misc.*, no change: 14
unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In news.*, no change:
9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, from 66
to 68 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 73 to 75
total. In sci.*, no change: 16 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group,
17 total. In soc.*, from 15 to 16 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4
moderated groups, from 19 to 20 total. In talk.*, no change: 9
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 289 total (61
moderated, 228 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 29 November 1987)"
December 2, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 1...@uther.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 29 November 1987)"
December 2, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 1...@uther.cs.purdue.edu
Added: comp.unix.microport.
comp.sys.tahoe is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups.
In the "Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies" post, message-ID
1...@uther.cs.purdue.edu, a noteworthy addition to alt.*: alt.aquaria.
Summary: In comp.*, from 96 to 96 unmoderated groups, from 42 to 43
moderated groups, from 138 to 139 total. In misc.*, no change: 14
unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In news.*, no change:
9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, no
change: 68 unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 75 total. In sci.*,
no change: 16 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 17 total. In
soc.*, no change: 16 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 20 total.
In talk.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9
total. 290 total (62 moderated, 228 unmoderated).
This is the date of the last "Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies" of the
year. It includes nine alt.* groups, sixteen bionet.* groups, four
unix-pc.* groups, and a note about "inet/ddn".
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 12 December 1987)"
December 16, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 27...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 10 December 1987)"
December 16, 1987
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 27...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
Added: talk.politics.mideast.
Summary: In comp.*, no change: 96 unmoderated groups, 43 moderated
groups, 139 total. In misc.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3
moderated groups, 17 total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated
groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, no change: 68
unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 75 total. In sci.*, no change:
16 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 17 total. In soc.*, no
change: 16 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 20 total. In
talk.*, from 9 to 10 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups,
from 9 to 10 total. 291 total (62 moderated, 229 unmoderated).
This is the last newsgroup list/moderator list pair known to me posted
in 1987. But there's one more thing to come.
ERIK E. FAIR
"Re: inet newsgroups"
December 22, 1987
news.admin,news.groups,news.misc
Message-ID: 22...@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
"Summary: here is ucbvax's mailing list gateway list". For each line,
the type of gateway (unidirectional, bidirectional, or moderated) is
indicated, then the mailing list, the newsgroup, and the distribution
code. This is, thus, effectively the first list of inet groups, but of
course it isn't *restricted* to inet groups; a list of that sort would
amount to a confession that such lists should have been provided six
months earlier... Interestingly, Fair's assertions about which groups
were inet and which weren't disagree, for three groups, with those made
by Gene Spafford in the lists Spafford would thereafter post of both
regular Big 7 and inet groups.
The flipside of that is that Fair's list is, all things considered,
probably a much more reliable list of gateways than the one Gene
Spafford included in the List of Active Newsgroups. This would, I
think, be true even if (as I expect) Fair's list was incomplete because
ucbvax was not the only gateway. It's amusing that Spafford did *not*
take the opportunity to clean up his list, which soldiered on in its
chaotic state for years more. I am, therefore, reproducing the
essentials of Fair's list here, but with the warning that there is *not*
consistency with Spafford's lists, whether for better or for worse; the
differences are indicated below.
Moderated gateways with world (Big 7) distribution: comp.ai.digest,
comp.ai.nlang-know-rep, comp.bugs.4bsd.ucb-fixes, comp.dcom.telecom,
comp.doc.techreports, comp.graphics.digest, comp.laser-printers,
comp.protocols.kermit, comp.risks, comp.sys.ibm.pc.digest,
comp.sys.m68k.pc, comp.sys.mac.digest, comp.sys.sun,
comp.sys.workstations, comp.theory.info-retrieval, misc.security,
rec.music.gaffa, soc.human-nets, soc.politics, soc.politics.arms-d.
Bidirectional gateways with world (Big 7) distribution:
comp.ai.neural-nets, comp.dcom.modems, comp.emacs**, comp.lang.ada*,
comp.lang.forth**, comp.lang.modula2**, comp.lang.postscript,
comp.lang.prolog*, comp.lang.scheme, comp.lsi, comp.mail.mh,
comp.os.cpm**, comp.os.vms, comp.os.xinu, comp.protocols.appletalk,
comp.protocols.ibm, comp.protocols.iso, comp.protocols.misc,
comp.protocols.tcp-ip, comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc,
comp.society.futures, comp.software-eng, comp.sys.apollo,
comp.sys.apple, comp.sys.atari.8bit*, comp.sys.atari.st*,
comp.sys.celerity, comp.sys.dec.micro, comp.sys.encore,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.rt, comp.sys.proteon, comp.sys.pyramid, comp.sys.ridge,
comp.sys.sgi, comp.sys.tahoe**, comp.sys.transputer, comp.sys.xerox,
comp.sys.zenith.z100, comp.terminals*, comp.windows.news,
comp.windows.x**, rec.equestrian, rec.games.programmer, rec.ham-radio*,
rec.video*, sci.lang.japan, sci.space*.
Unidirectional gateways with world (Big 7) distribution: rec.aviation,
sci.astro*, soc.culture.japan.
The preceding three lists, seventy groups in all, are those that should
have been on Spafford's list of gatewayed Big 7 groups; only the fifteen
with asterisks actually were on Spafford's next such list, and only six
of *those* (double-asterisked) lacked Spafford's flag indicating that he
didn't know if the gateway worked. (Was ucbvax really that unreliable?)
Moderated gateways with inet distribution: comp.ai.vision,
comp.lang.clu, rec.mag.fsfnet.
Bidirectional gateways with world (Big 7) distribution according to
Fair, but which Spafford was to treat as inet: comp.mail.mhs,
comp.mail.mhs.arpa, comp.protocols.iso.dev-environ.
Bidirectional gateways with inet distribution, in which Fair's assertion
matches Spafford's: comp.ai.edu, comp.arch.parallel-sym,
comp.dcom.lans.hyperchannel, comp.dcom.lans.v2lni, comp.editors,
comp.edu.composition, comp.lang.asm370, comp.lang.forth.mac,
comp.lang.icon, comp.lang.idl, comp.lang.lisp.franz, comp.lang.lisp.x,
comp.lang.rexx, comp.lang.visual, comp.lsi.cad, comp.mail.multi-media,
comp.music, comp.os.aos, comp.os.cpm.amethyst, comp.os.rsts, comp.os.v,
comp.periphs.printers, comp.protocols.pcnet, comp.protocols.pup,
comp.protocols.tcp-ip.domains, comp.sys.cdc, comp.sys.handhelds,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.net, comp.sys.intel.ipsc310, comp.sys.northstar,
comp.sys.super, comp.sys.ti.explorer, comp.sys.zenith,
comp.terminals.bitgraph, comp.terminals.tty5620, comp.theory,
comp.theory.cell-automata, comp.theory.dynamic-sys,
comp.theory.self-org-sys, comp.unix.cray, news.software.nntp,
rec.games.vectrex, sci.bio.technology, sci.math.num-analysis,
sci.philosophy.meta, sci.psychology, soc.culture.esperanto.
The preceding three lists are those I count as inet for the following
summary and for the year-end summary that follows. (In other words, I
accept Spafford's word over Fair's for the disputed three groups.)
Trivia note: I'd be very surprised if comp.terminals.bitgraph didn't
have behind it the same mailing list, in general subscribership if not
direct lineal descent, as had once been the source for fa.bitgraph.
This is the only case I'm aware of where an inet group seems likely to
have a pre-1987 ancestry *on Usenet*, although there are other cases
(comp.editors, comp.periphs.printers) where I can with more difficulty
imagine an fa.* connection. I haven't yet researched any of these.
IN INET: In comp.*, 43 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 45
total. In news.*, 1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In
rec.*, 1 unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, 4
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 4 total. In soc.*, 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (3 moderated,
50 unmoderated).
Annual summary: IN THE BIG SEVEN AND THEIR PREDECESSORS: In comp.*,
from 61 to 96 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 43 moderated groups, from 61
to 139 total. In misc.*, from 12 to 14 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 3
moderated groups, from 12 to 17 total. In mod.*, from 1 to 0
unmoderated groups, from 59 to 0 moderated groups (from 2 to 0
inactive), from 60 (2 inactive) to 0 (0 inactive) total. In net.*, from
4 to 0 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 0 moderated groups, from 5 to 0
total. In news.*, from 9 to 9 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 4 moderated
groups, from 10 to 13 total. In rec.*, from 62 to 68 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 7 moderated groups, from 62 to 75 total. In sci.*,
from 14 to 16 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 1 moderated group, from 14
to 17 total. In soc.*, from 13 to 16 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 4
moderated groups, from 13 to 20 total. In talk.*, from 8 to 10
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 8 to 10 total.
Total, from 184 to 229 unmoderated groups, from 61 (2 inactive) to 62 (0
inactive) moderated groups, from 245 (or 243) to 291 total.
IN INET: In comp.*, from 0 to 43 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 2
moderated groups, from 0 to 45 total. In news.*, from 0 to 1
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 0 to 1 total. In
rec.*, from 0 to 1 unmoderated group, from 0 to 1 moderated group, from
0 to 2 total. In sci.*, from 0 to 4 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 0 to 4 total. In soc.*, from 0 to 1 unmoderated
group, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 0 to 1 total. Total, from 0
to 50 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 3 moderated groups, from 0 to 53
total.
OVER ALL: In comp.*, from 61 to 139 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 45
moderated groups, from 61 to 184 total. In misc.*, from 12 to 14
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 3 moderated groups, from 12 to 17 total.
In mod.*, from 1 to 0 unmoderated groups, from 59 to 0 moderated groups
(from 2 to 0 inactive), from 59 (2 inactive) to 0 (0 inactive) total.
In net.*, from 4 to 0 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 0 moderated groups,
from 5 to 0 total. In news.*, from 9 to 10 unmoderated groups, from 1
to 4 moderated groups, from 10 to 14 total. In rec.*, from 62 to 69
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 8 moderated groups, from 62 to 77 total.
In sci.*, from 14 to 20 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 1 moderated
groups, from 14 to 21 total. In soc.*, from 13 to 17 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 4 moderated groups, from 13 to 21 total. In talk.*,
from 8 to 10 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 8 to
10 total. Total, from 184 to 279 unmoderated groups, from 61 (2
inactive) to 65 (0 inactive) moderated groups, from 245 (or 243) to 344
Joe Bernstein
I didn't realise I'd forgotten to change my subject line until several
seconds after posting, and didn't cancel the resulting post for several
seconds more. My apologies.
For an introduction to this thread's chronological posts, please see the
first post in the series, for the year 1981, with Message-ID
<3c4a40c1$0$95686$892e...@authen.puce.readfreenews.net>.
Although the main lines of 1987 repeated those of 1986 - the Great
Renaming was finished this year; moderated groups continued to dominate
the new creations for much of the year; the Backbone Cabal remained
firmly in control - the cracks did begin to show as well. A number of
the mod.* groups were renamed into unmoderated replacements in April or
May; the inet distribution (discussed in detail below, under June) and
alt.* (not treated in detail at this stage of my research, but created
in May) appeared, and "alternative" hierarchies started being
"officially" listed in September; beginning in November, "votes" became
an official part of newsgroup creation, which for the first time had a
documented process. And while these signs of the future were
accumulating, the present could also be convulsive; a massive expansion
of comp.* in October has the Cabal's signature on it. Despite numerous
moments of calm, nothing about 1987 really resembled watching paint dry.
Joe Bernstein
Lists of Newsgroups Posted in 1987
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 31 December 1986)"
January 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 87...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 29 December 1986)"
January 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 87...@gatech.EDU
Added: misc.handicap, talk.religion.newage.
Removed: mod.vlsi, net.announce.arpa-internet.
rec.music.gdead is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups.
mod.legal remained on this List of Moderators, despite its official
nonexistence, but mod.test was finally removed.
Summary: In comp.*, no change: 61 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 61 total. In misc.*, from 12 to 12 unmoderated groups, from 0
to 1 moderated groups, from 12 to 13 total. In mod.*, from 1 to 1
unmoderated group, from 59 to 58 moderated groups (from 2 to 2
inactive), from 60 (2 inactive) to 59 (2 inactive) total. In net.*,
from 4 to 4 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 0 moderated group, from 5 to 4
total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group,
10 total. In rec.*, no change: 62 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 62 total. In sci.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no change: 13 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In talk.*, from 8 to 9
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 8 to 9 total. 245
(or 243) total (60 or 58 moderated, 185 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 14 January 1987)"
January 16, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 97...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 13 January 1987)"
January 16, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 97...@gatech.EDU
Added: comp.os.minix, mod.mag.fidonet.
comp.lang.modula2 is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups, and
the flag indicating that the gateway may not work is removed from
rec.railroad.
mod.legal remained on this List of Moderators, despite its official
nonexistence.
Summary: In comp.*, from 61 to 62 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 61 to 62 total. In misc.*, no change: 12
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 13 total. In mod.*, from 1 to 1
unmoderated group, from 58 to 59 moderated groups (from 2 to 2
inactive), from 59 (2 inactive) to 60 (2 inactive) total. In net.*, no
change: 4 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 4 total. In news.*,
no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 10 total. In
rec.*, no change: 62 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 62 total.
In sci.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14
total. In soc.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups,
13 total. In talk.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 9 total. 247 (or 245) total (61 or 59 moderated, 186
unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 31 January 1987)"
February 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 11...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 13 January 1987)"
February 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 11...@gatech.EDU
No changes.
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 11 February 1987)"
February 16, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 12...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 13 January 1987)"
February 16, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 12...@gatech.EDU
Added: comp.windows.x.
comp.windows.x is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups.
mod.legal remained on this List of Moderators, despite its official
nonexistence.
Summary: In comp.*, from 62 to 63 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 62 to 63 total. In misc.*, no change: 12
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 13 total. In mod.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 59 moderated groups (2 inactive), 60 (2 inactive)
total. In net.*, no change: 4 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups,
4 total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated
group, 10 total. In rec.*, no change: 62 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 62 total. In sci.*, no change: 14 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no change: 13
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In talk.*, no change:
9 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 248 (or 246) total
(61 or 59 moderated, 187 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 26 February 1987)"
March 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 13...@gatech.EDU
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 26 January 1987)"
March 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 13...@gatech.EDU
Added: comp.binaries.atari.st, comp.sources.atari.st.
comp.os.minix is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups, and the
flag indicating that the gateway may not work is removed from
comp.emacs.
mod.legal remained on this List of Moderators, despite its official
nonexistence.
Summary: In comp.*, from 63 to 63 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 2
moderated groups, from 63 to 65 total. In misc.*, no change: 12
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 13 total. In mod.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 59 moderated groups (2 inactive), 60 (2 inactive)
total. In net.*, no change: 4 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups,
4 total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated
group, 10 total. In rec.*, no change: 62 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 62 total. In sci.*, no change: 14 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no change: 13
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In talk.*, no change:
9 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 250 (or 248) total
(63 or 61 moderated, 187 unmoderated).
GENE SPAFFORD AND/OR JEFF FORYS
This and the next List of Active Newsgroups were posted with the usual
From: header, signature, message-ID, etc., all pointing to Gene
Spafford. However, each has a last- modified-by line with an e-mail
address which a single post archived in Google identifies as Jeff
Forys's. There is no reference in the body of either post to any help
from Jeff Forys or anyone else.
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 15 March 1987)"
March 16, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 13...@gatech.EDU
GENE SPAFFORD
The Lists of Moderators do not have any signs at all of changes in who
did what.
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 15 March 1987)"
March 16, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 13...@gatech.EDU
Added: comp.bugs.4bsd.ucb-fixes, rec.arts.movies.reviews.
mod.legal remained on this List of Moderators, despite its official
nonexistence.
Summary: In comp.*, from 63 to 63 unmoderated groups, from 2 to 3
moderated groups, from 65 to 66 total. In misc.*, no change: 12
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 13 total. In mod.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 59 moderated groups (2 inactive), 60 (2 inactive)
total. In net.*, no change: 4 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups,
4 total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated
group, 10 total. In rec.*, from 62 to 62 unmoderated groups, from 0 to
1 moderated group, from 62 to 63 total. In sci.*, no change: 14
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no change:
13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In talk.*, no
change: 9 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 252 (or
250) total (65 or 63 moderated, 187 unmoderated).
GENE SPAFFORD AND/OR JEFF FORYS
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 31 March 1987)"
April 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 14...@gatech.edu
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 31 March 1987)"
April 1, 1987
news.lists,mod.announce.newusers,news.groups
Message-ID: 14...@gatech.EDU
The additions symbolise what the lists do not make explicit: these are
at least the last surviving, and possibly altogether the last, lists
from before the renaming and elimination of mod.*.
Added: comp.sources.amiga, comp.std.unix.
comp.mail.headers is removed from the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups,
ironically enough.
mod.legal remained on this List of Moderators, despite its official
nonexistence. While comp.std.unix is shown as unmoderated on this List
of Active Newsgroups, it is listed in this List of Moderators; since it
was in fact the renaming target of mod.std.unix, and was listed as
moderated in future Lists of Active Newsgroups, I assign the error to
this List of Active Newsgroups, and count the group as moderated in the
summary.
Summary: In comp.*, from 63 to 63 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 5
moderated groups, from 66 to 68 total. In misc.*, no change: 12
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 13 total. In mod.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 59 moderated groups (2 inactive), 60 (2 inactive)
total. In net.*, no change: 4 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups,
4 total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated
group, 10 total. In rec.*, no change: 62 unmoderated groups, 1
moderated group, 63 total. In sci.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 14 total. In soc.*, no change: 13 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. In talk.*, no change: 9
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 9 total. 254 (or 252) total (67
or 65 moderated, 187 unmoderated).
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 1 May 1987)"
Removed: mod.amiga.binaries, mod.amiga.sources, mod.computers.sequent.
GENE SPAFFORD
Added: misc.jobs.misc, misc.jobs.offered, misc.jobs.resumes.
GENE SPAFFORD
No changes.
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 17 June 1987)"
Removed: misc.jobs.
Added: rec.arts.int-fiction, rec.humor.funny.
Unmoderated in place: comp.mail.elm.
Added: comp.unix.ultrix, rec.music.beatles.
BILL SHANNON
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 13 October 1987)"
unmoderated).
Added: comp.sys.mac.hypercard.
Added: rec.arts.anime, rec.models.rc, soc.culture.china.
Added: comp.unix.microport.
Added: talk.politics.mideast.
groups, 139 total. In misc.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3
moderated groups, 17 total. In news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated
groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, no change: 68
unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 75 total. In sci.*, no change:
16 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 17 total. In soc.*, no
change: 16 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 20 total. In
talk.*, from 9 to 10 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups,
from 9 to 10 total. 291 total (62 moderated, 229 unmoderated).
This is the last newsgroup list/moderator list pair known to me posted
ERIK E. FAIR
Joe Bernstein
first post in the series, for the year 1981, with Message-ID
<3c4a40c1$0$95686$892e...@authen.puce.readfreenews.net>.
This is the first full year of a quasi-formal newsgroup creation
process, and the last year (not quite full; see September and November
below) of the Backbone Cabal's reign. Except for the backbone's fall,
it's a very quiet year, in which removals - of inet groups and moderated
groups, mostly - and unmoderations of groups which had only been
moderated in the first place because they'd been based on mailing lists,
were almost as frequent as creations. Nearly three fourths of the net
growth in the seven hierarchies was in comp.*. Anyway, there *was* some
growth: the official lists had reached 100 groups in 1982 and 200
groups in 1984; it was only in 1987 if you count inet, or in 1988 if you
don't, that they reached 300.
Joe Bernstein
Lists of Newsgroups Posted in 1988
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Last changed: 28 December 1987)"
January 1, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 28...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 10 December 1987)"
January 1, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 28...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Last changed: 2 January 1987)"
January 3, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 28...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
"Checkgroups message (with INET groups)"
January 1, 1988
news.admin
Message-ID: 28...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
Added: comp.ivideodisc, rec.games.moria, rec.music.bluenote.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 96 to 97 unmoderated groups,
from 43 to 43 moderated groups, from 139 to 140 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In
news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total.
In rec.*, from 68 to 70 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated
groups, from 75 to 77 total. In sci.*, no change: 16 unmoderated
groups, 1 moderated group, 17 total. In soc.*, no change: 16
unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 20 total. In talk.*, no change:
10 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 10 total. 294 total (62
moderated, 232 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 43 unmoderated groups, 2
moderated groups, 45 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 4 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 4 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (3 moderated, 50 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 139 to 140 unmoderated groups, from 45
to 45 moderated groups, from 184 to 185 total. In misc.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In news.*, no
change: 10 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 14 total. In rec.*,
from 69 to 71 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated groups, from 77
to 79 total. In sci.*, no change: 20 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated
group, 21 total. In soc.*, no change: 17 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 21 total. In talk.*, no change: 10 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 10 total. 347 total (65 moderated, 282
unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 11 January 1988)"
January 16, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 29...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 11 January 1988)"
January 16, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 29...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
"Checkgroups message (with INET groups)"
January 16, 1988
news.admin
Message-ID: 29...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
Added: talk.politics.soviet.
Unmoderated in place: comp.std.misc, comp.sys.sequent.
Removed: rec.food.recipes.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 97 to 99 unmoderated groups,
from 43 to 41 moderated groups, from 140 to 140 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In
news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total.
In rec.*, from 70 to 70 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 6 moderated
groups, from 77 to 76 total. In sci.*, no change: 16 unmoderated
groups, 1 moderated group, 17 total. In soc.*, no change: 16
unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 20 total. In talk.*, from 10 to
11 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 10 to 11
total. 294 total (59 moderated, 235 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 43 unmoderated groups, 2
moderated groups, 45 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 4 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 4 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (3 moderated, 50 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 140 to 142 unmoderated groups, from 45
to 43 moderated groups, from 185 to 185 total. In misc.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In news.*, no
change: 10 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 14 total. In rec.*,
from 71 to 71 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 7 moderated groups, from 79
to 78 total. In sci.*, no change: 20 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated
group, 21 total. In soc.*, no change: 17 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 21 total. In talk.*, from 10 to 11 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 10 to 11 total. 347 total
(62 moderated, 285 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 21 January 1988)"
February 3, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 31...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 31 January 1988)"
February 3, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 31...@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
Added: comp.sources.games.bugs.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 99 to 100 unmoderated groups,
from 41 to 41 moderated groups, from 140 to 141 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In
news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total.
In rec.*, no change: 70 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 76
total. In sci.*, no change: 16 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group,
17 total. In soc.*, no change: 16 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated
groups, 20 total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 11 total. 295 total (59 moderated, 236 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 29 February 1988)"
March 2, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 33...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 29 February 1988)"
March 2, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 33...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
Added: soc.culture.arabic.
Added by promotion from inet: sci.psychology.
Unmoderated in place: comp.unix.microport.
Removed: rec.humor.spc.
rec.humor.spc remained on the List of Moderators despite its official
nonexistence.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 100 to 101 unmoderated groups,
from 41 to 40 moderated groups, from 141 to 141 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In
news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total.
In rec.*, from 70 to 70 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 5 moderated
groups, from 76 to 75 total. In sci.*, from 16 to 17 unmoderated
groups, from 1 to 1 moderated group, from 17 to 18 total. In soc.*,
from 16 to 17 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 20
to 21 total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 11 total. 296 total (57 moderated, 239 unmoderated).
Summary for inet (inferred): In comp.*, no change: 43 unmoderated
groups, 2 moderated groups, 45 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, from 4 to 3
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 4 to 3 total. In
soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 52
total (3 moderated, 49 unmoderated).
Overall summary (inferred): In comp.*, from 143 to 144 unmoderated
groups, from 43 to 42 moderated groups, from 186 to 186 total. In
misc.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total.
In news.*, no change: 10 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 14
total. In rec.*, from 71 to 71 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 6
moderated groups, from 78 to 77 total. In sci.*, no change: 20
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 21 total. In soc.*, from 17 to
18 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 21 to 22
total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 11 total. 348 total (60 moderated, 288 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 11 March 1988)"
March 17, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 35...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 11 March 1988)"
March 17, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 35...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Checkgroups message (with INET groups)"
March 17, 1988
news.admin
Message-ID: 35...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
Added: comp.parallel, comp.sys.mac.programmer.
Removed: comp.hypercube.
comp.hypercube and rec.humor.spc remained on the List of Moderators
despite their official nonexistence; in comp.hypercube's case, this sort
of makes sense given that it had simply been renamed to comp.parallel.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 101 to 102 unmoderated groups,
from 40 to 40 moderated groups, from 141 to 142 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In
news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total.
In rec.*, no change: 70 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 75
total. In sci.*, no change: 17 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group,
18 total. In soc.*, no change: 17 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated
groups, 21 total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 11 total. 297 total (57 moderated, 240 unmoderated).
Summary for inet (beginning numbers inferred): In comp.*, no change:
43 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 45 total. In news.*, no
change: 1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no
change: 1 unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no
change: 3 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*,
no change: 1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 52 total
(3 moderated, 49 unmoderated).
Overall summary (beginning numbers inferred): In comp.*, from 144 to
145 unmoderated groups, from 42 to 42 moderated groups, from 186 to 187
total. In misc.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated
groups, 17 total. In news.*, no change: 10 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 14 total. In rec.*, no change: 71 unmoderated
groups, 6 moderated groups, 77 total. In sci.*, no change: 20
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 21 total. In soc.*, no change:
18 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 22 total. In talk.*, no
change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total. 349 total
(60 moderated, 289 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 2 April 1988)"
April 3, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 37...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 2 April 1988)"
April 3, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 37...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Checkgroups message (with INET groups)"
April 3, 1988
news.admin
Message-ID: 37...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
It's typical of this period that as the Big 7 finally passed the
300-group mark, most but not all of the groups added were in comp.*.
The oldest surviving copy of Steven Grimm's "Introduction to
comp.binaries.atari.st" dates to March 21, 1988, with message-ID
<24...@saturn.ucsc.edu>.
Added: comp.fonts, comp.mail.sendmail, comp.simulation, comp.unix.aux,
sci.logic.
Unmoderated in place: comp.std.c.
comp.hypercube and rec.humor.spc remained on the List of Moderators
despite their official nonexistence.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 102 to 106 unmoderated groups,
from 40 to 40 moderated groups, from 142 to 146 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In
news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total.
In rec.*, no change: 70 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 75
total. In sci.*, from 17 to 18 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 1
moderated group, from 18 to 19 total. In soc.*, no change: 17
unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 21 total. In talk.*, no change:
11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total. 302 total (57
moderated, 245 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 43 unmoderated groups, 2
moderated groups, 45 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 52 total (3 moderated, 49 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 145 to 149 unmoderated groups, from 42
to 42 moderated groups, from 187 to 191 total. In misc.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In news.*, no
change: 10 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 14 total. In rec.*,
no change: 71 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 77 total. In
sci.*, from 20 to 21 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 1 moderated group,
from 21 to 22 total. In soc.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 22 total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total. 354 total (60 moderated, 294
unmoderated).
"Changes to List of Active Newsgroups"
May 9, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 40...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Changes to List of Moderators"
May 9, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 40...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
As the use of checkgroups messages may already have shown, this is a
period for which the archives are demonstrably incomplete, and is also a
period for which the best documentation varies month by month. My main
procedure for these months was to go through the List of Active
Newsgroups to identify the Big 7 groups, then go through the nearly
identical list in the inet-inclusive checkgroups to identify the inet
groups. Yuck. This particular date reflects a *much* more baroque
situation: either by looking at the Changes posts' presentation of
last-modified dates, or by tracking Supersedes: headers (which had
finally started appearing on these lists), I established that there were
lists posted April 17, 1988, but that Google didn't have them. Google
did have the *next* posting date's Changes posts, essentially diffs
between the April 17 and the subsequent May 9 lists. So I did each step
of my data entry based on the May 9 lists, and then used the Changes
posts to work backward to the lists of April 17. It will not shock me
at all if someone catches me in a mistake, here or in 1988 in general,
but I have used several methods to try to find them, so hope I'm not
perpetrating a completely useless post.
I considered, but rejected, the idea of doing the whole job, year after
year, with the Changes posts. It would certainly have been quicker.
But I believe they're actually *less* completely archived than the full
lists; they started later; and mainly, I wanted the backstop of being
able to verify exactly how a group had been represented, every time. I
could still have tried to download the full set of Changes posts, but
frankly, life is too short (and online time shorter still). Instead I
only downloaded those that filled gaps in the archival of the longer
lists. It must be obvious, though, that anyone who wishes to check my
work could make a good start just by looking for the Changes posts I
didn't use, and comparing them to my results.
Meanwhile, perhaps it's worth noting that the only significant revision
the newsgroup creation guidelines written by Gene Spafford ever
underwent was dated April 14 of this year, although the oldest copy
actually archived at Google was posted May 9. I detect no overall
message in the revision.
Added: comp.binaries.apple2, comp.binaries.hypercard,
comp.sys.amiga.tech.
I suppose if I don't explicitly mention that comp.binaries.apple2 was
created unmoderated, someone will think I goofed in the summary below.
comp.hypercube and rec.humor.spc remained on the List of Moderators
despite their official nonexistence.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 106 to 108 unmoderated groups,
from 40 to 41 moderated groups, from 146 to 149 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In
news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total.
In rec.*, no change: 70 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 75
total. In sci.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group,
19 total. In soc.*, no change: 17 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated
groups, 21 total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 11 total. 305 total (58 moderated, 247 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 28 April 1988)"
May 9, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 40...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 5 May 1988)"
May 9, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 40...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Checkgroups message (with INET groups)"
May 9, 1988
news.admin
Message-ID: 40...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
Added: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d, comp.org.usrgroup,
comp.protocols.iso.x400 (inet), comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway (inet).
Moderated in place: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.
Removed: comp.mail.mhs (inet), comp.mail.mhs.arpa (inet).
We have not, as of this set of lists, reached the days when changes
in the inet lists were actually announced; or if we have, the
announcement isn't archived.
comp.sys.apple is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups.
comp.hypercube and rec.humor.spc remained on the List of Moderators
despite their official nonexistence. comp.binaries.ibm.pc was omitted
from it despite being shown as moderated (once again) on both the List
of Active Newsgroups and the checkgroups; comp.protocols.iso.x400 and
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway were also omitted from it despite being
shown, from this start, as moderated on the checkgroups. (They were
renamings/moderations of comp.mail.mhs and comp.mail.mhs.arpa, to judge
by description lines.)
In the "Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies" post, message-ID
40...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu, noteworthy additions to alt.*:
alt.rock-n-roll, alt.sca, alt.sex. Noteworthy newly-listed hierarchy:
biz.*.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 108 to 109 unmoderated groups,
from 41 to 42 moderated groups, from 149 to 151 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In
news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total.
In rec.*, no change: 70 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 75
total. In sci.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group,
19 total. In soc.*, no change: 17 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated
groups, 21 total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 11 total. 307 total (59 moderated, 248 unmoderated).
Summary for inet (beginning numbers inferred): In comp.*, from 43 to 41
unmoderated groups, from 2 to 4 moderated groups, from 45 to 45 total.
In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total.
In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total.
In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total.
In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total.
52 total (5 moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary (beginning numbers inferred): In comp.*, from 151 to
150 unmoderated groups, from 43 to 46 moderated groups, from 194 to 196
total. In misc.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated
groups, 17 total. In news.*, no change: 10 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 14 total. In rec.*, no change: 71 unmoderated
groups, 6 moderated groups, 77 total. In sci.*, no change: 21
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 22 total. In soc.*, no change:
18 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 22 total. In talk.*, no
change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total. 359 total
(64 moderated, 295 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 15 May 1988)"
May 17, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 41...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 16 May 1988)"
May 17, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 41...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
Added: sci.nanotech.
Unmoderated in place: comp.os.os9.
comp.hypercube and rec.humor.spc remained on the List of Moderators
despite their official nonexistence. comp.binaries.ibm.pc reappeared on
that list, having already been re-moderated according to the List of
Active Newsgroups.
In the "Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies" post, message-ID
41...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu, noteworthy newly-listed hierarchy: gnu.*.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 109 to 110 unmoderated groups,
from 42 to 41 moderated groups, from 151 to 151 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In
news.*, no change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total.
In rec.*, no change: 70 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 75
total. In sci.*, from 18 to 18 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 2
moderated groups, from 19 to 20 total. In soc.*, no change: 17
unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 21 total. In talk.*, no change:
11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total. 308 total (59
moderated, 249 unmoderated).
"Changes to List of Active Newsgroups"
June 1, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 42...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 31 May 1988)"
June 1, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 42...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
You can probably infer my methods for this posting date from those I
described above for April 17.
The "Minix Information Sheet" began its life as a periodic posting
with a post by Glen Overby to comp.os.minix on May 27, 1988, with
message-ID <9...@ndsuvax.UUCP>. It had previously been posted by
Andy Tanenbaum, the original author both of it and of MINIX itself,
as "MINIX announcement, version 1.2; comments to me", February 23,
1988, message-ID <6...@ast.cs.vu.nl>. It is probably the oldest
surviving example of a comprehensive FAQ, with definitions,
references, pointers to other net resources, a question-and-answer
format, and citation of material by other hands; without access to
the rec.arts.drwho materials, I can't say whether it's the oldest
such document *period*.
Added: rec.autos.sport, rec.folk-dancing.
comp.hypercube and rec.humor.spc finally disappeared from this List of
Moderators, some months after their removal from the List of Active
Newsgroups. On the other hand... well, this is complicated. The Lists
of Moderators, from very early and at least up to this time, actually
contained two lists. The first gave moderators' names and contact
addresses; the second only gave posting submission addresses. So. The
new inet groups, comp.protocols.iso.x400 and
comp.protocols.x400.gateway, had previously not been on either list; as
of this List of Moderators, their submission addresses were on the
second list, but their moderators and contact addresses still did not
appear on the first.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, no change: 110 unmoderated groups,
41 moderated groups, 151 total. In misc.*, no change: 14 unmoderated
groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In news.*, no change: 9
unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, from 70 to
72 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 75 to 77
total. In sci.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups,
20 total. In soc.*, no change: 17 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated
groups, 21 total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 11 total. 310 total (59 moderated, 251 unmoderated).
"Changes to List of Active Newsgroups"
July 27, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 45...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 26 July 1988)"
July 27, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 45...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 26 July 1988)"
July 27, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 45...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
The Supersedes: headers for this posting date tell a peculiar story.
The new List of Active Newsgroups shown superseded one with Message-ID
4536@medusa..., which was not archived. To judge by the Changes posting
archived, they had the same last-modified line, and the older one had
the removal of news.stargate, but the newer one incorporated the
addition of comp.society.women. According to the Great Renaming FAQ
(both versions, but with considerably more detail in version 2), the
quasi-rogue creation of comp.society.women, which had passed its vote
but had been vetoed by Backbone admin Rick Adams, was the event that
finally broke the Backbone Cabal, although its complete dissolution
waited a few more months. I haven't yet looked in Google's archives
(which are at their worst about this time) to see how well they support
this account.
Note that the newsgroup creation process document, with its explicit
references to the backbone admins' role and mailing list, was *not*
revised at this time.
Added: comp.society.women.
Removed: news.stargate.
On the list of gatewayed Big 7 newsgroups, unidirectional gateways were
added for comp.emacs and comp.lang.c++. comp.emacs had already been
listed with a bidirectional gateway, which continued to be listed as
well.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 110 to 110 unmoderated groups,
from 41 to 42 moderated groups, from 151 to 152 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 17 total. In
news.*, from 9 to 8 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups,
from 13 to 12 total. In rec.*, no change: 72 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 77 total. In sci.*, no change: 18 unmoderated
groups, 2 moderated groups, 20 total. In soc.*, no change: 17
unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 21 total. In talk.*, no change:
11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total. 310 total (60
moderated, 250 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 7 August 1988)"
August 18, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 46...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 17 August 1988)"
August 18, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 46...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 17 August 1988)"
August 18, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 46...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
As of this posting date, the Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies post
finally began listing inet groups, allowing me to dispense with the
checkgroups posts (which are harder to use, since they require me to
compare two nearly identical lists). Yay. The normal format will now
include these three posts, often but not always, until they all fall
away in 1996.
In any event, the checkgroups aren't archived for mid-1988, so this is
the first available list of any kind to include inet since early May.
A welcome message for comp.dcom.telecom survives dated July 30, 1988,
with message-ID <4...@vector.UUCP>. I suspect but of course can't
prove that this is its first posting.
There were several groups in comp.* where people talked about doing a
group-specific FAQ over the spring and summer of 1988, but the first
evidence of such a document actually having been posted is dated
August 17, and is the actual document, not just a reference to it;
this is Scot Wilcoxon's "Answers to Most Asked UNIX-PC Questions
(1st edition)", posted to comp.sys.att and unix-pc.general, with
message-ID <14...@datapg.MN.ORG>. This was reposted September 10,
with subject line "Answers to Common 3B1 Questions", and message-ID
<17...@datapg.MN.ORG>, and again October 3, "Answers to 3B1 Commonly
Asked Questions", <1917@datapg@MN.ORG>. It settled in to a sustained
subject line, "Answers to UNIX PC Commonly Asked Questions", with the
following posting, and appeared four times as such, until March, 1989.
Added: comp.lang.scheme.c (inet), comp.sources.x.
Removed: misc.psi.
comp.protocols.iso.x400 and comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1
above.
comp.sources.unix and rec.equestrian are added to the list of gatewayed
Big 7 newsgroups.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.slack; alt.sources.amiga, the first
third-level alt.* group listed.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 110 to 110 unmoderated groups,
from 42 to 43 moderated groups, from 152 to 153 total. In misc.*, from
14 to 14 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 2 moderated groups, from 17 to 16
total. In news.*, no change: 8 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups,
12 total. In rec.*, no change: 72 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated
groups, 77 total. In sci.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 2
moderated groups, 20 total. In soc.*, no change: 17 unmoderated
groups, 4 moderated groups, 21 total. In talk.*, no change: 11
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total. 310 total (60
moderated, 250 unmoderated).
Summary for inet (beginning numbers inferred): In comp.*, from 41 to 42
unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 45 to 46 total.
In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total.
In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total.
In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total.
In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total.
53 total (5 moderated, 48 unmoderated).
Overall summary (beginning numbers inferred): In comp.*, from 151 to
152 unmoderated groups, from 46 to 47 moderated groups, from 197 to 199
total. In misc.*, from 14 to 14 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 2
moderated groups, from 17 to 16 total. In news.*, no change: 9
unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, no change:
73 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 79 total. In sci.*, no
change: 21 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 23 total. In soc.*,
no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 22 total. In
talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total.
363 total (65 moderated, 298 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 7 August 1988)"
September 12, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 48...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 23 August 1988)"
September 12, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 48...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 11 September 1988)"
September 12, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 48...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
No changes, except that the description lines for the alt.* newsgroups
were rewritten (by whom?) so they actually made the groups sound worth
reading. (The previous ones tended to begin "Alternative discussion of
..." !)
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 11 September 1988)"
October 11, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 50...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 23 August 1988)"
October 11, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 50...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 10 October 1988)"
October 11, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 50...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
I'm well aware that the date shown in the subject line of this List of
Active Newsgroups suggests a posting between it and the one posted on
September 12. No in-between posting is archived, however, and the
Supersedes: header confirms that there was none.
Google contains a post dated October 2 that says that Gene Spafford
had (at that time recently) shut down the Backbone mailing list.
The first *archived* reference to a sci.space FAQ dates to September
17, 1988. The reference in question comes from Henry Spencer,
saying "Eugene [Miya, presumably], better put this one in your
frequently-asked-questions compilation." Message-ID
<1988Sep17.0...@utzoo.uucp>; posted to sci.space.shuttle.
Google preserves several more posts by Spencer and by Dani Eder in
the following days with similar remarks, suggesting to me that in
fact the document had yet to be posted, and this was a brainstorm
about what it might contain when it appeared. However, finally Miya
posted an answer, September 22, post <16...@eos.UUCP>, which I find
somewhat hard to parse, but if I'm reading it correctly, it indicates
that the FAQ in question was already appearing monthly. However,
several searches have failed to turn up any earlier references.
Meanwhile, welcome messages were spreading beyond the moderated
comp.* groups where they'd originated. In a post dated September
23, 1988, to news.admin, Charleen Bunjiovianna mentions that John
Haugh had been posting guidelines for misc.jobs.misc (other
sources indicate, actually for all of misc.jobs.*), and that she'd
used his text as a basis for similar posts to soc.men. There is
corroborating evidence of both series of posts existing, but this
is the earliest sign of them, and gives no hint as to how long they'd
already been appearing. See message-ID <55...@zodiac.UUCP>.
Added: comp.protocols.nfs.
comp.protocols.iso.x400 and comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1
above.
In this Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies post, Eliot Lear is first
listed as running bionet.*.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 110 to 111 unmoderated groups,
from 43 to 43 moderated groups, from 153 to 154 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In
news.*, no change: 8 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 12 total.
In rec.*, no change: 72 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 77
total. In sci.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups,
20 total. In soc.*, no change: 17 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated
groups, 21 total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 11 total. 311 total (60 moderated, 251 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 42 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 46 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (5 moderated, 48 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 152 to 153 unmoderated groups, from 47
to 47 moderated groups, from 199 to 200 total. In misc.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, no
change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*,
no change: 73 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 79 total. In
sci.*, no change: 21 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 23 total.
In soc.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 22
total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 11 total. 364 total (65 moderated, 299 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 12 November 1988)"
November 12, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 54...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 9 November 1988)"
November 12, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 54...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 12 November 1988)"
November 12, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 54...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
The Great Renaming FAQ, version 2, says the last act of the Backbone
Cabal was to sanction the "rush creation" of comp.sys.next, which is
shown in these lists. What I actually find in Google's archive is
a post from Gene Spafford that explicitly says that the Backbone
mailing list no longer existed, but that he would poll some news
admins to find out whether the rogue creation should be recognised
in the lists. This is dated by Google to October 20.
Although the acrimony over comp.society.women had helped dissolve its
internal unity, the backbone had really been done in by new technology:
most of Usenet's traffic by this time was on the Internet, whose leading
lights didn't necessarily care about Usenet, and no longer used the
UUCPnet the backbone admins controlled. There was no user revolution,
the newsgroup lists didn't show any immediate upheaval, and the document
describing the newsgroup creation process continued to claim that the
backbone admins could veto groups, for months to come; for all I know,
this could even have been true.
Another comp.* moderator had begun posting a welcome message:
T. William Wells in comp.archives, beginning with <1...@twwells.uucp>
on October 24, 1988.
Added: comp.sys.next, comp.windows.ms, rec.music.cd.
Removed: comp.binaries.hypercard.
Mac partisan that I am, I can't resist noting that on this List of
Active Newsgroups, and several to follow, a blank line appeared after
comp.windows.ms, as if to quarantine Microsoft Windows off from real
windowing systems... (When the blank line finally goes away, comp.virus
is added, un-alphabetically after comp.windows.*. I figure the blank
line was removed at that point to reduce the distance between the
Microsoft Windows group and the virus one, but anything's possible, of
course. :-)
comp.archives appeared on this List of Moderators, but not yet on this
List of Active Newsgroups (nor in the inet list), so is not counted in
the summary below. comp.protocols.iso.x400 and
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1 above.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 111 to 113 unmoderated groups,
from 43 to 42 moderated groups, from 154 to 155 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In
news.*, no change: 8 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 12 total.
In rec.*, from 72 to 73 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated
groups, from 77 to 78 total. In sci.*, no change: 18 unmoderated
groups, 2 moderated groups, 20 total. In soc.*, no change: 17
unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 21 total. In talk.*, no change:
11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total. 313 total (59
moderated, 254 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 42 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 46 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (5 moderated, 48 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 153 to 155 unmoderated groups, from 47
to 46 moderated groups, from 200 to 201 total. In misc.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, no
change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*,
from 73 to 74 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 79
to 80 total. In sci.*, no change: 21 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated
groups, 23 total. In soc.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 22 total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total. 366 total (64 moderated, 302
unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 3 December 1988)"
December 3, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 55...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 20 November 1988)"
December 3, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 55...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 3 December 1988)"
December 3, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 55...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
Added: comp.archives (which had already appeared on the previous List
of Moderators), comp.lang.sigplan.
comp.protocols.iso.x400 and comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1
above.
On the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups, the flag indicating that the
gateway might not work is removed from comp.sys.atari.8bit and
comp.sys.atari.st.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 113 to 113 unmoderated groups,
from 42 to 44 moderated groups, from 155 to 157 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In
news.*, no change: 8 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 12 total.
In rec.*, no change: 73 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 78
total. In sci.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups,
20 total. In soc.*, no change: 17 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated
groups, 21 total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0
moderated groups, 11 total. 315 total (61 moderated, 254 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 42 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 46 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (5 moderated, 48 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 155 to 155 unmoderated groups, from 46
to 48 moderated groups, from 201 to 203 total. In misc.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, no
change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*,
no change: 74 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 80 total. In
sci.*, no change: 21 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 23 total.
In soc.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 22
total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 11 total. 368 total (66 moderated, 302 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 30 December 1988)"
December 30, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 57...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 29 December 1988)"
December 30, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 57...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 29 December 1988)"
December 30, 1988
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 57...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
Added: comp.lang.eiffel, comp.org.ieee, rec.arts.misc, sci.military.
Removed: comp.arch.parallel-sym (inet), comp.sys.ibm.pc.net (inet).
A poster asked about comp.sys.ibm.pc.net (but not
comp.arch.parallel-sym) shortly after the previous posting run, and
Spafford actually said that it could be rmgrouped, having died.
This is probably the first announcement of an impending change in
inet, no?
comp.protocols.iso.x400 and comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1
above.
comp.dcom.modems is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups, as is
comp.text (but only with a unidirectional gateway). Meanwhile, the
unidirectional gateways for comp.emacs and comp.lang.c++ are removed; so
is the flag indicating that the gateway of comp.sys.misc might not work.
Duplicate gateways are added for rec.ham-radio.packet, rec.ham-radio,
and rec.video, and none are flagged as possibly broken (as the
previously existing gateways for rec.ham-radio and rec.video still are).
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 113 to 115 unmoderated groups,
from 44 to 44 moderated groups, from 157 to 159 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In
news.*, no change: 8 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 12 total.
In rec.*, from 73 to 74 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated
groups, from 78 to 79 total. In sci.*, from 18 to 18 unmoderated
groups, from 2 to 3 moderated groups, from 20 to 21 total. In soc.*, no
change: 17 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 21 total. In
talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total.
319 total (62 moderated, 257 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 42 to 40 unmoderated groups, from 4
to 4 moderated groups, from 46 to 44 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 51 total (5
moderated, 46 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, no net change: 155 unmoderated groups, 48
moderated groups, 203 total. In misc.*, no change: 14 unmoderated
groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, no change: 9
unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, from 74 to
75 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 80 to 81
total. In sci.*, from 21 to 21 unmoderated groups, from 2 to 3
moderated groups, from 23 to 24 total. In soc.*, no change: 18
unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 22 total. In talk.*, no change:
11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total. 370 total (67
moderated, 303 unmoderated).
This is the last newsgroup list/moderator list set known to me posted in
1988. This is also the date of the last "Alternative Newsgroup
Hierarchies" of the year. It includes 27 alt.* groups (only two of
which are at the third level; up from nine at year-end 1987), 22
bionet.* groups (up from sixteen), ten biz.* groups (new this year),
sixteen gnu.* groups (new), 51 inet groups (new), seven pubnet.* groups
(new), and five unix-pc.* groups (up from four), for a total of 138.
Annual summary: IN THE BIG SEVEN: In comp.*, from 96 to 115
unmoderated groups, from 43 to 44 moderated groups, from 139 to 159
total. In misc.*, from 14 to 14 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 2
moderated groups, from 17 to 16 total. In news.*, from 9 to 8
unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 13 to 12 total.
In rec.*, from 68 to 74 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 5 moderated
groups, from 75 to 79 total. In sci.*, from 16 to 18 unmoderated
groups, from 1 to 3 moderated groups, from 17 to 21 total. In soc.*,
from 16 to 17 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 20
to 21 total. In talk.*, from 10 to 11 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 10 to 11 total. Total, from 229 to 257
unmoderated groups, from 62 to 62 moderated groups, from 291 to 319
total.
IN INET: In comp.*, from 43 to 40 unmoderated groups, from 2 to 4
moderated groups, from 45 to 44 total. In news.*, from 1 to 1
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 1 to 1 total. In
rec.*, from 1 to 1 unmoderated group, from 1 to 1 moderated group, from
2 to 2 total. In sci.*, from 4 to 3 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 4 to 3 total. In soc.*, from 1 to 1 unmoderated
group, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 1 to 1 total. Total, from 50
to 46 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 5 moderated groups, from 53 to 51
total.
OVER ALL: In comp.*, from 139 to 155 unmoderated groups, from 45 to 48
moderated groups, from 184 to 203 total. In misc.*, from 14 to 14
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 2 moderated groups, from 17 to 16 total.
In news.*, from 10 to 9 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated
groups, from 14 to 13 total. In rec.*, from 69 to 75 unmoderated
groups, from 8 to 6 moderated groups, from 77 to 81 total. In sci.*,
from 20 to 21 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 3 moderated groups, from 21
to 24 total. In soc.*, from 17 to 18 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4
moderated groups, from 21 to 22 total. In talk.*, from 10 to 11
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 10 to 11 total.
Total, from 279 to 303 unmoderated groups, from 65 to 67 moderated
groups, from 344 to 370 total.
Joe Bernstein
first post in the series, for the year 1981, with Message-ID
<3c4a40c1$0$95686$892e...@authen.puce.readfreenews.net>.
In 1989, the voting method of newsgroup creation finally produced
significantly different results from that controlled entirely by the
Backbone Cabal. Although much of the year passed before such effects
were really noticeable, comp.* fell to only one third of the total
growth in newsgroups, and this much is visible right away. This is part
of a larger pattern in which 1989 looks *much* more like the years in
which I've known Usenet best than do any previous years: famous groups
such as comp.lang.perl, comp.infosystems, rec.org.sca, soc.feminism,
soc.religion.islam, news.newusers.questions, and (not least)
news.announce.newgroups appeared; group creation was far more common
than removal or change in moderation status; sub-hierarchies like
comp.sys.* and soc.culture.* became foci of particularistic growth; and
(as noted several times below) comp.* became the least comprehensible
part of the namespace. (It's common, these days, to criticise the
character-stinginess of the namers in the Great Renaming, and there's
some justice to that, but for sheer idiotic compression, nothing can
beat the comp.* namers of 1989.)
And oh, yes, news.announce.newgroups did appear; see the September list
below. The first most noticeable effect, I think, is a marked
acceleration of growth; I haven't tried to research whether votes failed
more often before this group's creation, but I think it likely just
based on what these lists show. This would fit the stated purpose of
the group, making proposals and calls for votes more visible. Other
effects would come later. In particular, note the two *.aquaria groups
created over the nan moderator's protests at year's end, the event with
which, alas, Lee Bumgarner's Great Renaming FAQ (version 2) closes, and
I lose my best guide to Usenet's history.
The single-group FAQ trend seems to have taken firm hold in 1989, though
it remained, as far as the archives show anyway, very limited even by
year's end. This is the last year for which I've attempted to locate
and name all such periodic postings; for 1990, searches on "faq" and
"frequently asked" produce nearly 3000 results, which is beyond my
capacity to deal with at this time.
(The next four paragraphs concern sources for these posts, and how I'm
using them, and like that; you can skip them if meta-talk doesn't
interest you.)
Another 1990s-like distinction for 1989 is that it's the first year
since 1982 with more months than newsgroup lists posted. In fact,
newsgroup lists would be even thinner on the ground for the next seven
years, and then vanish completely for a while, before roaring back to
near-clockwork semi-monthly posting again towards the 1990s' end.
Readers of the last couple of year-summaries may have been irritated at
the clunkily repetitive summary-structure for every list set discussed;
with so few groups being created, and mostly in a single hierarchy, why
provide full details for each list? Well, mainly because I knew that
soon enough, each list would be far enough apart that most or all of the
hierarchies would show changes every time. (Especially given the
explosive growth that is heralded by the last few lists below, and that
dominates the mid-1990s.) Several of the 1989 lists already offer only
one unchanged hierarchy.
The exception to this rule is the inet distribution, which changed only
slowly over the year, and would eventually freeze in place. I intend to
continue providing full summaries of inet for every list except in years
in which the distribution's list doesn't change at all. (There are no
such years for some time to come, however.)
But while the lists provide less material starting in 1989, nan itself
provides immensely more. For the months September 1989 to February
1991, I have everything Google offers from news.announce.newgroups on my
computer, *in chronological order*. I'm not yet using this to produce a
full chronology, but in my comments on the last four lists of this year,
and on the nine 1990-91 lists that cover this period, I mention items of
particular interest, so as to make available the more obvious steps in
the early evolution of nan as soon as possible. However, I presently
lack the time and disk space to produce a similar chronological
breakdown of the nan archive from ISC, which covers most of the period
from February 1991 forward (and which I can only keep on my disk drive
in a compressed form). Until that changes, I'm not going to attempt any
more thorough chronological work based on nan archives. Eventually I
want to note lots of firsts - complex moderated-group charters, for
example - as well as lasts - groups voted in without charters, or
without UVV votetakers, for example - and not just make a mechanical
list of CFD/RFDs, CFVs, RESULTs, and their dates. One thing that keenly
interests me is last groups added to the official lists despite breaking
this rule or that, for example, despite having no vote posted to nan, or
only a single-transferable-vote (STV).
I also hope to get from the nan archives, at long last, serious
statistics on passing and failed votes, as opposed to the statistics now
available, in which multi-group votes are handled in a variety of more
or less bizarre ways. But until I know when a group was last added to
the official lists without an nan vote, I won't know from what point nan
archives alone can be used to generate such statistics. This is why I'm
not trying to incorporate statistics on vote results into my 1989 or
1990 year-summaries as yet.
A final note: In the last third of this year, the Google archives for
the first time have a source other than the archives kept by Henry
Spencer at the Department of Zoology, University of Toronto; this is
when Jurgen Christoffel's archives begin.
Joe Bernstein
Lists of Newsgroups Posted in 1989
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 29 January 1989)"
January 30, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 59...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 29 January 1989)"
January 30, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 59...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 29 January 1989)"
January 30, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 59...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
The oldest surviving copy of "sci.military guidelines and etiquette"
dates to January 21, 1989, with message-ID <33...@cbnews.ATT.COM>,
from Bill Thacker, the group's moderator. Meanwhile, "Introduction
to comp.sys.amiga" by Edwin Hoogerbeets, whose apparently-first
appearance is January 25, with message-ID <47...@hcr.UUCP>, was
despite its name a comprehensive FAQ.
Added: rec.backcountry, rec.music.dementia, sci.environment.
Unmoderated in place: comp.text.desktop.
rec.mag.otherrealms was entirely omitted from this List of Moderators,
though still shown as moderated on the List of Active Newsgroups; this
appears to have been because the moderator was without a submission
address. comp.protocols.iso.x400 and comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway
were only partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under
June 1, 1988.
comp.protocols.nfs is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups, and
the unidirectional gateways for comp.emacs and comp.lang.c++ that were
missing from the last such list are once again listed.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 115 to 116 unmoderated groups,
from 44 to 43 moderated groups, from 159 to 159 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In
news.*, no change: 8 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 12 total.
In rec.*, from 74 to 76 unmoderated groups, from 5 (0 inactive) to 5 (1
inactive) moderated groups, from 79 to 81 total. In sci.*, from 18 to
19 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 21 to 22
total. In soc.*, no change: 17 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups,
21 total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 11 total. 322 or 321 total (61 or 60 moderated, 261
unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 40 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 44 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 51 total (5 moderated, 46 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 155 to 156 unmoderated groups, from 48
to 47 moderated groups, from 203 to 203 total. In misc.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, no
change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*,
from 75 to 77 unmoderated groups, from 6 (0 inactive) to 6 (1 inactive)
moderated groups, from 81 to 83 total. In sci.*, from 21 to 22
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 24 to 25 total.
In soc.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 22
total. In talk.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 11 total. 373 or 372 total (66 or 65 moderated, 307
unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 6 March 1989)"
March 7, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 61...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 6 March 1989)"
March 7, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 61...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 6 March 1989)"
March 7, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 61...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
On February 3, Bill Lipa, speaking for the moderators of
comp.sys.mac.digest, posted to comp.sys.mac an announcement that a
"Frequently-asked questions" directory had been created at the
Info-Mac archive. Message-ID
<CMM.0.88.602...@sumex-aim.stanford.edu>.
On February 13, the oldest surviving copy of "Elm Monthly Posting"
appeared in comp.mail.elm, posted by Syd Weinstein, with
message-ID <5...@dsinc.UUCP>.
On February 14, Brian O'Neill posted to comp.binaries.ibm.pc
"bin.man, Beginner's Guide to Binaries" and "ftp.man, Beginner's
Guide to Binaries", with message-IDs <56...@bsu-cs.UUCP> and
<56...@bsu-cs.UUCP> respectively, for the first time.
On February 8, 1990, James Roche reported on rec.woodworking that
he had "started posting a list of Frequently Asked Questions about
a year ago". That posting or series of postings doesn't survive;
the 1990 post is apparently a revival following a lapse in any event.
See <1990Feb8.1...@cs.rochester.edu>, which is a classic
8-question question-and-answer format FAQ.
Added: comp.unix.i386, soc.couples, soc.culture.turkish.
rec.mag.otherrealms was entirely omitted from this List of Moderators,
though still shown as moderated on the List of Active Newsgroups; this
appears to have been because the moderator was without a submission
address. comp.protocols.iso.x400 and comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway
were only partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under
June 1, 1988.
Noteworthy addition to alt.*: alt.dev.null.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 116 to 117 unmoderated groups,
from 43 to 43 moderated groups, from 159 to 160 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In
news.*, no change: 8 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 12 total.
In rec.*, no change: 76 unmoderated groups, 5 (1 inactive) moderated
groups, 81 total. In sci.*, no change: 19 unmoderated groups, 3
moderated groups, 22 total. In soc.*, from 17 to 19 unmoderated groups,
from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 21 to 23 total. In talk.*, no
change: 11 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total. 325 or
324 total (61 or 60 moderated, 264 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 40 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 44 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 51 total (5 moderated, 46 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 156 to 157 unmoderated groups, from 47
to 47 moderated groups, from 203 to 204 total. In misc.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, no
change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*,
no change: 77 unmoderated groups, 6 (1 inactive) moderated groups, 83
total. In sci.*, no change: 22 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups,
25 total. In soc.*, from 18 to 20 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4
moderated groups, from 22 to 24 total. In talk.*, no change: 11
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 11 total. 376 or 375 total (66
or 65 moderated, 308 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 9 April 1989)"
April 8, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 64...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 9 April 1989)"
April 8, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 64...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 7 April 1989)"
April 8, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 64...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
No, I don't have an explanation for the updates after posting dates of
the List of Active Newsgroups and the List of Moderators. They were
posted shortly after 21:00 GMT, which was afternoon by Gene Spafford's
local time, so it isn't a matter of time zones. I don't find discussion
of this oddity archived at Google, possibly because news.groups and
news.admin were at the time centres of considerable discussion over
proposals for new group creation rules or guidelines in the wake of
the Backbone's 1988 collapse.
After several uncharacteristically quiet months, the comp.* hierarchy
here reasserts its pre-eminence in group creation. And in 1989's parade
of bad naming in comp.*, inet presents the first entry, but not the
worst: comp.soft-sys.*, whose only member by year's end would still be
the group added in this list.
The "Introduction to REC.HUMOR.FUNNY" posted April 2, and the
"Guidelines for Submissions" posted April 3, by Brad Templeton, survive,
with message-IDs <30...@looking.UUCP> and <30...@looking.UUCP>
respectively.
Added: comp.ai.shells, comp.protocols.kerberos, comp.soft-sys.andrew
(inet), comp.sources.sun, rec.ham-radio.swap, sci.chem, sci.edu,
talk.politics.guns.
Unmoderated in place: comp.unix.ultrix.
comp.soft-sys.andrew appears, from discussion available at Google,
to have been created by Erik Fair in inet after comp.andrew had
been voted on but not created in the Big 7. Apparently there was
much dissension over naming.
rec.mag.otherrealms was entirely omitted from this List of Moderators,
though still shown as moderated on the List of Active Newsgroups; this
appears to have been because the moderator was without a submission
address. comp.protocols.iso.x400 and comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway
were only partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under
June 1, 1988.
comp.protocols.kerberos is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 117 to 119 unmoderated groups,
from 43 to 44 moderated groups, from 160 to 163 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In
news.*, no change: 8 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 12 total.
In rec.*, from 76 to 77 unmoderated groups, from 5 (1 inactive) to 5 (1
inactive) moderated groups, from 81 to 82 total. In sci.*, from 19 to
21 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 22 to 24
total. In soc.*, no change: 19 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups,
23 total. In talk.*, from 11 to 12 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 11 to 12 total. 332 or 331 total (62 or 61
moderated, 270 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 40 to 41 unmoderated groups, from 4
to 4 moderated groups, from 44 to 45 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 52 total (5
moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 157 to 160 unmoderated groups, from 47
to 48 moderated groups, from 204 to 208 total. In misc.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, no
change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*,
from 77 to 78 unmoderated groups, from 6 (1 inactive) to 6 (1 inactive)
moderated groups, from 83 to 84 total. In sci.*, from 22 to 24
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 25 to 27 total.
In soc.*, no change: 20 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 24
total. In talk.*, from 11 to 12 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 11 to 12 total. 384 or 383 total (67 or 66
moderated, 317 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 14 May 1989)"
May 15, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 67...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 14 May 1989)"
May 15, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 67...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 14 May 1989)"
May 15, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 67...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
In this same posting run, with Message-ID: 67...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu,
first appeared the document that, much revised, is still arguably the
"official" newsgroup creation process for the Big 8: the guidelines
written by Greg Woods. Numerous changes in detail have since occurred,
generally in the direction of greater formality and more precise rules,
and there have also been a few more significant changes (much the most
important of which is described below under September). But the posting
of May 15, 1989 describes a system recognisably like that in place
today.
The Big 7 could hardly allow inet to keep the distinction of the worst
sub-hierarchy name; hence comp.sw.*, as shown in this List of Active
Newsgroups. There is, however, still worse to come in comp.*. We also
got, at this time, the orphan sub-hierarchy soc.culture.asian.*.
(I am pleased to report that a single thread preserved at Google shows
both Eliot Lear and, in his first archived posting to news.groups,
David Lawrence roundly condemning comp.sw.*. See if you wish
http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=Apr.27.01.56.03.1989.27993%40NET.BIO.NET
and become enlightened...)
Steven Grimm's "Receiving and unpacking binaries" appeared in
comp.binaries.atari.st on May 9, if not sooner, with message-ID
that date of <70...@saturn.ucsc.edu>.
Added: comp.mail.mush, comp.realtime, comp.sw.components,
comp.sys.isis, comp.virus, soc.culture.asian.american.
rec.mag.otherrealms reappears, with new addresses, starting with this
List of Moderators. comp.protocols.iso.x400 and
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988.
Noteworthy addition to alt.*: alt.sex.bondage, the first alt.sex.*
subgroup to be listed.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 119 to 123 unmoderated groups,
from 44 to 45 moderated groups, from 163 to 168 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In
news.*, no change: 8 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 12 total.
In rec.*, from 77 to 77 unmoderated groups, from 5 (1 inactive) to 5 (0
inactive) moderated groups, from 82 to 82 total. In sci.*, no change:
21 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 24 total. In soc.*, from 19
to 20 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 23 to 24
total. In talk.*, no change: 12 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 12 total. 338 total (63 moderated, 275 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 41 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 45 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 52 total (5 moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 160 to 164 unmoderated groups, from 48
to 49 moderated groups, from 208 to 213 total. In misc.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, no
change: 9 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*,
from 78 to 78 unmoderated groups, from 6 (1 inactive) to 6 (0 inactive)
moderated groups, from 84 to 84 total. In sci.*, no change: 24
unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 27 total. In soc.*, from 20 to
21 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 24 to 25
total. In talk.*, no change: 12 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 12 total. 390 total (68 moderated, 322 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 19 June 1989)"
June 20, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 69...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 19 June 1989)"
June 20, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 69...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 19 June 1989)"
June 20, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 69...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
At this time it appears that discussions of what became
news.announce.newgroups had begun, initially as a proposal to
moderate news.groups and create unmoderated news.groups.d. Greg
Woods seems to have been a consensus choice for a moderator, and
although he wasn't the first to suggest making the new group the
moderated one instead, supported the idea early; interestingly,
David Lawrence's participation in this debate includes arguing
*against* the switch (that is, *for* moderating news.groups in
place). Lawrence is also to be seen talking about what motivates
moderators:
<http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=TALE.89Jun5070524%40imagine.pawl.rpi.edu>
On May 31, Steve Hayman posted message-ID <21...@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>,
"Proposed monthly comp.unix.{questions,wizards} article", to those
two groups. Another draft followed a week later; it then appeared
monthly from July 1989 to October 1990 under the subject line "Welcome
to comp.unix.questions and comp.unix.wizards [Monthly posting]".
Hayman also posted "Frequently Asked Questions about Unix - with
Answers [Monthly posting]" from August 1989 to December 1991.
The first archived FAQ in sci.space or its subgroups is dated
June 10, posted by Eugene Miya, with subject line "Frequently
asked SPACE questions" and message-ID
<890610110...@amelia.nas.nasa.gov>. It is patently skeletal;
subsequent postings in 1989-1990 flesh it out (see
<http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=89061100...@amelia.nas.nasa.gov>,
of course). Were it not for the *frequent* references, primarily by
Henry Spencer, to its having already been written and posted, I would
find the series of posts in that thread a perfectly plausible example
of a posting going from first draft to full size over time.
The first archived use of the abbreviation "FAQ" is a reference
to an existing "FAQ database" maintained by Chris Torek, the
reference being posted by Karl Heuer to comp.lang.c on May 26, 1989,
message-ID <13...@haddock.ima.isc.com>. No followups are preserved;
this may mean that nobody needed the acronym explained, or may just
be yet another example of the archives' unreliability at this time.
The acronym turns up again some days later on comp.unix.questions,
in the thread that led to Steve Hayman's postings noted above.
Added: rec.music.newage, sci.med.physics, sci.physics.fusion,
soc.feminism.
comp.protocols.iso.x400 and comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1,
1988.
Up to this Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies posting, the biz.* groups
had been listed without description lines. They were put into the
normal format in this posting, with most description lines consisting of
"???".
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, no change: 123 unmoderated groups,
45 moderated groups, 168 total. In misc.*, no change: 14 unmoderated
groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, no change: 8
unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 12 total. In rec.*, from 77 to
78 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 82 to 83
total. In sci.*, from 21 to 23 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3
moderated groups, from 24 to 26 total. In soc.*, from 20 to 20
unmoderated groups, from 4 to 5 moderated groups, from 24 to 25 total.
In talk.*, no change: 12 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 12
total. 342 total (64 moderated, 278 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 41 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 45 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 52 total (5 moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, no change: 164 unmoderated groups, 49
moderated groups, 213 total. In misc.*, no change: 14 unmoderated
groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, no change: 9
unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 13 total. In rec.*, from 78 to
79 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 84 to 85
total. In sci.*, from 24 to 26 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3
moderated groups, from 27 to 29 total. In soc.*, from 21 to 21
unmoderated groups, from 4 to 5 moderated groups, from 25 to 26 total.
In talk.*, no change: 12 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 12
total. 394 total (69 moderated, 325 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 21 Jul 1989)"
July 22, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 74...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 21 Jul 1989)"
July 22, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 74...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 21 Jul 1989)"
July 22, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 74...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
With these lists, the inet-included total of groups reaches 400.
"Introduction to rec.mag.otherrealms" by Chuq von Rospach seems to
have been posted for the first time July 17, with message-ID
<33...@apple.Apple.COM>.
Added: comp.sys.mips, news.software.anu, rec.arts.tv.uk, sci.energy,
soc.culture.nordic, talk.rape.
comp.protocols.iso.x400 and comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1,
1988.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 123 to 124 unmoderated groups,
from 45 to 45 moderated groups, from 168 to 169 total. In misc.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In
news.*, from 8 to 9 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups,
from 12 to 13 total. In rec.*, from 78 to 79 unmoderated groups, from 5
to 5 moderated groups, from 83 to 84 total. In sci.*, from 23 to 24
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 26 to 27 total.
In soc.*, from 20 to 21 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated
groups, from 25 to 26 total. In talk.*, from 12 to 13 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 12 to 13 total. 348 total
(64 moderated, 284 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 41 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 45 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 52 total (5 moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 164 to 165 unmoderated groups, from 49
to 49 moderated groups, from 213 to 214 total. In misc.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 16 total. In news.*, from 9
to 10 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 13 to 14
total. In rec.*, from 79 to 80 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6
moderated groups, from 85 to 86 total. In sci.*, from 26 to 27
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 29 to 30 total.
In soc.*, from 21 to 22 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated
groups, from 26 to 27 total. In talk.*, from 12 to 13 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 12 to 13 total. 400 total
(69 moderated, 331 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 2 Sep 1989)"
September 3, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 78...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 2 Sep 1989)"
September 3, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 78...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 3 Sep 1989)"
September 3, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 78...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
With the advent of news.announce.newgroups August 5, the newsgroup
creation system once again could have a single point of failure, or a
controller, or what you will, and if anything more strongly than in the
days of the Backbone Cabal (when Gene Spafford was the backbone's
mailing list operator as well as the list-poster, but was not the only
voice). In this posting run, a revision of the guidelines appeared
(Message-ID: 78...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu), in which Calls For Discussion,
Calls For Votes, and Results were all required to appear in
news.announce.newgroups. In reality, the first two moderators of nan
routinely reposted CFVs that had previously appeared in news.groups, and
CFDs were mildly uncommon sightings in the new group for some time to
come. The first moderator, Greg Woods, expressly said, as early as
September 26, that he had no problem with groups that avoided nan since
"the net" evidently didn't either. But the new rules did gradually take
hold, and as they did, the position of moderator of
news.announce.newgroups became one capable of influencing the creation
of groups to a greater extent than had hitherto been possible. Although
I doubt that any moderator to date has intentionally abused this power,
over the course of the next decade it would have a shaping, and not
entirely benign, effect.
On the other hand, the first aquaria-related proposal in nan appeared on
October 4th, and on October 16th there was a call for votes for
sci.aquaria ("sort of moderated", and with a moderator's note stating a
"violation of the guidelines"). The nan moderator certainly wasn't
calling all the shots *yet*. :-) :-(
(Actually, he explicitly didn't want to. From post <39...@ncar.ucar.edu>,
in which Greg Woods announced that "news.announce.newgroups is up",
the following fairly astonishing statement: "Articles will only be
rejected for two reasons: 1) They do not meet the newsgroup's charter
(which includes followups to previous articles; the charter specifically
prohibits this); and 2) They appear to be accidental violations of the
newsgroup creation guidelines. Articles which state that the poster is
aware of the guidelines violation will be posted provided that they are
within the charter of the group. In any case, any article rejected for
reason #2 above will be posted anyway if the poster insists upon it after
being informed of the violation." Also in this article he stated that he
would fish postings out of news.groups for two months. In another post
the same date he supplied the revision of the Guidelines mentioned above.)
Another August 8 article in nan announced bionet.agroforestry, courtesy
of Eliot Lear, about whom we'll soon hear much more. The next day, the
first extremely silly proposal in nan appeared: newstalk.talk. And on
August 11, Woods apologised for the bionet.* announcement, noting that
it violated the nan charter, and announced a call for votes on changing
the charter to permit such announcements; on August 16 he reported that
sentiment was heavily in favour of them, and announced a policy under
which they would be posted.
On a much more trivial note, the list of gatewayed Big 7 newsgroups in
this List of Active Newsgroups was alphabetised, for the first time
since the Great Renaming, making it considerably easier for me to use
for data entry, and probably also considerably easier for any readers at
the time to get information from as well :-).
On August 2, Tom Neff claimed in news.newusers.questions that "Other
newsgroups devoted to specific topics often have monthly Frequently
Asked Questions articles". Hmmm. This is so in conflict with my
searches' results that I'd be worried, except that this remark was
a prelude to suggesting an FAQ for nnq (as opposed to the one in
news.announce.newusers, doubtless?).
There had by this time been intermittent discussions of a group-
specific FAQ for comp.os.vms for two years. Finally on August 3
Tom Limoncelli posted "Monthly Posting PART 1 (intro) [TEST RUN]"
with message-ID <890803061...@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>. He posted
a second draft and then unveiled "Monthly Posting Part 1" and "Part
2" on October 5.
Added: comp.os.mach, misc.emerg-services, misc.headlines.unitex,
news.announce.newgroups, news.newusers.questions, rec.music.dylan,
sci.aeronautics, sci.skeptic, soc.culture.hongkong, soc.culture.taiwan,
soc.rights.human.
misc.headlines.unitex was not listed on this List of Moderators, though
shown as moderated on this List of Active Newsgroups; on the other hand,
misc.headlines, shown as unmoderated on this and all previous Lists of
Active Newsgroups, did appear on this List of Moderators. In the
summary below, I treat misc.headlines.unitex as moderated and
misc.headlines as unmoderated. comp.protocols.iso.x400 and
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988.
On the list of gatewayed Big 7 newsgroups, the gateways flagged as
unsure to work for rec.ham-radio, rec.ham-radio.packet, and rec.video
are no longer listed as of this List of Active Newsgroups (but for each
group, a gateway *not* so flagged continues to appear).
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 124 to 125 unmoderated groups,
from 45 to 45 moderated groups, from 169 to 170 total. In misc.*, from
14 to 15 unmoderated groups, from 2 (0 inactive) to 3 (1 inactive)
moderated groups, from 16 to 18 total. In news.*, from 9 to 10
unmoderated groups, from 4 to 5 moderated groups, from 13 to 15 total.
In rec.*, from 79 to 80 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated
groups, from 84 to 85 total. In sci.*, from 24 to 26 unmoderated
groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 27 to 29 total. In soc.*,
from 21 to 24 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 26
to 29 total. In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 13 total. 359 total (66 [1 inactive] moderated, 293
unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 41 unmoderated groups, 4
moderated groups, 45 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 52 total (5 moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 165 to 166 unmoderated groups, from 50
to 50 moderated groups, from 214 to 215 total. In misc.*, from 14 to 15
unmoderated groups, from 2 (0 inactive) to 3 (1 inactive) moderated
groups, from 16 to 18 total. In news.*, from 10 to 11 unmoderated
groups, from 4 to 5 moderated groups, from 14 to 16 total. In rec.*,
from 80 to 81 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 86
to 87 total. In sci.*, from 27 to 29 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3
moderated groups, from 30 to 32 total. In soc.*, from 22 to 25
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 27 to 30 total.
In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13
total. 411 total (71 [1 inactive] moderated, 340 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 16 Oct 1989)"
October 17, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 83...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 16 Oct 1989)"
October 17, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 83...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 16 Oct 1989)"
October 17, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 83...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
news.announce.newgroups is much better archived, in this era, than is
news.groups. I can thus inform you that, per a result posted September
15, there were only eighteen brave souls who voted against the third
and, I think, worst of the major comp.* namespace crimes of 1989,
comp.dsp. Evidently the voting process has never, in fact, been a
particularly reliable way to make good namespace.
The other significant items from nan between September 3 and October 17,
the aquaria debates, I already mentioned under the previous list, where
I needed them in order to write that discussion the way I wanted to.
From here on out, items from nan will *usually* appear under the lists
*following* the date they appeared in nan, and above the lists of groups
added, etc., but I reserve the right to make more exceptions.
Meanwhile on news.groups, amid the discussion that resulted in
shortening the minimum time for a vote to 21 days, Brad Templeton
suggested (not for the first time) centralising votes to achieve
impartiality, and David Lawrence noted that he had volunteered
before to do this. (That volunteering appears not to be archived.)
<http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=34724%40apple.Apple.COM>
This is not precisely a foreshadowing of the Usenet Volunteer
Votetakers of 1993 - rather, a proposal for a *single* votetaker
for all votes - but clearly indicates that votetaking was already
seen as a significant problem.
T. William Wells, moderator of comp.archives, on September 4 added
"How to access the comp.archives database" to his existing welcome
post; message-ID <1989Sep4.0...@twwells.com>.
The first example of dueling FAQs known to me *does* belong to
sci.space. Bill Higgins posted "Frequently Asked Questions,
Higgins version", message-ID <Added.AZ6GGt...@andrew.cmu.edu>,
on September 21. However, this post included only questions, not
answers. I have looked only minimally at FAQs from 1990 and
beyond, but I have the *impression* that sometime within the next
two years a new FAQ did in fact appear.
Added: comp.dsp, comp.object, comp.security.announce (inet),
comp.sys.mac.hardware, comp.unix.aix, misc.rural,
news.software.anu-news, rec.gambling, sci.econ, soc.culture.sri-lanka.
Removed: news.software.anu.
The apparent renaming of news.software.anu simply brings the group's
name per the List of Active Newsgroups into conformity with the name
voted on, and apparently actually created.
The proponent and votetaker for comp.sys.mac.hardware was an Apple
employee at the time. Interestingly, I find *no* attacks on him
for this archived. (He was by this time a Usenet veteran, so I'm
not saying it would have been *right* to treat this proposal as an
example of corporate self-interest; but I'd have thought someone
would have treated it so anyway, given the reputation Usenet at
the time had where commercialism was concerned.) Instead, this
proposal became the centre of discussion of shorter voting periods
than the then-required 30 days, and the votetaker got away with
posting full partial results every week during the vote as an aid
to this discussion!
On this List of Moderators, the misc.headlines[.unitex] mess was
straightened out. comp.protocols.iso.x400,
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and (beginning now)
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 125 to 129 unmoderated groups,
from 45 to 45 moderated groups, from 170 to 174 total. In misc.*, from
15 to 16 unmoderated groups, from 3 (1 inactive) to 3 (0 inactive)
moderated groups, from 18 to 19 total. In news.*, no net change: 10
unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 15 total. In rec.*, from 80 to
81 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 85 to 86
total. In sci.*, from 26 to 27 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3
moderated groups, from 29 to 30 total. In soc.*, from 24 to 25
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 29 to 30 total.
In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13
total. 367 total (66 moderated, 301 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 41 to 41 unmoderated groups, from 4
to 5 moderated groups, from 45 to 46 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (6
moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 166 to 170 unmoderated groups, from 49
to 50 moderated groups, from 215 to 220 total. In misc.*, from 15 to 16
unmoderated groups, from 3 (1 inactive) to 3 (0 inactive) moderated
groups, from 18 to 19 total. In news.*, no net change: 11 unmoderated
groups, 5 moderated groups, 16 total. In rec.*, from 81 to 82
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 87 to 88 total.
In sci.*, from 29 to 30 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups,
from 32 to 33 total. In soc.*, from 25 to 26 unmoderated groups, from 5
to 5 moderated groups, from 30 to 31 total. In talk.*, no change: 13
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. 420 total (72
moderated, 348 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 2 Nov 1989)"
November 7, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 85...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 6 Nov 1989)"
November 7, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 85...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 2 Nov 1989)"
November 7, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 85...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
In the ongoing spirit of uncertain authority, a CFD/CFV for
"rec.aquarium" appeared in nan on October 19, with a moderator's note
referring to a "violation" but saying "The author insists on posting it
anyway."
The first single-transferable-vote CFV in nan, for {comp|sci}.groupware,
appeared October 27, the proponent (not the moderator) noting "a
violation of the letter of the guidelines". (In the second CFV,
November 16, the moderator did note that the proposed creation of two
groups with a single vote was a violation too. As it turned out, only
one group wound up on the official lists, although the result posting
announced two, December 5.)
Two periodic posts that aren't quite FAQs but seemed worth noting
appeared in the fall of 1989. On October 13, a guide to versions
of the game appeared in rec.games.empire; on November 23, a guide to
versions of the language appeared in comp.lang.c++.
Jef Poskanzer introduced a weekly FAQ for comp.graphics on October 31;
he posted it at least through year's end.
Possibly the best known descendant of the single-group FAQ phenomenon
is the Internet Movie DataBase, or IMDB. Its earliest archived
antecedent is Randal Schwartz's plea for a rec.arts.movies FAQ
dated November 3; discussion followed in November. Steve Scher
took the lead on actually developing it. No actual FAQ appears to
have been posted in 1989.
Added: comp.infosystems, comp.os.os2, comp.sys.m88k, rec.org.sca,
soc.culture.korean, soc.culture.latin-america.
Removed: misc.headlines.unitex. (Only the good die young?)
(No. Actually, misc.headlines.unitex was perhaps the first poster
child for the idea that moderators own their groups. The idea seems
to have been established earlier, but this is the earliest case known
to me in which that idea became central to a controversy. The
group's history is interesting, and I'm not even slightly confident
that I can tell that controversy here in a way I would consider
reliably accurate, so I'm just going to refer you to the archives,
but also note that one aspect to the story involves a fight over
what was seen as "commercialisation" of Usenet. This is interesting
to me for two reasons: 1 - as a contrast to the comp.sys.mac.* split
situation described above; 2 - as a comparison to the fact that I
have accepted, and will continue to accept, donations in return for
the work this thread represents.)
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 129 to 132 unmoderated groups,
from 45 to 45 moderated groups, from 174 to 177 total. In misc.*, from
16 to 16 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 2 moderated groups, from 19 to 18
total. In news.*, no change: 10 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated
groups, 15 total. In rec.*, from 81 to 82 unmoderated groups, from 5 to
5 moderated groups, from 86 to 87 total. In sci.*, no change: 27
unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 30 total. In soc.*, from 25 to
27 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 30 to 32
total. In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 13 total. 372 total (65 moderated, 307 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 41 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 46 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (6 moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 170 to 173 unmoderated groups, from 50
to 50 moderated groups, from 220 to 223 total. In misc.*, from 16 to 16
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 2 moderated groups, from 19 to 18 total.
In news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 16
total. In rec.*, from 82 to 83 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6
moderated groups, from 88 to 89 total. In sci.*, no change: 30
unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 33 total. In soc.*, from 26 to
28 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 31 to 33
total. In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 13 total. 425 total (71 moderated, 354 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 22 Dec 1989)"
December 23, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 91...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 11 Dec 1989)"
December 23, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 91...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 23 Dec 1989)"
December 23, 1989
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 91...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
In a moderator's note on a first CFV for soc.culture.iranian, posted
November 14, Woods did note the lack of preceding discussion, but didn't
bother to use the word "violation" in referring to this, or even to
mention the fact that the CFV called for a 47-day voting period. The
second CFV appeared December 26! (But with the same date for close of
vote, five days later.) Finally, on January 2, 1990, the proponent
announced cancellation of the vote "due to numerous objections and
comments from administrative and individual sources regarding the
violation of guidelines". The rules were not necessarily being
enforced, but they were taking hold.
In contrast to his hands-off approach in that case, on November 17,
Woods not only announced new rules on cross-posting, but also a survey
to help him decide whether to require a 2/3rds YES vote for group
passage in the guidelines. On December 3, he posted the results of this
survey, showing 255 in favour of the 2/3rd rule and 32 against, and
therefore stating that the rule was now in force. (I have in the past
claimed on Usenet that he never posted the results of this survey or
vote. I was wrong. I'm sorry.) Some of the NO voters are
interestingly prominent: Werner Uhrig, Brad Templeton, David Sill, and
Eliot Lear (who is not as well known these days as he should be, but see
the 1988 year-summary under October 11, and the 1990 year-summary
throughout). But the YES voters include a gallery of famous names, and
did carry the day.
Peter da Silva's first STV vote in nan began with a CFV intended to
settle the *.aquari* issue, posted November 22, shortly before the
failure of the rec.aquarium vote appeared (November 29). The passing
vote result for sci.aquaria does not seem to have appeared in nan,
hardly surprising considering that that vote was the inspiration for the
2/3rds rule. For a biased take on unusual campaign methods in the
sci.aquaria vote, see the proponent's comments in reporting the failure
of rec.aquarium. On December 12, da Silva reported a passing vote for
rec.aquaria.
On November 29, a posting to nan announced a mailing list gateway for
misc.emerg-services. This gateway did not appear on the list of
gatewayed Big 7 newsgroups in the next List of Active Newsgroups.
Also on November 29, nan included an apology for the rogue creation of
comp.sys.ti.geneve without discussion or vote. See above re
soc.culture.iranian.
On December 22, Woods announced that he was going on vacation until
December 27, the first nan Christmas break announcement. (We notice
that Gene Spafford waited until *the next day* to post a list including
both *.aquaria groups. Some may call it conspiracy! :-)
This posting run also unveiled another list-post: Rich Kulawiec
had written a "List of Periodic Informational Postings". This
initial one includes some but not all of the FAQs noted in this
and the preceding two year-summaries - rec.arts.drwho, for example,
and sci.space, are omitted, while comp.graphics and comp.unix.*
are not. At any rate, it would be possible to use this series of
posts, maintained until the end of 1991 by Kulawiec and from then
until the present by the successive moderators of news.answers, to
track FAQs forward from 1989, but I have chosen not to delay this
series of posts in order to do this in the succeeding year-summaries;
the work I've already done, I think, suffices for tracing the early
chronology and history of the FAQ. Please note, however, that at
least the first of these lists is riddled with errors, especially
but not only in the assessment of posting frequency.
It did, however, make known to me the "Monthly posting guidelines
for rec.guns" by Sean Sheedy, moderator; the oldest surviving
copy dates to December 3, and has message-ID <37...@ism780c.isc.com>.
Added: comp.groupware, comp.lang.perl, comp.org.usenix.roomshare,
comp.sys.ncr, rec.aquaria, rec.models.rockets, rec.radio.shortwave,
rec.sport.soccer, sci.aquaria, soc.culture.asean, soc.religion.islam.
comp.org.usenix.roomshare is of interest as a relatively late
example of a group added despite blatant violation of the
Guidelines; see please
<http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=2579%40.stc.co.uk> for
a thread to which I also refer below.
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988.
The Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies includes so many new alt.* groups
that I strongly suspect a case of year-end catch-up. Noteworthy:
alt.callahans; alt.politics.homosexuality, the start of that
sub-hierarchy. This is also the first list to include clari.*, which
nearly doubled the number of groups listed. (An announcement listing
dozens of clari.* groups, but possibly not all of them, had appeared in
news.announce.newgroups on September 20.)
I find it interesting that Peter da Silva, in a post dated November
16, proposed as a "radical new departure for newsgroups" essentially
the same delegation-of-authority idea that would be central to his
Usenet II net.* hierarchy a decade later. In discussion of
comp.org.usenix.roomshare a month or so later (this paragraph is a
result of a search on "inet", as is the paragraph above about that
newsgroup), Michael Berch and Brad Templeton echo the general idea.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 132 to 136 unmoderated groups,
from 45 to 45 moderated groups, from 177 to 181 total. In misc.*, no
change: 16 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 18 total. In
news.*, no change: 10 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 15 total.
In rec.*, from 82 to 86 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated
groups, from 87 to 91 total. In sci.*, from 27 to 28 unmoderated
groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 30 to 31 total. In soc.*,
from 27 to 28 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups, from 32
to 34 total. In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 13 total. 383 total (66 moderated, 317 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 41 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 46 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (6 moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 173 to 177 unmoderated groups, from 50
to 50 moderated groups, from 223 to 227 total. In misc.*, no change:
16 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 18 total. In news.*, no
change: 11 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 16 total. In rec.*,
from 83 to 87 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 89
to 90 total. In sci.*, from 30 to 31 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3
moderated groups, from 33 to 34 total. In soc.*, from 28 to 29
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups, from 33 to 35 total.
In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13
total. 436 total (72 moderated, 364 unmoderated).
This is the last newsgroup list/moderator list set known to me posted in
1989. This is also the date of the last "Alternative Newsgroup
Hierarchies" of the year. It includes 51 alt.* groups (up from 27 at
year-end 1988), twenty bionet.* groups (down from 22), eleven biz.*
groups (up from ten), 125 clari.* groups (new this year), twenty gnu.*
groups (up from sixteen), 53 inet groups (up from 51), two ddn.* groups
(new), seven pubnet.* groups (unchanged), five unix-pc.* groups
(unchanged), five u3b.* groups (new), and eight vmsnet.* groups (new),
for a total of 307 (up from 138).
Annual summary: IN THE BIG SEVEN: In comp.*, from 115 to 136
unmoderated groups, from 44 to 45 moderated groups, from 159 to 181
total. In misc.*, from 14 to 16 unmoderated groups, from 2 to 2
moderated groups, from 16 to 18 total. In news.*, from 8 to 10
unmoderated groups, from 4 to 5 moderated groups, from 12 to 15 total.
In rec.*, from 74 to 86 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated
groups, from 79 to 91 total. In sci.*, from 18 to 28 unmoderated
groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 21 to 31 total. In soc.*,
from 17 to 28 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 6 moderated groups, from 21
to 34 total. In talk.*, from 11 to 13 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 11 to 13 total. Total, from 256 to 316
unmoderated groups, from 62 to 66 moderated groups, from 319 to 383
total.
IN INET: In comp.*, from 40 to 41 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 5
moderated groups, from 44 to 46 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. Total, from 46 to 47
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups, from 51 to 53 total.
OVER ALL: In comp.*, from 155 to 177 unmoderated groups, from 48 to 50
moderated groups, from 203 to 227 total. In misc.*, from 14 to 16
unmoderated groups, from 2 to 2 moderated groups, from 16 to 18 total.
In news.*, from 9 to 11 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 5 moderated
groups, from 13 to 16 total. In rec.*, from 75 to 87 unmoderated
groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 81 to 93 total. In sci.*,
from 21 to 31 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 24
to 34 total. In soc.*, from 18 to 29 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 6
moderated groups, from 22 to 35 total. In talk.*, from 11 to 13
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 11 to 13 total.
Total, from 303 to 364 unmoderated groups, from 67 to 72 moderated
groups, from 370 to 436 total.
--
Joe Bernstein, writer j...@sfbooks.com
Joe Bernstein
just as well, the post already being so long, but anyway:
In article <bo1d7a$ih8$1...@reader2.panix.com>, I wrote:
> "List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 2 Nov 1989)"
> November 7, 1989
> news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
> Message-ID: 85...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
The oldest archived use of the phrase "Big 7" to refer to newsgroup
hierarchies appears to be in a post by John Coolidge to news.sysadmin
on October 26, 1989, with message-ID
<1989Oct26.1...@brutus.cs.uiuc.edu>. The next two or three
uses of this phrase also appear to be Coolidge's, before it spreads.
> "List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 22 Dec 1989)"
> December 23, 1989
> news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
> Message-ID: 91...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
The oldest archived use of the phrase "Big Seven" to refer to newsgroup
hierarchies appears to be in a post by David Lawrence to news.groups
on November 15, 1989, with message-ID <1989Nov15....@rpi.edu>.
This conveys to me the impression that there was, at this time, a felt
need for a better label for these hierarchies than "world". I don't
know whether this is connected with the attempt made by some pro-inet
admins to convince people that the "official" groups, the "world"
groups, were really the "world" distribution, complete with headers
Distribution: world
on every article; I seem to recall that this attempt was later, but
have no ready way to check right now.
Alternatively, however, it's perfectly possible that the coincidence
is just a result of Jurgen Christoffel's archives preserving
discussion in much greater quantities than the ones from Toronto,
and the phrases in question really date to 1986-1988.
Anyway, "Big 7" is pretty consistently my label in this thread for
the "official" groups, regardless of contemporary practice.
Joe Bernstein
Joe Bernstein
first post in the series, for the year 1981, with Message-ID
<3c4a40c1$0$95686$892e...@authen.puce.readfreenews.net>.
The single most prominent aspect of the 1990 lists, to me as the
compiler of these posts, is the increasing number of errors. The lists'
poster, Gene Spafford, wrote in his farewell note that he stopped
posting them for several months once essentially due to burnout; the
months in question begin at the end of 1990, and the burnout is visible
some months earlier. (The resulting gap between lists is arguably the
longest thus far since 1982.)
Obviously, if the flashiest events of 1990 were a bunch of typos, 1990
should have been a relatively quiet year as far as *substantive* changes
in the list of newsgroups are concerned, and I think that to be true.
The list didn't stop growing, nor did it grow especially fast, and with
one exception the growth wasn't concentrated all that much in any one
part of the Big 7. The exception, though, heralds the explosive growth
still to come in the 1990s: this is the year in which a number of the
comp.* sub-hierarchies devoted to specific systems took their first
steps towards their current form, usually by way of "reorganizations"
that created a whole bunch of groups at once.
This is the only year for which I have a(n almost) full, chronologically
organised, archive of news.announce.newgroups. Much of the material of
this post is drawn from that archive, rather than from the lists of
newsgroups, because I think it's worth using the archive I've got now;
who knows what the future holds?
I regret that I can't continue, in this or the subsequent posts,
reporting on new FAQs. I don't consider the "List of Periodic
Informational Postings" an especially reliable guide to the subject,
at least not at such early dates, and there are far too many
references to FAQs archived at Google from 1990 for me to go through
them looking for actual documents. (About half the documents
mentioned in the 1987 to 1989 posts came from the LPIP, the other
half from such Google searches, with minimal overlap.) I intend for
the final versions of the hierarchy-summaries to include notes on
each group's FAQs, but I don't know if I'll ever do the final
versions, and the hierarchy-summaries meant to appear along with
the 1995 to ?2004 year-summaries as the third phase of this project
will certainly not note FAQs systematically.
Joe Bernstein
Lists of Newsgroups Posted in 1990
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 16 Feb 1990)"
February 17, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 97...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 16 Feb 1990)"
February 17, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 97...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 16 Feb 1990)"
February 17, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 97...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
Supersedes headers indicate a previous posting run, with Message-IDs
respectively of 9709, 9711, and 97...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu, but this is
not archived, and may simply have been a swiftly-cancelled draft
posting.
The shakedown of news.announce.newgroups continued. I'm going to
mention here a bunch of posts indicating ways in which it was not yet
nan as we know it. Yes, this is how this post, despite having only
seven list-posting runs to report on, will be bulked up; but have no
fear, for this will only last into February of 1991, where my
chronologically-organised archive of news.announce.newgroups gives out.
MODERATOR: On January 4, Greg Woods posted an announcement that he
would be on vacation from January 17 until February 3, and that Eliot
Lear, best known hitherto as the head of the bionet.* hierarchy, would
be filling in for him. On January 16, he announced that he would be
gone for *three* weeks. He would not be heard from again in
news.announce.newgroups, the group he had created. Eliot Lear, to my
mind the great unsung hero of this phase of the Big 7's history, stayed
on the job.
GUIDELINES: Perhaps the most important sign of How Things Were is the
CFD posted February 7 by David Stodolsky for a change in the Guidelines
to allow STV voting. Stodolsky notes correctly that this would merely
conform the Guidelines to existing practice. Also concerning the
Guidelines, on February 15 Edward Vielmetti proposed a "mercy rule" by
which proposals with overwhelmingly more YES than NO votes could close
voting early. Neither of these proposals appears to have gone anywhere.
The 2/3rds minimum for YES votes (the *only* proposed guideline change
known to me to have proceeded from an nan proposal, via a vote, to
enactment) was first included in the Guidelines in a revision dated
February 16.
In the discussion of comp.sys.alliant, one poster noted that he'd been
unable to get the group created as an inet group "several years ago".
Similarly a proposal for comp.sys.sun.386i indicated that mail to Erik
Fair requesting an inet group had not been answered; this proposal
appeared January 15 in nan. The same CFD relied on the old Guidelines
statement that a thriving mailing list would be proof of interest, but
Greg Woods inserted a moderator's note saying otherwise.
CFDs: The CFD posted December 20, 1989 had only been a vague call for
"subgroups", but the CFV for rec.arts.cinema posted January 22 contained
a "CHARTER" that explicitly detailed criteria for moderation and
specific types of posts that would not be approved. In another
before-its-time touch, this group's proponent, votetaker, and moderator
candidate were three different people. The roughly contemporary
soc.religion.eastern proposal had an only slightly less detailed
charter.
Google has what is certainly an improperly approved article, but perhaps
not a forged one, appearing February 16, constituting a flame (and
cross-posted to alt.flame) in the form of a proposal, for
news.groups.ficc. Considering that the first RFD I ever wrote was for a
news.groups split, I find myself envious that this person managed
(however illicitly) to make his official.
CFVs (several paragraphs): A CFD for comp.sys.amiga.hardware appeared
in nan on December 16, 1989. The CFV followed on January 1, with voting
scheduled to end January 22. Clearly the concept of a Christmas break
was not yet fully developed.
On the other hand, as mentioned in the 1989 post, on January 2 the
proponent for soc.culture.iranian cancelled the (highly irregular) vote,
and on January 3 the proponent for rec.music.pfloyd not only did that,
but posted a new CFD to re-initiate the process.
On January 14, the votetaker and moderator candidate for
talk.religion.pagan (moderated!) announced that from January 2 through
the end of voting January 10, a network upgrade (ahem) had resulted in
no votes being able to get through, and he was therefore *extending* the
voting period from January 14 to January 20, and adding a new voting
address. The group ultimately failed 141:49; some indication that this
votetaker's approach was not especially disapproved may be inferred from
the fact that John Gilmore was the only net.legend among the NO voters.
A similar case: a CFV for comp.dcom.sys.cisco appeared on February 2 in
which Lear added a moderator's note giving an incorrect address for the
votetaker. He posted a correction February 5; the vote was allowed to
proceed, and ultimately passed 221:35. *Again*: the votetaker for
rec.models.misc was allowed to post on February 8 full partial results,
showing that the group would fail unless people hurried up and voted,
and a plea that people should do so. (It failed 73:6 anyway.)
A proposal for a moderated group about Objectivism resulted in two
simultaneous votes, one initiated February 2 (sci.philosophy.objectivism
moderated), the other February 7 (talk.philosophy.objectivism
unmoderated), with different votetakers. The logical culmination of
this sequence of events was the CFV for rec.humor.objectivism posted
February 8, with Lear's comment that it appeared "above my objections.
Our newsgroup creation system does a good enough job undermining itself
without messages like the following." I find no result reported for the
talk.* or rec.* votes in nan through the end of April (note that the
talk.* votetaker was also the apparent poster of the flame mentioned
above); the sci.* vote failed 174:221. (The rec.* vote's result
appeared in news.groups but not in nan; it was 115:109. This vote's
taker later posted a query as to where the result of the talk.* vote
had disappeared to.)
A CFV posted January 15 for comp.text.tex gives some idea of the
difficulties votetakers then faced. And the failing result post for
rec.video.software posted on January 17 is a good example of how people
were in fact coming to accept as not only necessary, but right, that
they should observe the guidelines, although my comments in this post
will continue to highlight the exceptions instead.
RESULT POSTINGS: A vote result for comp.lang.cobol appeared in nan on
January 1, in which the votetaker announced a 95:54 failure, and wrote
(I quote):
"Since the group failed, I will not waste bandwidth with posting the
voters. I haven't checked for duplicates and other misses, but with the
clear result, there's no need too. And, don't write to me get a list of
voters, I will delete the mailboxes just when I've written this
article."
!
(Slightly more defensibly, another votetaker omitted posting the voter
list after news.software.misc failed 62:12, as well; January 20. The
voter list in the result for failed comp.sys.sun.intel, February 12,
didn't indicate which way any given voter had voted.)
END SELECTIVE REVIEW OF NAN
Added: comp.specification, comp.sys.amiga.hardware, comp.sys.laptops,
comp.sys.concurrent, news.lists.ps-maps, news.software.nn,
rec.arts.startrek.info, rec.audio.high-end, rec.autos.driving,
rec.sport.pro-wrestling, sci.virtual-worlds, soc.culture.british.
Removed: comp.sys.masscomp.
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988.
Noteworthy addition to alt.*: alt.fan.dave_barry, the first alt.fan.*
group listed.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 136 to 139 unmoderated groups,
from 45 to 45 moderated groups, from 181 to 184 total. In misc.*, no
change: 16 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 18 total. In
news.*, from 10 to 11 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups,
from 15 to 17 total. In rec.*, from 86 to 88 unmoderated groups, from 5
to 7 moderated groups, from 91 to 95 total. In sci.*, from 28 to 28
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 4 moderated groups, from 31 to 32 total.
In soc.*, from 28 to 29 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated
groups, from 34 to 35 total. In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. 394 total (70 moderated, 324
unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 41 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 46 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (6 moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 177 to 180 unmoderated groups, from 50
to 50 moderated groups, from 227 to 230 total. In misc.*, no change:
16 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 18 total. In news.*, from 11
to 12 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups, from 16 to 18
total. In rec.*, from 87 to 89 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 8
moderated groups, from 93 to 97 total. In sci.*, from 31 to 31
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 4 moderated groups, from 34 to 35 total.
In soc.*, from 29 to 30 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated
groups, from 35 to 36 total. In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. 447 total (76 moderated, 371
unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 17 Apr 1990)"
April 17, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 10...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 15 Apr 1990)"
April 17, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 10...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 15 Apr 1990)"
April 17, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 10...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
With these lists, the number of official Big 7 groups passed 400.
Again to the review of the nan archive:
CFDs: The CFD for soc.culture.german on February 19 has a moderator's
note saying that "On news.announce.newgroups, there will be but one call
for discussion for any newsgroup."
The first of the big comp.* reorgs was proposed on February 19 for
comp.sys.mac.*; the proponent was an Apple employee. The CFD explicitly
says that holding multiple votes in a single proposal violates the
Guidelines, but that Gene Spafford and Greg Woods both approved of the
idea anyway, and calls for discussion and a straw poll on whether this
sort of thing should be allowed. (By modern standards, I don't see any
violation.) The result appeared April 9, indicating that all votes had
passed (the closest result being 324:113), but as of these lists, the
results were not incorporated. They do appear on the next lists.
When the CFD for a bodybuilding newsgroup resulted instead in a mailing
list, Lear allowed an announcement to be posted on March 6.
CFVs: On March 2, a reorg proposal also appeared for comp.sys.ibm.pc.*
(though not from an IBM employee). This resulted in a CFV on April 12
in which nine newgroups, and three rmgroups, were to be voted on in
*two* ballot items; moreover, one of the groups rmgrouped had only been
created a month or so earlier (comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer). (In other
words, this time we *do* have multiple violations of modern standards.
Just like PCs in general, copying Macs but not getting it right...)
The final CFV for soc.culture.polish on February 20 does not name the
group in the subject line.
The first CFV for comp.binaries.os2, February 27, noted that it was well
over four weeks since the discussion began but that the votetaker had
been "absent" for some time, after which an attempt to post a CFV
February 20 had failed; he therefore thought the CFV was "contrary to
the letter of the guidelines, but conforming to the spirit of the same".
The votetaker for rec.arts.erotica apologised in his result posting,
February 28, for having suggested a different name during the vote, but
noted that the originally proposed name had been the more popular
anyway.
The vote result for sci.psychology.digest reported on what amounts to an
STV vote on the name, March 8.
The first CFV for the comp.sys.mac.* reorg, March 12, names no moderator
for csm.announce.
RESULTS: The result for comp.binaries.os2, March 26, indicates how many
votes were received per domain, but does *not* list voters! The result
was 203:31. The votetaker, while not listing voters, did have space to
complain that the minimum number of votes required to create a group was
far too low. The mind boggles.
OTHER STUFF: An announcement of new alt.* groups appeared April 7.
END SELECTIVE REVIEW OF NAN
Added: comp.binaries.os2, comp.dcom.sys.cisco, comp.lang.functional,
comp.periphs.scsi, comp.sys.alliant, comp.sys.apple2,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer, comp.text.tex, rec.arts.cinema,
rec.arts.dance, rec.arts.erotica, rec.food.recipes, rec.radio.noncomm,
rec.sport.cricket, rec.windsurfing, sci.psychology.digest,
soc.culture.french, soc.culture.german, soc.culture.iranian,
soc.culture.pakistan, soc.culture.polish, soc.culture.vietnamese,
soc.history, soc.religion.eastern.
Removed: comp.sys.apple.
The simultaneous proposals for soc.culture.french and soc.culture.german
had the same proponent too, and to all intents and purposes the same
charter.
The moderator candidate for rec.arts.erotica made a slightly more
detailed statement about keywords being added to posts in his result
posting than he had in the CFV, but I don't see how either gets us to
the yearslong paralysis of rae in recent times, supposedly due to
charter requirements for some fearsome amount of work on keywords. The
group passed 508:38, doing much better than most votes of the time (this
is before routine multi-hundreds votes), and leaving me equally lost as
regards the occasional accusations that this group passed on a stealth
vote. Among the NO voters I recognise only Rich Salz and Gene Spafford
as net.legends, though there are a few others from longtime moderators,
and one which could conceivably have come from Mark Horton (no name is
given).
I recognise few of the voters on soc.history, and of these, *only* Todd
McComb is familiar *from* the parts of the soc.history* hierarchy that I
read.
Evidently there were no hard feelings about the original
soc.culture.iranian vote; ultimately there were only 30 NO voters on the
second try by the same proponent. It also appears that the days of mass
political voting on South Asian matters had yet to arrive;
soc.culture.pakistan had only 71 NO voters, though predictably enough
many of these have Hindu-looking names.
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988.
comp.dcom.telecom is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups.
comp.sys.apple remains on that list despite its removal.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.hackers; alt.cobol (showing that
groups that failed Big 7 votes were already being created in alt.*).
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 139 to 145 unmoderated groups,
from 45 to 46 moderated groups, from 184 to 191 total. In misc.*, no
change: 16 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 18 total. In
news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 17 total.
In rec.*, from 88 to 92 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 10 moderated
groups, from 95 to 102 total. In sci.*, from 28 to 28 unmoderated
groups, from 4 to 5 moderated groups, from 32 to 33 total. In soc.*,
from 29 to 36 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated groups, from 35
to 43 total. In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 13 total. 417 total (76 moderated, 341 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 41 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 46 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (6 moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 180 to 186 unmoderated groups, from 50
to 51 moderated groups, from 230 to 237 total. In misc.*, no change:
16 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 18 total. In news.*, no
change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 18 total. In rec.*,
from 89 to 93 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 11 moderated groups, from 97
to 104 total. In sci.*, from 31 to 31 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 5
moderated groups, from 35 to 36 total. In soc.*, from 30 to 37
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated groups, from 36 to 44 total.
In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13
total. 470 total (82 moderated, 388 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 19 Jul 1990)"
July 20, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 19 Jul 1990)"
July 20, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 19 Jul 1990)"
July 20, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
With these lists, the inet-included number of newsgroups passed 500,
thanks mainly to the arrival of the comp.* reorgs (the comp.sys.mac and
comp.sys.ibm.pc ones are shown this time).
These lists contained a startling number of errors, leading to a new
posting run just thirteen days later (the closest together for years in
either direction) and to a public notice by Spafford even sooner.
Also in this posting run appeared Greg Woods's final revision of the
Guidelines. To my mind, this revision is where the split between the
guidelines as understood by participants in the process and the written
Guidelines began, or at least, where that split became a fact of life
rather than a problem to be fixed. Not only does this revision not
address a number of issues raised by the oddities mentioned above (it
will be nearly a year before David Lawrence adds some ambiguous language
concerning multiple groups on a single vote, for example), but through
an editing error, this revision eliminated any written reference to the
minimum length of the discussion period, which would not be restored
until Russ Allbery's complete overhaul of the document in 1998. Anyway,
the other changes actually made amounted to rulings against nitpickers
(for example, requiring "valid" votes in order to pass a group).
Despite their frequent tardiness or irrelevance, I will occasionally
mention Guidelines revisions in the rest of this post and in the
following ones, but please refer to my revision history of the
Guidelines (and to the revision history of Russ Allbery's version which
he posted as a followup) if you want more details.
Continuing with the review of the news.announce.newgroups archive,
considerably lengthened by the three-month gap between list postings:
GUIDELINES: On April 24, Brad Templeton announced a new trial.* group,
trial.rec.metalworking, referring to the trial.* hierarchy as "a new
alternate method of creating USENET newsgroups" and providing some
information about it. (I find a post dated April 18, to news.misc,
in which he announced it and indicated that he had not yet sent the
newgroup for the first trial.* group, trial.newgroups.)
CFDs: The naive reader might assume that comp.lang.idl-pvwave
represented a rare case of the Big 7 muscling in on inet topic space,
since the inet group comp.lang.idl had existed for years by this time.
Alas, as the May 14 CFD explains, this is just a case of two entirely
different languages with the same acronym
(comp.lang.Interface-Description-Language was inet, while
comp.lang.Interactive-{Data|Display}-Language-pvwave was Big 7).
The CFD for rec.arts.sf-creative, posted May 21, included a long,
detailed, charter spelling out moderation policies and charter amendment
procedures. The group did not proceed to a vote. In contrast,
misc.jobs.contract, which handily passed *its* vote, offered in the CFV
posted May 28 a fairly long "charter" with an explicit ban on resume
postings.
The lengthy CFD for comp.unix.shell.programmer posted June 4 includes a
section titled "Rationale", but no section titled "Charter", and sort of
spoils the effect by also including references! The group appears to
have been folded into the comp.unix.* reorg after that, which demoted it
to getting no more than one line in that proposal.
Over the three months between lists, an increasing number of proposals
came to have something of a minimum standard format, although this
usually appeared in CFVs rather than in CFDs, in which the group's name,
moderation status, and purpose would be presented one after the other.
The exact sequence varied, and I use "purpose" intentionally vaguely -
usually, that slot was filled by something we today would call a
charter, and often it was even called "charter", but sometimes a
rationale would show up instead.
A passage from Chip Salzenberg's first CFD for the comp.unix.* reorg
(posted June 29), a passage which remained essentially unchanged through
the reorg's CFV and did result in the action here described, is worth
quoting in full as an opening shot in the *.misc wars, and as suggesting
the one-sidedness of the battle even this early:
"[*] NOTE: If comp.unix.xenix.sco passes, then comp.unix.xenix will be
renamed to comp.unix.xenix.misc, since its charter will have
changed to cover only non-SCO versions of Xenix. I didn't
want to make two changes based on one vote, but in this case
I think it's necessary. Experience teaches that parent
groups frequently draw inappropriate crossposting from their
children. Peer groups are better insulated from each other."
A revised proposal for comp.sources.msdos, comp.binaries.msdos, and
comp.sources.os2 appeared in nan, with a References header *and* a
Subject header beginning in "Re: ", on June 11. This may be the first
2nd {C|R}FD to appear in nan.
Even at this late date, the proponent of rec.food.restaurants was
promising to rmgroup the alt.* group if the Big 7 one passed, not only
in his June 24 CFD but continuing through three CFVs. Does this
indicate obstinacy on his part, or was there actually a time when
rmgrouping worked in alt.* ?
CFVs: The votetaker for comp.org.sug was the acting executive director
of the Sun User Group, according to his .sig in the result posted April
17.
A CFV for rec.boats.paddlers appeared April 22. On April 27, Lear (not
the votetaker) posted a correction of the name to rec.boats.paddle,
along with complete voting instructions. Similarly,
soc.culture.african.american had only a single nan CFV, in March; the
CFD and the result posting named it with the name we know, but the CFV
had the name soc.culture.african-american, and the result posted May 1
mentioned the change. Lear added the following note to the result
posted May 14 for rec.music.country{.|-}western:
"[This newsgroup's name was changed midstream to handle the magical 14
character limit. This is the second time this has happened in two
weeks. Henceforth, I'll be warning vote takers before I approve their
messages to news.announce.newgroups.-eliot]"
Lear had approved and posted a CFD for comp.sys.atari.st.tech on April
22, but nevertheless added a note to the CFV, May 14, saying "I did not
receive a call for discussion for this group". With the 2nd CFV May 21
he added an apology. Said second CFV also included "revised" voting
instructions "with less-strict wording", according to the votetaker.
The first CFV for misc.jobs.contract appeared May 28 with a note from
Lear indicating that it should have appeared May 18; it specified a
voting period from May 19 to June 18. The result posted June 23
reiterated this; the group passed anyway, 472:24. In sharp contrast,
the result for rec.arts.animation states (with no note from Lear) that
while voting began April 30, the nan CFV did not appear until May 22,
and the votetaker had therefore extended the voting period from its
original close of June 1 to June 12! (It was a close vote, too,
164:48.)
The passing result for comp.std.c++ posted June 11 included a note from
Lear saying that the vote had violated the Guidelines by taking more
than a month. While the group didn't appear on these lists, it did
appear on the August 2 correction lists.
RESULTS: On May 7, the proponent for the renaming of comp.sys.apple
announced in news.announce.newgroups that the rmgroup would happen in
five days.
On May 21, the votetaker for rec.boats.paddle announced its passage
(with a subject line reading, ahem, see above, "REC.BOAT.PADDLE
PASSES..."!), and said he'd send out a "create newsgroup message today",
although the five-day waiting period was by this time long established.
On June 4, a post appeared reporting the results of the 5-day waiting
period for rec.arts.theatre (four added YES votes, with no effect on the
outcome). This was the first such post to appear in nan.
sci.geo.fluids got what may be a record low number of NO votes (at least
under the Woods guidelines), only six according to the June 4 result
posting. Richard Miller was one of the six.
OTHER STUFF: Announcements of mailing lists continued to appear: April
20, June 18 (from Dimitri Vulis, by the way). Also, on May 14, Lear
approved an announcement of an alt.* group at least superficially
unrelated to any Big 7 proposal, alt.evil. And on June 29, of all
strange things, Erik Fair posted an announcement of two new inet groups,
ostensibly *before* newgrouping them!
The .sig of the proponent for misc.forsale.computers (CFD May 4) calls
him the maintainer of the Frequently Asked Questions for csip,
presumably the comp.sys.ibm.pc whose removal was then being voted on.
This is interesting to me as providing a date by which single-newsgroup
FAQs were well enough known and regarded to be mentioned thus.
On April 30 appeared the first of the posts whose subject lines would
eventually stabilise at "Current Status of Votes on Newsgroups". This
was the first of several nan-specific periodic postings, theoretically
weekly, and it survived until late in 2000, although there was a long
gap in 1997 at least; it has, of course, now been superseded by a daily
post from the UVV.
END SELECTIVE REVIEW OF NAN
Added: comp.lang.idl-pvwave, comp.org.sug, comp.os.msdos.apps,
comp.os.msdos.misc, comp.os.msdos.programmer, comp.os.os2.apps,
comp.os.os2.misc, comp.os.os2.programmer, comp.protocols.time.ntp
(inet), comp.robotics, comp.sys.amiga.games, comp.sys.atari.st.tech,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc, comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,
comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware, comp.sys.mac.announce, comp.sys.mac.apps,
comp.sys.mac.comm, comp.sys.mac.games, comp.sys.mac.misc,
comp.sys.mac.system, comp.sys.mac.wanted, comp.windows.x.motif (inet),
misc.education, misc.forsale.computers, misc.jobs.contract,
rec.arts.animation, rec.arts.theatre, rec.boats.paddle, rec.fitness,
rec.martial-arts, rec.music.country.western, rec.running,
sci.geo.fluids, soc.culture.african.american, talk.environment.
Removed: comp.os.os2, comp.sys.ibm.pc, comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer,
comp.sys.mac.
The CFD for comp.sys.amiga.games posted July 2 by Kent Paul Dolan is
pretty funny. The group had been created but apparently not according
to the Guidelines; note however that it appears on these lists. The
July 17 CFV is also pretty funny.
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988. The newsgroup
alt.society.cu-digest was similarly partly listed on this List of
Moderators under the name comp.society.cu-digest; since it didn't appear
on the List of Active Newsgroups, I don't count it below or list it
above. comp.protocols.time.ntp and comp.windows.x.motif were also thus
partly listed on this List of Moderators, and were listed as moderated
in the Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies post, although in fact they
were unmoderated groups; I count them, therefore, as moderated below.
comp.os.vms and sci.physics.fusion are added to the list of gatewayed
Big 7 newsgroups. comp.sys.apple2 replaces comp.sys.apple on that list,
as it had replaced it on the main list in the previous posting.
By the date of this posting run, the following trial.* groups are
attested as existing: trial.newgroups (after April 18, probably
before April 24, certainly before May 7); trial.rec.metalworking
(by April 24); trial.test (by May 7); trial.misc.legal.software
(by May 19).
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.folklore.urban; alt.tv.prisoner and
alt.tv.twin-peaks, starting that sub-hierarchy. Also
alt.fan.mike-jittlov, the *second* alt.fan.* group, and, still more
portentously, the second alt.sex.* group, alt.sex.pictures! From here
to infinity...
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 145 to 161 unmoderated groups,
from 46 to 47 moderated groups, from 191 to 208 total. In misc.*, from
16 to 19 unmoderated groups, from 2 to 2 moderated groups, from 18 to 21
total. In news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated
groups, 17 total. In rec.*, from 92 to 99 unmoderated groups, from 10
to 10 moderated groups, from 102 to 109 total. In sci.*, from 28 to 29
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 33 to 34 total.
In soc.*, from 36 to 37 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated
groups, from 43 to 44 total. In talk.*, from 13 to 14 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 13 to 14 total. 447 total
(77 moderated, 370 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 41 to 41 unmoderated groups, from 5
to 7 moderated groups, from 46 to 48 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 55 total (8
moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 186 to 202 unmoderated groups, from 51
to 54 moderated groups, from 237 to 256 total. In misc.*, from 16 to 19
unmoderated groups, from 2 to 2 moderated groups, from 18 to 21 total.
In news.*, no change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 18
total. In rec.*, from 93 to 100 unmoderated groups, from 11 to 11
moderated groups, from 104 to 111 total. In sci.*, from 31 to 32
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 36 to 37 total.
In soc.*, from 37 to 38 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated
groups, from 44 to 45 total. In talk.*, from 13 to 14 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 13 to 14 total. 502 total
(85 moderated, 417 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 1 Aug 1990)"
August 2, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 1 Aug 1990)"
August 2, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 31 Jul 1990)"
August 2, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
This is mainly a clean-up posting run though it also reports two new Big
7 groups (I didn't try to count the groups in other hierarchies!).
There isn't much to report from nan, obviously, but here's what I can
offer:
Lear reported the existence of an FTP archive of nan on July 21. Note
that as far as I can see, this archive was *not* available to David
Lawrence when he created *his* nan archive somewhat later. As of
posting date, it reached from January 16, 1990 forward.
A CFD for biz.entrepreneur appeared July 22, with a note from Lear
saying he wasn't sure what biz.* policies were but would post it anyway
as "a newgroup request".
Lear noted in the CFV for comp.sys.novell posted July 17 that the vote
violated the Guidelines since there had been no CFD in nan (true as best
I can see, but the CFV did have appended to it the December 21, 1989!
CFD for comp.sys.netware), and since trial.comp.sys.novell already
existed. This vote did not result in a group added to the lists.
In the July 22 CFV for comp.sys.amiga.video (note that this is running
simultaneously with a CFV for comp.sys.amiga.games), Lear noted the lack
of a nan CFD, but did not refer to this as a violation of the
Guidelines. The group nevertheless didn't appear on any 1990 lists.
There is an explicit 2nd CFD for the comp.unix.* reorg dated July 22. I
see no further reference to the ban on 2nd CFDs that had been stated
February 19.
The CFV for the comp.unix.* reorg appeared July 28, only six days after
the final CFD. It's worth noting that neither CFD, nor this CFV,
contains anything resembling a charter for any of the resulting groups.
Added: comp.std.c++, misc.fitness, rec.arts.disney.
Removed: rec.fitness. (This is the one error in the July 17 lists that
I didn't mention above.)
Unmoderated in place: comp.protocols.time.ntp (inet),
comp.windows.x.motif (inet). These are both merely error-corrections,
though.
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988.
No additional trial.* groups are attested by the date of this posting
run; the list of attested groups remains trial.misc.legal.software,
trial.newgroups, trial.rec.metalworking, and trial.test.
Noteworthy addition to alt.*: alt.censorship. This suggested to me,
when I'd gotten that far, that perhaps alt.sex.pictures had been another
mistake on Spafford's part, but if so, it hadn't been removed by this
time. It *had* been joined by a third alt.sex.* group,
alt.sex.bestiality; there was also a third alt.fan.* group,
alt.fan.monty-python, and *two* more alt.tv.* groups (muppets and
simpsons).
This posting run also includes a post by Andrew Partan, last modified
by Mark Linimon, describing "Regional Newsgroup Hierarchies",
with Message-ID <11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu>. I had not known of
this series of posts until doing a search on "inet", of all things,
late in my work on these year summaries; I'm not going to try even
a cursory treatment of them here, but will note that they were
maintained by Partan until September, 1991, then by Spafford until
November, 1991, and then posted without changes until July, 1992.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 161 to 162 unmoderated groups,
from 47 to 47 moderated groups, from 208 to 209 total. In misc.*, from
19 to 20 unmoderated groups, from 2 to 2 moderated groups, from 21 to 22
total. In news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated
groups, 17 total. In rec.*, no net change: 99 unmoderated groups, 10
moderated groups, 109 total. In sci.*, no change: 29 unmoderated
groups, 5 moderated groups, 34 total. In soc.*, no change: 37
unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 44 total. In talk.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. 449 total (77
moderated, 372 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 41 to 43 unmoderated groups, from 7
to 5 moderated groups, from 48 to 48 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 55 total (6
moderated, 49 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 202 to 205 unmoderated groups, from 54
to 52 moderated groups, from 256 to 257 total. In misc.*, from 19 to 20
unmoderated groups, from 2 to 2 moderated groups, from 21 to 22 total.
In news.*, no change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 18
total. In rec.*, no net change: 100 unmoderated groups, 11 moderated
groups, 111 total. In sci.*, no change: 32 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 37 total. In soc.*, no change: 38 unmoderated
groups, 7 moderated groups, 45 total. In talk.*, no change: 14
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. 502 total (85
moderated, 417 unmoderated).
It's probably worth mentioning that I broke off my work here for several
months, which will probably mean the omission of items from the
selective review of news.announce.newgroups that I would have caught had
I continued straight through. Sorry.
"List of Active Newsgroups"
September 6, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators"
September 6, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies"
September 6, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
This posting run included Eliot Lear's only revision of the Guidelines.
(The next one, eight months later, will be by David Lawrence.) In it,
Lear did explicitly require voting periods to end within 31 days
(presumably in response to the rec.arts.animation travesty mentioned
above under the July list; compare the August 5 "second" CFV for
rec.sport.tennis). He set up complex rules limiting the addresses
votetakers could use to collect votes; they ban, in particular, anything
similar to the 2nd CFV for sci.engr, posted September 4, which has
separate *votetakers* for YESes and NOes! He also got rid of the
duplicative paragraph that had erased the minimum length of the
discussion period, but did not restore the erased rule.
Continuing with the review of the news.announce.newgroups archive:
CFDs: At this time, the minimum standard format mentioned under the
July lists appeared somewhat more rigidly in several proposals, whose
"CHARTER" sections had three sub-sections, "Name", "Purpose", and
"Moderation"; the "Purpose" section in each case really means charter,
not rationale. (See comp.ai.philosophy, rec.food.restaurants, and
soc.culture.europe.central. For similar structures in which "Charter"
replaces "Purpose" and there is no overall title for the section, see
for example rec.pets.dogs.) I have the strong impression that this
modicum of standardisation resulted from proponents copying each other
to make their work easier at least as much as from outside advice or
pressure on them. This would make of this more of a fad or trend than a
genuine norm in the making. But at any rate it's a step on the road to
formal documents in which charters are clearly defined.
The proponent and votetaker for rec.sport.tennis, apologising for
confusion about the voting period in the abovementioned August 5
"second" (actually third) CFV, mentioned that he was new to Usenet.
The September 4 CFV for soc.culture.europe.central (for which I have no
CFDs archived) includes a charter inviting posts "in any Central
European language" and adding "Please include a brief abstract in
English."
CFVs: The second CFV for soc.culture.nepal, which did pass, appeared
two days before the close of voting, but the third CFV for
rec.food.restaurants, which also passed, cut things even closer: yes,
*one* day! Perhaps the reason for such tardy CFVs is indicated by the
vote totals: 133:16 and 148:39 respectively.
In the August 13 "Current Status of Votes on Newsgroups", Lear listed
among the groups "pending creation" comp.sources.apple2, with the note
"(vote is ending as I post this message)" ?!
My archive includes an August 27 mass ack for rec.games.mud, for which I
have no previous CFV. There is no note from Lear objecting, so
presumably my archive is incomplete. Well, maybe. I also have no posts
at *all* about sci.engr prior to the September 4 2nd CFV and mass ack
mentioned above, but again, there's no visible objection from Lear. (I
do note a July 14 CFD for talk.engineering.education, for whatever
that's worth.)
RESULTS: In the comp.unix.* reorg result posted August 20, the vote to
create comp.unix.xenix.sco (and thereby force renaming of
comp.unix.xenix without a vote) came closest to failing, with the vote
207:83, but did not fail. Among the 83 NO voters, I recognise only
Gregory Woodbury as someone prominent in news.groups, although an
address without a name, listed as voting NO on the whole proposal, looks
to me like Steve Bellovin's. Shame on us.
In the rec.sport.tennis result posted August 27, the
proponent/votetaker/newbie left the vote counting to Eliot Lear, who
reported a 119:23 loss without checking for duplicates, and, given the
problems with the vote, "strongly suggest"ed another try in six months.
(The six-month waiting period will first appear in the Guidelines in May
of 1991.)
Edward Vielmetti posted a passing result for comp.text.sgml on September
4, but the group would not appear on an official list until January; I
don't know yet why not. (See the 1991 post for more on the exciting
adventures of comp.text.sgml.)
END SELECTIVE REVIEW OF NAN
Added: comp.org.eff.news (inet), comp.org.eff.talk (inet),
comp.sources.apple2, comp.unix.admin, comp.unix.internals,
comp.unix.large, comp.unix.misc, comp.unix.msdos, comp.unix.programmer,
comp.unix.shell, comp.unix.sysv286, comp.unix.sysv386,
comp.unix.xenix.misc, comp.unix.xenix.sco, comp.windows.x.announce,
rec.food.restaurants, soc.culture.nepal.
Removed: comp.ai.digest, comp.unix.i386, comp.unix.microport,
comp.unix.wizards, comp.unix.xenix.
This is not the famous relatively recent removal of comp.unix.wizards;
the reorg renamed *this* edition of cuw to comp.unix.internals. As will
emerge below, this removal also became fairly famous in its own right.
While the comp.org.eff.* groups weren't announced prior to creation,
Erik Fair did confirm that one of them was legit in answer to a
question, shortly after their creation.
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway,
comp.security.announce, and (beginning now) comp.org.eff.news were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1,
1988. Despite its name, comp.windows.x.announce was not listed on any
List of Moderators in 1990; this posting run is the only time in 1990 it
was listed as a Big 7 group.
soc.roots is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups.
comp.unix.wizards remains on that list despite its removal.
No additional trial.* groups are attested by the date of this posting
run; the attested hierarchy remains trial.misc.legal.software,
trial.newgroups, trial.rec.metalworking, and trial.test. However,
as of October 2, trial.soc.culture.czechoslovak was described as
"established", so the odds are good that it had been created by
this date despite the lack of direct evidence of this.
Noteworthy addition to alt.*: alt.startrek.creative; although Spafford
lacked a description line, this looks like alt.censorship doing its job.
Also note alt.games.galactic-bloodshed, which besides violating the
14-character limit (in the next list it was shown as alt.games.gb, sigh)
was the first alt.games.* group to be listed (nor had there previously
been an overall alt.games group). Finally, Spafford backed up the
rec.food.restaurants proponent by removing alt.restaurants from his
lists beginning with this posting run.
I don't suppose this is actually a surprising datum, but the CFD for
COMP.SYS.IBM.RISC6000 (sic), posted September 4, mentions a
bit.listserv.* group, thus providing a terminus ante quem for that
hierarchy's existence.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 162 to 170 unmoderated groups,
from 47 to 47 moderated groups, from 209 to 217 total. In misc.*, no
change: 20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In
news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 17 total.
In rec.*, from 99 to 100 unmoderated groups, from 10 to 10 moderated
groups, from 109 to 110 total. In sci.*, no change: 29 unmoderated
groups, 5 moderated groups, 34 total. In soc.*, from 37 to 38
unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 44 to 45 total.
In talk.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14
total. 459 total (77 moderated, 382 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 43 to 44 unmoderated groups, from 5
to 6 moderated groups, from 48 to 50 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 57 total (7
moderated, 50 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 205 to 214 unmoderated groups, from 52
to 53 moderated groups, from 257 to 267 total. In misc.*, no change:
20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In news.*, no
change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 18 total. In rec.*,
from 100 to 101 unmoderated groups, from 11 to 11 moderated groups, from
111 to 112 total. In sci.*, no change: 32 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 37 total. In soc.*, from 38 to 39 unmoderated groups,
from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 45 to 46 total. In talk.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. 516 total
(84 moderated, 432 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups"
October 5, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators"
October 5, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies"
October 5, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
The news.announce.newgroups archive is relatively thin at this time,
thinner I think than actual newsgroup creation activity warranted. For
example, I have a ten-day gap from September 14 to 24, which is
difficult to believe just from the "Current Status" posts, to say
nothing of the well-known stereotypes of September. I don't know
whether the gaps result from my not retrieving posts from Google,
Google's not making them available, or Lear's not approving them in the
first place; at least the original archivers are relatively unlikely to
be the source of the problem, since Google has two different sources for
the entirety of 1990. Anyway, continuing to review what I *do* have:
GUIDELINES: The CFV for talk.politics.drugs appeared in nan September
14 with a note from Lear saying he'd received no CFD for it.
Apparently the handling of comp.benchmarks involved at least one
nan rejection. Eliot Lear posted an explanation of his moderation
policies to news.groups on September 12 (message-ID
<Sep.12.12.30....@turbo.bio.net>), interesting in its own
right, but also because the reply by the comp.benchmarks proponent,
and Lear's answer, indicated that the problem involved was the very
same minimum discussion period that had been mistakenly deleted from
the written Guidelines a few months earlier.
CFDs: A CFD posted September 11 suggested comp.graphics.visualization
and comp.graphics.visualization.moderated, as a single proposal. (Only
the unmoderated group was actually voted on, and eventually created.) A
CFD posted September 14 offered rec.picture.misc and rec.picture.d (but
as we all know, neither was created; an October 15 notice said nobody
had stepped forward to moderate the misc group).
One of the first groups ever rmgrouped had been net.auto.vw (previously
net.vwrabbit). There had been occasional stirrings to replace it since
that time, but I still can't resist noting the CFD for rec.auto.vw
posted October 1.
The CFD for comp.text.dwb posted October 1 had subject line "new group".
CFVs: The CFV for rec.arts.fine posted October 1 has "rec.arts.art" in
its subject line.
RESULTS: The passing result for sci.engr appeared September 11; on
September 14, the first CFD for sci.engr.chem came out.
Somewhat less precipitously, also September 14 appeared a CFD to rename
comp.unix.internals (renamed from comp.unix.wizards via a result posted
August 20) to comp.unix.esoterica; this effort (whose proponent had been
the proponent for the previous renaming too) eventually resulted in the
simultaneous existence of both comp.unix.internals and
comp.unix.wizards, by what process I still don't know.
OTHER STUFF: alt.tennis was announced by the feckless newbie proponent
for rec.sport.tennis, on September 24.
On October 1, Chuq Von Rospach, the moderator of comp.sys.mac.announce,
announced his retirement in favour of Werner Uhrig and others *on nan*.
Another mailing list announcement October 1.
END SELECTIVE REVIEW OF NAN
Added: comp.ai.philosophy, comp.lang.objective-c, rec.games.mud,
rec.pyrotechnics, sci.engr.
Removed by demotion to inet: comp.windows.x.announce. (This is the
first time since March 1988, when sci.psychology was promoted, that a
group moved between inet and the Big 7, and yes, the movement was in the
wrong direction. The group had only been listed as a Big 7 group in one
list set, and I strongly suspect that listing was a mistake, and this
change does not reflect any real event.)
comp.org.eff.news, comp.protocols.iso.x400,
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1,
1988.
The unidirectional gateway previously shown for comp.text on the list of
gatewayed Big 7 groups is now shown as pointing to comp.text.tex, some
six months after the latter group's creation. comp.unix.internals
replaces comp.unix.wizards on that list, as it had replaced it on the
main list in the previous posting.
As noted above, trial.soc.culture.czechoslovak is first attested in
a post dated October 2 that describes it as "established"; it was
thus probably the fifth trial.* group.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.lang.cfutures and alt.lang.intercal,
the first in their sub-hierarchy; alt.flame.spelling, the first
alt.flame.* subgroup; alt.sex.pictures.d, the first fourth-level group
in alt.*.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 170 to 171 unmoderated groups,
from 47 to 47 moderated groups, from 217 to 218 total. In misc.*, no
change: 20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In
news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 17 total.
In rec.*, from 100 to 102 unmoderated groups, from 10 to 10 moderated
groups, from 110 to 112 total. In sci.*, from 29 to 30 unmoderated
groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 34 to 35 total. In soc.*, no
change: 38 unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 45 total. In
talk.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total.
463 total (77 moderated, 386 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 44 to 45 unmoderated groups, from 6
to 6 moderated groups, from 50 to 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 58 total (7
moderated, 51 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 214 to 216 unmoderated groups, from 53
to 53 moderated groups, from 267 to 269 total. In misc.*, no change:
20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In news.*, no
change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 18 total. In rec.*,
from 101 to 103 unmoderated groups, from 11 to 11 moderated groups, from
112 to 114 total. In sci.*, from 32 to 33 unmoderated groups, from 5 to
5 moderated groups, from 37 to 38 total. In soc.*, no change: 39
unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 46 total. In talk.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. 521 total (84
moderated, 437 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups"
November 8, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 12...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators"
November 8, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 12...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies"
November 8, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 12...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
Continuing with the review of the news.announce.newgroups archive:
GUIDELINES: In reporting the failure of soc.culture.europe.central
October 8, the proponent suggested trial.soc.culture.czechoslovak,
saying "The trial hierarchy is now widely distributed." He posted from
a British site, and the hierarchy had only been announced in late April.
(I mention this result as an October 2 post above. That's when it
appeared in news.groups; the October 8 post is the nan copy, hence
appears here.)
The CFD for rec.sport.snowboarding posted October 15 notes that "Some
news sites erroneously carry this group because it was once created
without following the standard procedure, and then quickly removed."
The proposal ultimately failed 121:87.
A post not posted to nan but worth calling your attention to as
regards the Guidelines is a new manifesto for inet posted October
10 by Erik Fair (<45...@apple.Apple.COM>). It makes much more
sense of the inet groups created or not than his previous 1987
one had: basically, it provides no basis whatever for predicting
whether an inet group will be created, or for that matter removed.
CFDs: A proposal for a "re-org" of rec.sport.football appeared October
8, the first non-comp.* example of a 1990s reorg.
A 2nd CFD for the football reorg appeared one week later, 'stating that
none of the groups will be moderated (I was suppose to state this
"obvious given" :) originally, but forgot. Sorry).'
But comp.* kept up its lead: Kent Paul Dolan's fourth total, and first
in news.*, CFD for the comp.sys.amiga reorg appeared November 5. This
extremely long document includes detailed discussions, approximating
charters, of each group proposed *or already existing* in the
sub-hierarchy, the closest thing thus far to a reorg with charters, but
also explicitly redefining the charters of existing groups that wouldn't
be voted on; it promised that "formal charters" would be forthcoming.
This CFD is also notable for explaining the choice of "advocacy" over
"influence", and "marketplace" over "market", in naming new types of
group. Less successful in the Darwinian sense was its proposal of a
newsgroup "monitor", approximating what us.* hosts currently do, for
csa.introduction. This proposal ultimately passed in all its parts,
mostly by votes around 800:50, though .advocacy got more like 600:200;
Dolan reported these numbers as within 10% of the highest vote totals to
date.
The proponent for comp.sys.arm, in a CFD posted October 15, explicitly
disclaims any commercial interest in the relevant system.
CFVs: The CFV to rename comp.unix.internals posted October 24 by a
third-party votetaker had the following procedure: Put the name you
want (cu.internals, .wizards, or .esoterica) in the Subject line of your
vote. If more than 1/3 of the total votes are for comp.unix.internals,
nothing happens. Otherwise, the votes for .wizards and .esoterica are
treated as the set of valid votes, and the winning name must meet both
the 2/3rds and the +100 criteria against the losing name. (If
.internals had received 100 votes, .wizards 296, and .esoterica 589, for
example, there would have been no renaming.) By the by, the CFV was
posted three times, after which Lear posted an apology for sending it
twice (?). I don't have the result posting; ultimately, cu.internals
survived but cu.wizards reappeared.
The first CFV for the rec.sport.football reorg, posted October 30,
instructs voters to put YES or NO in the subject header; there is no
suggestion that the three changes could be voted on separately. I don't
have the result posting, nor, interestingly enough, is it listed in
either of the long lists of vote results posted in 1991-1992, so I can't
tell whether split votes were submitted or counted, but in the event,
all three changes were enacted.
If there was a CFD for soc.culture.lebanon in nan, I missed it when
building my archive, but there's no moderator's note on the lack of a
prior CFD in the CFV posted November 5. I also seem to be missing a
first CFV, circa October 28 (probably October 30 posting run), for
comp.research.japan. Both groups passed.
RESULTS: The proponents for comp.lang.clos, reporting its passage
November 5, indicated that they would send the newgroup themselves.
OTHER STUFF: I find the CFD for comp.japan.research posted October 8
intriguing for its forthright assumption that people interested in
academic research into computer science would look for information about
it on Usenet. How times have changed...
An alt.* group was announced prior to newgrouping October 30. (Isn't
that *excessively* polite for alt.*, even in those days? Worse still,
November 5 there was either a CFD for an alt.* group, or a request for a
newgroup, I'm not sure which. What on earth was wrong with alt.config?)
END SELECTIVE REVIEW OF NAN
Added: comp.benchmarks, comp.graphics.visualization, comp.org.uniforum,
comp.windows.ms.programmer, comp.windows.open-look, rec.pets.dogs,
soc.culture.bangladesh.
Removed: comp.org.usrgroup.
comp.org.eff.news, comp.protocols.iso.x400,
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1,
1988.
On the list of gatewayed Big 7 newsgroups, new unidirectional gateways
are shown for comp.lang.c++ and comp.emacs, in addition to the existing
unidirectional gateways (from the same listserver) and (for comp.emacs)
full gateway already shown.
No additional trial.* groups are attested as of this posting run;
the attested hierarchy thus remains trial.misc.legal.software,
trial.newgroups, trial.rec.metalworking, trial.soc.culture.czechoslovak,
and trial.test.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.books.technical and alt.humor.oracle
(before whose wisdom all bow down), beginning those sub-hierarchies, and
alt.drugs.usenet, the first sub-group in *its* sub-hierarchy (with a
good description line, too); alt.desert-shield, showing alt.* taking
over the rapid-response role in Usenet (and, of course, also showing it
doing so with bad namespace moves).
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 171 to 175 unmoderated groups,
from 47 to 47 moderated groups, from 218 to 222 total. In misc.*, no
change: 20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In
news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 17 total.
In rec.*, from 102 to 103 unmoderated groups, from 10 to 10 moderated
groups, from 112 to 113 total. In sci.*, no change: 30 unmoderated
groups, 5 moderated groups, 35 total. In soc.*, from 38 to 39
unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 45 to 46 total.
In talk.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14
total. 469 total (77 moderated, 392 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 45 unmoderated groups, 6
moderated groups, 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 58 total (7 moderated, 51 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 216 to 220 unmoderated groups, from 53
to 53 moderated groups, from 269 to 273 total. In misc.*, no change:
20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In news.*, no
change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 18 total. In rec.*,
from 103 to 104 unmoderated groups, from 11 to 11 moderated groups, from
114 to 115 total. In sci.*, no change: 33 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 38 total. In soc.*, from 39 to 40 unmoderated groups,
from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 46 to 47 total. In talk.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. 527 total
(84 moderated, 443 unmoderated).
This is the last newsgroup list/moderator list set known to me posted in
1990. This is also the date of the last "Alternative Newsgroup
Hierarchies" of the year. It includes 106 alt.* groups (up from 51 at
year-end 1989), eighteen bionet.* groups (down from twenty), fifteen
biz.* groups (up from eleven), 155 clari.* groups (up from 125), 25
gnu.* groups (up from twenty), 58 inet groups (up from 53), two ddn.*
groups (unchanged), seven pubnet.* groups (unchanged), five unix-pc.*
groups (unchanged), five u3b.* groups (unchanged), and twelve vmsnet.*
groups (up from eight), for a total of 408 (up from 307).
I should, however, note that later that year, Lear initiated a second
set of approximately weekly periodic postings of his own. The first
appeared November 26; beginning with the second, dated December 3, these
postings bore the subject line "recently created newsgroups".
Meanwhile, his original periodic posting, "Current Status of Votes on
Newsgroups", continued to appear under that subject line. I haven't
mined these postings thoroughly for this phase of my work on this
chronology, but they are a useful source, particularly in the long
stretch of the 1990s when they appeared much more frequently than the
full lists.
Annual summary: IN THE BIG SEVEN: In comp.*, from 136 to 175
unmoderated groups, from 45 to 47 moderated groups, from 181 to 222
total. In misc.*, from 16 to 20 unmoderated groups, from 2 to 2
moderated groups, from 18 to 22 total. In news.*, from 10 to 11
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups, from 15 to 17 total.
In rec.*, from 86 to 103 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 10 moderated
groups, from 91 to 113 total. In sci.*, from 28 to 30 unmoderated
groups, from 3 to 5 moderated groups, from 31 to 35 total. In soc.*,
from 28 to 39 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated groups, from 34
to 46 total. In talk.*, from 13 to 14 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 13 to 14 total. Total, from 317 to 392
unmoderated groups, from 66 to 77 moderated groups, from 383 to 469
total.
IN INET: In comp.*, from 41 to 45 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6
moderated groups, from 46 to 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. Total, from 47 to 51
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated groups, from 53 to 58 total.
OVER ALL: In comp.*, from 177 to 220 unmoderated groups, from 50 to 53
moderated groups, from 227 to 273 total. In misc.*, from 16 to 20
unmoderated groups, from 2 to 2 moderated groups, from 18 to 22 total.
In news.*, from 11 to 12 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated
groups, from 16 to 18 total. In rec.*, from 87 to 104 unmoderated
groups, from 6 to 11 moderated groups, from 93 to 115 total. In sci.*,
from 31 to 33 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 5 moderated groups, from 34
to 38 total. In soc.*, from 29 to 40 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7
moderated groups, from 35 to 47 total. In talk.*, from 13 to 14
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 13 to 14 total.
Total, from 364 to 443 unmoderated groups, from 72 to 84 moderated
groups, from 436 to 527 total.
--
Joe Bernstein, writer j...@sfbooks.com
Joe Bernstein
I was faster cancelling this time. I'd posted the article as a followup
to the wrong previous post. Sorry, but I don't actually get any *less*
tired than this these days, given where I'm sleeping and how often.
For an introduction to this thread's chronological posts, please see the
first post in the series, for the year 1981, with Message-ID
<3c4a40c1$0$95686$892e...@authen.puce.readfreenews.net>.
The single most prominent aspect of the 1990 lists, to me as the
Joe Bernstein
Lists of Newsgroups Posted in 1990
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 16 Feb 1990)"
February 17, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 97...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 16 Feb 1990)"
February 17, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 97...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 16 Feb 1990)"
!
Removed: comp.sys.masscomp.
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988.
Noteworthy addition to alt.*: alt.fan.dave_barry, the first alt.fan.*
group listed.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 136 to 139 unmoderated groups,
from 45 to 45 moderated groups, from 181 to 184 total. In misc.*, no
change: 16 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 18 total. In
news.*, from 10 to 11 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups,
from 15 to 17 total. In rec.*, from 86 to 88 unmoderated groups, from 5
to 7 moderated groups, from 91 to 95 total. In sci.*, from 28 to 28
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 4 moderated groups, from 31 to 32 total.
In soc.*, from 28 to 29 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated
groups, from 34 to 35 total. In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. 394 total (70 moderated, 324
unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 41 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 46 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (6 moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 177 to 180 unmoderated groups, from 50
to 50 moderated groups, from 227 to 230 total. In misc.*, no change:
16 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 18 total. In news.*, from 11
to 12 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups, from 16 to 18
total. In rec.*, from 87 to 89 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 8
moderated groups, from 93 to 97 total. In sci.*, from 31 to 31
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 4 moderated groups, from 34 to 35 total.
In soc.*, from 29 to 30 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated
groups, from 35 to 36 total. In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 13 total. 447 total (76 moderated, 371
unmoderated).
Removed: comp.sys.apple.
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988.
comp.dcom.telecom is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups.
comp.sys.apple remains on that list despite its removal.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.hackers; alt.cobol (showing that
groups that failed Big 7 votes were already being created in alt.*).
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 139 to 145 unmoderated groups,
from 45 to 46 moderated groups, from 184 to 191 total. In misc.*, no
change: 16 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 18 total. In
news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 17 total.
In rec.*, from 88 to 92 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 10 moderated
groups, from 95 to 102 total. In sci.*, from 28 to 28 unmoderated
groups, from 4 to 5 moderated groups, from 32 to 33 total. In soc.*,
from 29 to 36 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated groups, from 35
to 43 total. In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 13 total. 417 total (76 moderated, 341 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 41 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 46 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 53 total (6 moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 180 to 186 unmoderated groups, from 50
to 51 moderated groups, from 230 to 237 total. In misc.*, no change:
16 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 18 total. In news.*, no
change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 18 total. In rec.*,
from 89 to 93 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 11 moderated groups, from 97
to 104 total. In sci.*, from 31 to 31 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 5
moderated groups, from 35 to 36 total. In soc.*, from 30 to 37
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated groups, from 36 to 44 total.
In talk.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 13
total. 470 total (82 moderated, 388 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups (Updated: 19 Jul 1990)"
July 20, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators (Updated: 19 Jul 1990)"
July 20, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies (Updated: 19 Jul 1990)"
July 20, 1990
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 11...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
With these lists, the inet-included number of newsgroups passed 500,
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
(77 moderated, 370 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 41 to 41 unmoderated groups, from 5
to 7 moderated groups, from 46 to 48 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 55 total (8
moderated, 47 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 186 to 202 unmoderated groups, from 51
Added: comp.std.c++, misc.fitness, rec.arts.disney.
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988.
No additional trial.* groups are attested by the date of this posting
to 5 moderated groups, from 48 to 48 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway,
comp.security.announce, and (beginning now) comp.org.eff.news were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1,
1988. Despite its name, comp.windows.x.announce was not listed on any
List of Moderators in 1990; this posting run is the only time in 1990 it
was listed as a Big 7 group.
soc.roots is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups.
comp.unix.wizards remains on that list despite its removal.
No additional trial.* groups are attested by the date of this posting
run; the attested hierarchy remains trial.misc.legal.software,
trial.newgroups, trial.rec.metalworking, and trial.test. However,
as of October 2, trial.soc.culture.czechoslovak was described as
"established", so the odds are good that it had been created by
this date despite the lack of direct evidence of this.
Noteworthy addition to alt.*: alt.startrek.creative; although Spafford
lacked a description line, this looks like alt.censorship doing its job.
Also note alt.games.galactic-bloodshed, which besides violating the
14-character limit (in the next list it was shown as alt.games.gb, sigh)
was the first alt.games.* group to be listed (nor had there previously
been an overall alt.games group). Finally, Spafford backed up the
rec.food.restaurants proponent by removing alt.restaurants from his
lists beginning with this posting run.
I don't suppose this is actually a surprising datum, but the CFD for
COMP.SYS.IBM.RISC6000 (sic), posted September 4, mentions a
bit.listserv.* group, thus providing a terminus ante quem for that
hierarchy's existence.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 162 to 170 unmoderated groups,
from 47 to 47 moderated groups, from 209 to 217 total. In misc.*, no
change: 20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In
news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 17 total.
In rec.*, from 99 to 100 unmoderated groups, from 10 to 10 moderated
groups, from 109 to 110 total. In sci.*, no change: 29 unmoderated
groups, 5 moderated groups, 34 total. In soc.*, from 37 to 38
unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 44 to 45 total.
In talk.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14
total. 459 total (77 moderated, 382 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 43 to 44 unmoderated groups, from 5
to 6 moderated groups, from 48 to 50 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 57 total (7
moderated, 50 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 205 to 214 unmoderated groups, from 52
to 53 moderated groups, from 257 to 267 total. In misc.*, no change:
20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In news.*, no
change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 18 total. In rec.*,
from 100 to 101 unmoderated groups, from 11 to 11 moderated groups, from
111 to 112 total. In sci.*, no change: 32 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 37 total. In soc.*, from 38 to 39 unmoderated groups,
from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 45 to 46 total. In talk.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. 516 total
(84 moderated, 432 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups"
comp.org.eff.news, comp.protocols.iso.x400,
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1,
1988.
The unidirectional gateway previously shown for comp.text on the list of
gatewayed Big 7 groups is now shown as pointing to comp.text.tex, some
six months after the latter group's creation. comp.unix.internals
replaces comp.unix.wizards on that list, as it had replaced it on the
main list in the previous posting.
As noted above, trial.soc.culture.czechoslovak is first attested in
a post dated October 2 that describes it as "established"; it was
thus probably the fifth trial.* group.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.lang.cfutures and alt.lang.intercal,
the first in their sub-hierarchy; alt.flame.spelling, the first
alt.flame.* subgroup; alt.sex.pictures.d, the first fourth-level group
in alt.*.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 170 to 171 unmoderated groups,
from 47 to 47 moderated groups, from 217 to 218 total. In misc.*, no
change: 20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In
news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 17 total.
In rec.*, from 100 to 102 unmoderated groups, from 10 to 10 moderated
groups, from 110 to 112 total. In sci.*, from 29 to 30 unmoderated
groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 34 to 35 total. In soc.*, no
change: 38 unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 45 total. In
talk.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total.
463 total (77 moderated, 386 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 44 to 45 unmoderated groups, from 6
to 6 moderated groups, from 50 to 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 58 total (7
moderated, 51 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 214 to 216 unmoderated groups, from 53
to 53 moderated groups, from 267 to 269 total. In misc.*, no change:
20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In news.*, no
change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 18 total. In rec.*,
from 101 to 103 unmoderated groups, from 11 to 11 moderated groups, from
112 to 114 total. In sci.*, from 32 to 33 unmoderated groups, from 5 to
5 moderated groups, from 37 to 38 total. In soc.*, no change: 39
unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 46 total. In talk.*, no change:
14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. 521 total (84
moderated, 437 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups"
Removed: comp.org.usrgroup.
comp.org.eff.news, comp.protocols.iso.x400,
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1,
1988.
On the list of gatewayed Big 7 newsgroups, new unidirectional gateways
are shown for comp.lang.c++ and comp.emacs, in addition to the existing
unidirectional gateways (from the same listserver) and (for comp.emacs)
full gateway already shown.
No additional trial.* groups are attested as of this posting run;
the attested hierarchy thus remains trial.misc.legal.software,
trial.newgroups, trial.rec.metalworking, trial.soc.culture.czechoslovak,
and trial.test.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.books.technical and alt.humor.oracle
(before whose wisdom all bow down), beginning those sub-hierarchies, and
alt.drugs.usenet, the first sub-group in *its* sub-hierarchy (with a
good description line, too); alt.desert-shield, showing alt.* taking
over the rapid-response role in Usenet (and, of course, also showing it
doing so with bad namespace moves).
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 171 to 175 unmoderated groups,
from 47 to 47 moderated groups, from 218 to 222 total. In misc.*, no
change: 20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In
news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 17 total.
In rec.*, from 102 to 103 unmoderated groups, from 10 to 10 moderated
groups, from 112 to 113 total. In sci.*, no change: 30 unmoderated
groups, 5 moderated groups, 35 total. In soc.*, from 38 to 39
unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 45 to 46 total.
In talk.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14
total. 469 total (77 moderated, 392 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 45 unmoderated groups, 6
moderated groups, 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 58 total (7 moderated, 51 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 216 to 220 unmoderated groups, from 53
to 53 moderated groups, from 269 to 273 total. In misc.*, no change:
20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In news.*, no
change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 18 total. In rec.*,
from 103 to 104 unmoderated groups, from 11 to 11 moderated groups, from
114 to 115 total. In sci.*, no change: 33 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 38 total. In soc.*, from 39 to 40 unmoderated groups,
from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 46 to 47 total. In talk.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 14 total. 527 total
(84 moderated, 443 unmoderated).
This is the last newsgroup list/moderator list set known to me posted in
total.
IN INET: In comp.*, from 41 to 45 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6
moderated groups, from 46 to 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. Total, from 47 to 51
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated groups, from 53 to 58 total.
OVER ALL: In comp.*, from 177 to 220 unmoderated groups, from 50 to 53
moderated groups, from 227 to 273 total. In misc.*, from 16 to 20
unmoderated groups, from 2 to 2 moderated groups, from 18 to 22 total.
In news.*, from 11 to 12 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated
groups, from 16 to 18 total. In rec.*, from 87 to 104 unmoderated
groups, from 6 to 11 moderated groups, from 93 to 115 total. In sci.*,
from 31 to 33 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 5 moderated groups, from 34
to 38 total. In soc.*, from 29 to 40 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7
moderated groups, from 35 to 47 total. In talk.*, from 13 to 14
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 13 to 14 total.
Total, from 364 to 443 unmoderated groups, from 72 to 84 moderated
groups, from 436 to 527 total.
Joe Bernstein
first post in the series, for the year 1981, with Message-ID
<3c4a40c1$0$95686$892e...@authen.puce.readfreenews.net>.
I don't have a lot to say in summary of 1991. It was a year of moderate
growth in the technical areas - such groups as comp.archives,
comp.society.folkore, and news.answers appeared this year, and
comp.sys.amiga.* and comp.sys.next were reorganised - combined with
spectacular growth in the non-technical areas: the numbers of
unmoderated groups in both rec.* and soc.* increased around 50%. It was
the year David Lawrence took over news.announce.newgroups, and the year
Gene Spafford broke down. It was the year a surprising number of groups
I've read were created, for whatever that's worth. It clearly
foreshadows the massive growth of years to come, and in particular the
activity late in the year presages the long September that began in
1993, but it's quieter than those times, for all that the official list
finally passed 500 groups, and both it and the inet-included list passed
600 as well.
Sometime around the middle of the year, the archives of the University
of Toronto Department of Zoology compiled by Henry Spencer come to an
end. Without these archives, only a pittance would remain of the Usenet
of the 1980s. The work I've posted to date could not have been done
without them; my thanks to Henry Spencer and those who brought the
archives to light, notably Bruce Jones, David Wiseman, and Michael
Schmitt. But for much of 1991, we rely solely on the archives of Jurgen
Christoffel. I haven't yet tried to establish how well 1991 is covered
in David Lawrence's archives of control messages and of
news.announce.newgroups, but at any rate, this is the first year for
which those archives include a significant amount of material at all.
Joe Bernstein
Lists of Newsgroups Posted in 1991
GENE SPAFFORD
"Checkgroups message (with INET groups)"
January 22, 1991
news.admin
Message-ID: 13...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
"Changes to Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies"
May 21, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.misc
Message-ID: 14...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu
To judge by the Supersedes header of the Changes posting, and of the
other postings of the May 21 posting run, there was a full batch of
lists posted circa January 22, but the one checkgroups is apparently the
only one archived. I was able to reconstruct which groups were treated
as inet groups in this posting run by reference to the Changes posting
(and yes, this actually matters for this posting run; you'll soon see
why). I was not able to reconstruct the changes in the gatewayed groups
list or in the List of Moderators.
Anyway, first on with the selective review of news.announce.newgroups.
There's only one more of these to go, because David Lawrence took the
group over on February 11 of this year, and I cut off my collection of
Google's archives at that point, because at that time I hadn't located
later gaps in the archives Lawrence instituted and his successors still
maintain. As noted in the later parts of the 1990 post, my archive of
nan shows every sign of being massively incomplete for these months
anyway, but here's what it does contain that I think is noteworthy:
MODERATOR: The CFD for soc.culture.magyar, posted January 7, refers to
ending either the discussion or the vote (it's not clear which) "before
Eliot leaves". (In fact, a CFV appeared January 14, meeting the January
18 deadline suggested in the same sentence, and possibly breaking a
speed record.) It also isn't clear whether the leaving in question is
the departure for USENIX announced January 14, with which my archive of
nan for January closes, or Lear's retirement a month later.
GUIDELINES: Jan Isley reported on January 14 the vote result that would
produce comp.sys.3b1 and comp.sources.3b1; it included separate items on
whether to create each group, where to put the discussion group (three
choices, on each of which one could vote YES, NO, or OK), and what
namespace terminal to use for the group(s) created (six choices, again
YES, NO, or OK). Interestingly, the actual votes weren't remotely
close; I don't know why this complex scheme was wanted, I only want to
note that it *was* used, and *did* result in the creation of two
official Big 7 groups, at this relatively late date. It's also worth
noting that the "New Groups Summary" of March 11 links the groups'
creation to the rmgrouping of the unix-pc.* hierarchy previously listed
in the Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies postings.
CFDs: Jay Maynard's CFV for a reorg of rec.ham-radio.*, posted January
7, includes descriptive paragraphs (not labeled "charter" or any other
label) for the new creations (rec.radio.cb and rec.radio.amateur.policy)
but not for the groups to be renamed, at least two of which were old
enough that they definitely didn't have pre-existing written charters.
CFVs: David Wright explicitly acted as a disinterested third-party
votetaker for comp.sys.unisys, according to his CFV posted January 7.
(And to close this visit to the famous names department, the charter had
been written by Peter da Silva, though the proponent was Craig Wilson).
A post appeared January 14 with subject line "CALL FOR DISCUSSION:
rec.discuss.prophecies". (The actual intended subject of the group
appears to have been Nostradamus; "Old" French is explicitly accepted as
a topic, for example.) The last line of this ostensible CFD indicates
how to vote.
END SELECTIVE REVIEW OF NAN
Added: comp.dcom.fax, comp.lang.clos, comp.lang.modula3,
comp.lang.vhdl, comp.multimedia, comp.research.japan, comp.sys.acorn,
comp.sys.amiga.advocacy, comp.sys.amiga.announce,
comp.sys.amiga.applications, comp.sys.amiga.audio,
comp.sys.amiga.datacom, comp.sys.amiga.emulation,
comp.sys.amiga.graphics, comp.sys.amiga.introduction,
comp.sys.amiga.marketplace, comp.sys.amiga.misc,
comp.sys.amiga.multimedia, comp.sys.amiga.programmer,
comp.sys.amiga.reviews, comp.sys.novell, comp.text.sgml,
comp.unix.amiga, comp.unix.wizards, rec.arts.fine, rec.audio.car,
rec.autos.vw, rec.games.pinball, rec.music.afro-latin,
rec.sport.football.college, rec.sport.football.misc,
rec.sport.football.pro, rec.sport.rugby, rec.video.satellite,
sci.engr.chem, sci.optics, soc.culture.filipino, soc.culture.lebanon,
talk.politics.drugs.
Removed: comp.sys.amiga, rec.sport.football.
This List of Moderators is unavailable to me, but comp.org.eff.news,
comp.protocols.iso.x400, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were presumably only partly listed on it, as
described under June 1, 1988.
trial.soc.culture.italian is first attested by a post dated
December 21, 1990; the group appears to have already existed
by that date, however. It thus became the sixth trial.* group.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: a significant expansion of alt.fan.*;
alt.irc. Also in this Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies posting, the
ieee.* hierarchy first appeared.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 175 to 195 unmoderated groups,
from 47 to 50 moderated groups, from 222 to 245 total. In misc.*, no
change: 20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In
news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 17 total.
In rec.*, from 103 to 112 unmoderated groups, from 10 to 10 moderated
groups, from 113 to 122 total. In sci.*, from 30 to 32 unmoderated
groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 35 to 37 total. In soc.*,
from 39 to 41 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 46
to 48 total. In talk.*, from 14 to 15 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 14 to 15 total. 506 total (80 moderated, 426
unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 45 unmoderated groups, 6
moderated groups, 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 58 total (7 moderated, 51 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 220 to 240 unmoderated groups, from 53
to 56 moderated groups, from 273 to 296 total. In misc.*, no change:
20 unmoderated groups, 2 moderated groups, 22 total. In news.*, no
change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 18 total. In rec.*,
from 104 to 113 unmoderated groups, from 11 to 11 moderated groups, from
115 to 124 total. In sci.*, from 33 to 35 unmoderated groups, from 5 to
5 moderated groups, from 38 to 40 total. In soc.*, from 40 to 42
unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 47 to 49 total.
In talk.*, from 14 to 15 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated
groups, from 14 to 15 total. 564 total (87 moderated, 477 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups"
May 21, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 14...@ector.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators"
May 21, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 14...@ector.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies"
May 21, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 14...@ector.cs.purdue.edu
This is the list posting run following the breakdown Gene Spafford
described in his farewell note. It shows major changes not only in the
parts of the lists that changed routinely, but also in the calcified
parts: the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups, for example. It shows what
appears to be an en masse removal of comp.* groups, perhaps the only
time since the Great Renaming that the Big 7 or Big 8 have cleaned out
the dead wood. It *also* shows that Spafford had set up a new server
(ector, rather than medusa). It'd be understandable that Spafford took
so long to unveil it, even without the health problems he described.
Meanwhile, one last look at my chronological news.announce.newgroups
archive, as it comes to a close with the announcement, February 11, of
Eliot Lear's successor, who would become Gene Spafford's as well, David
Lawrence, better known as tale. Up to that date, I see no sign of the
comp.* group cleanup, but here's what I do see:
MODERATOR: "Ladies and gentlemen, I depart". And we all owe many
thanks to Eliot Lear.
CFDs: What appears to be the CFD for soc.culture.canada appeared
February 4 with subject line "Re: can you help me?" (No References
header, though.)
A February 4 posting has the subject line "CfD: comp.society.folklore".
I don't remember seeing a previous example of this format. It has
separate sections titled "TOPICS TO BE COVERED" and "CHARTER"; neither
is a moderation policy, though the latter has some items relevant to
one. It explicitly recognises that a related alt.* group
(alt.folklore.computers, I presume) will not be removed by this group's
creation.
Continuing with the entertaining CFD subject lines, on February 4 we
have "Call for new discussion". This turns out to propose soc.stugov
and soc.stugov.tech, violating the rule that would ban simultaneous
creation of foo.bar and foo.bar.baz for most of the 1990s.
(soc.college.grad and soc.college.gradinfo, in the lists below, suggest
that that rule would be implemented soon, but in fact these were
separate proposals in separate months; I suspect .gradinfo, which was
first, was actually the outcome of this CFD.)
CFVs: A somewhat more formally laid out proposal for
rec.discuss.prophecies was posted February 4, with the subject line
"Creation of new group". It still ended with voting instructions. In
the Current Status posting of February 18, this post is treated as a CFV
with voting to end March 4, but in the posting of February 25, it has
vanished. No group with this Crawling Horror from the Sewers of Hell
(TM) of a name has in fact been created.
On February 4 appeared "the (new and improved) CALL FOR VOTES, splitting
rec.games.frp", with opening line "Please disregard previous calls for
votes on this question." Unsurprisingly, the following lists show no
sign of the vote passing.
George William Herbert's CFV for two hunting newsgroups, posted February
4, asks voters to use a subject line that would not result from replying
to the CFV automatically, indicates that votes without that subject line
will be counted but will probably result in "hate mail", and says: "You
do not need to vote for both groups. If you vote for one, please make
it clear which. I will assume rec.hunting if you do not." (!) In the
event, rec.hunting presumably passed, while talk.politics.hunting
presumably didn't.
RESULTS: In reporting the passage of the rec.ham-radio.* reorg (posted
February 4), Jay Maynard indicated that he'd written a shell script and
an awk script to help with the votetaking work, and offered them to
anyone who wanted them. Cliff Tuel, reporting the narrow passage of
rec.music.video the same day, offered his shell scripts too.
The votetaker for sci.geo.geology (result posted February 4) counted one
NO vote mailed to his personal mailbox; the group passed 266:11 anyway.
Richard Miller posted (in news.groups; I just thought the information
fit best here) on March 6, 1991 that he had asked Erik Fair to create
comp.sys.unisys in inet, after it had failed a close vote (103:9).
Nothing seems to have come of this request.
OTHER STUFF: Amusingly enough, the CFD posted for February 4 for
soc.culture.russian appears to have been the origin of
soc.culture.soviet, to judge by the lists below. Usenet apparently
isn't always ahead of its time...
One of two CFDs for soc.culture.malaysian posted February 4 is seriously
garbled in the copy available at Google, but it probably isn't Google's
fault that the subject line reads "Re: How to Create a New Newsgroup".
This time there *is* a References header. (The other has a sensible
subject line and omits the References header and the first line of the
body text.)
END SELECTIVE REVIEW OF NAN, THE LAST SUCH
With his first posting of it, February 18, tale changed the subject line
of "recently created newsgroups" to "New Groups Being Created". On
February 25, it became "New Groups Summary", assumed a fixed and highly
informative format, and offered information about groups added in
non-Big 7 hierarchies (explicitly excluding alt.*) as well as about
passing vote results. Had the news.announce.newgroups regular postings
included information about failing results and about CFDs/RFDs that
didn't make it to a vote, it would be possible to create a rich
chronology based on them alone for much of the next nine years; at any
rate, what they do include is enough to make some things possible,
though I have no intention of mining them systematically in this phase
of my work on this chronology.
The posting run of May 21 included, besides these lists (you *do*
remember the List of Active Newsgroups etc., way up there, right?), the
first posting of the Guidelines with tale's first, and most
wide-ranging, revisions. These included changing CFDs to RFDs; setting
up group-advice to help proponents; indicated that tale would send all
newgroups and rmgroups; made the six-month cooling off period official;
called for cross-posting of official posts; and said something unclear
about multi-group votes. There would be no further substantive changes
to the Guidelines for over two years.
Added: comp.admin.policy, comp.binaries.acorn, comp.compression,
comp.org.acm, comp.os.coherent, comp.os.msdos.desqview,
comp.protocols.snmp (inet), comp.society.development,
comp.society.folklore, comp.sources.3b1, comp.sources.acorn,
comp.sources.reviewed, comp.std.announce (inet), comp.sys.3b1,
comp.sys.amiga.datacomm, comp.sys.amiga.emulations,
comp.windows.interviews, misc.news.southasia, rec.arts.bodyart,
rec.arts.sf-reviews, rec.climbing, rec.collecting,
rec.games.video.arcade, rec.hunting, rec.music.christian,
rec.music.funky, rec.music.reviews, rec.music.video,
rec.radio.amateur.misc, rec.radio.amateur.packet,
rec.radio.amateur.policy, rec.radio.cb, rec.radio.swap,
rec.sport.basketball.college, rec.sport.basketball.misc,
rec.sport.basketball.pro, rec.sport.disc, rec.sport.tennis,
sci.geo.geology, sci.geo.meteorology, soc.college.grad,
soc.college.gradinfo, soc.culture.australian, soc.culture.canada,
soc.culture.europe, soc.culture.magyar, soc.culture.new-zealand,
soc.culture.soviet, soc.culture.thai, soc.culture.yugoslavia,
soc.veterans.
Removed: comp.dcom.lans.v2lni (inet), comp.graphics.digest,
comp.org.uniforum, comp.os.eunice, comp.protocols.pup (inet),
comp.society.women, comp.sys.amiga.datacom, comp.sys.amiga.emulation,
comp.sys.amiga.tech, comp.sys.celerity, comp.sys.workstations,
comp.unix, rec.ham-radio, rec.ham-radio.packet, rec.ham-radio.swap,
rec.sport.basketball, soc.human-nets.
Removed by demotion to inet: comp.text.sgml. (comp.text.sgml had been
voted in during 1990, but was not recognised on the next List of Active
Newsgroups; it was then listed in the first posting run of 1991 as a Big
7 group; now this. Since I have no idea what led to these contortions,
I treat this as a genuine change in the summary below, although I
seriously doubt that it *was* a genuine change, for reasons that will
soon become clear. See also a post from David Lawrence about it,
dated February 14, 1991, to news.groups and comp.text, with the I-am-
not-making-this-up message-ID <V0+&-W|@rpi.edu>. Alas, this does not
entirely clarify the situation.)
Unmoderated in place: comp.lang.clu (inet).
comp.protocols.snmp resulted from a news.announce.newgroups RFD in
which the proponent explicitly said he'd prefer an inet group;
five days later, he announced, again in nan, that it would be so
created.
comp.org.eff.news, comp.protocols.iso.x400,
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1,
1988.
comp.protocols.tcp-ip and rec.music.synth are added to the list of
gatewayed Big 7 newsgroups; comp.protocols.nfs is removed from it. Any
of these changes might first have appeared in the previous list posting
run (for which I can't reconstruct the list of gatewayed Big 7
newsgroups), but I think it's more likely that Spafford revised this
list after, rather than before, his breakdown.
Note that with the removal of comp.os.eunice ended the first group of
whose creation (as NET.eunice) we have record (May 27, 1981), while with
the removal of soc.human-nets we see the recognition (years after the
fact) that a mailing list which did much to make Usenet popular, in its
early days, had died. These removals appear not to have been much
discussed; they correspond roughly to a set of removals proposed by
Gene Spafford on February 17, with message-ID
<13...@medusa.cs.purdue.edu>, crossed with an overlapping set put
forward in a thread in April:
<http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=116158%40unix.cis.pitt.edu>
In a 1994 post, Richard Miller claimed that they had been removed by
a vote (see message-ID <2hpqbc$e...@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu>); however,
there is no sign of such a vote in the archived posts.
Although I shouldn't say for sure, since I haven't done detailed
work on 1995 through 2003 yet, I do feel confident enough about
those years to say that these are *almost* certainly the last case
in the Big 7's or Big 8's history of mass removal of dead groups.
The trial.* hierarchy had by this posting run's date reached its
maximum size, with the creation of trial.talk.politics.peace no later
than February 6; we are also marginally before the first example of a
trial.* group being superseded *not* by the direct promotion to the Big
7 that was supposed to happen to successful trial.* groups, but rather
by a Big 7 group created through the regular Big 7 procedure. All of
the trial.* groups known to me were in fact replaced or superseded by
normally created Big 7 groups in 1991 and 1992, except for this final
creation, trial.talk.politics.peace, which still shows up on cross-
posting lists today, according to Google. Anyway, the final list,
for those keeping score at home, is trial.misc.legal.software,
trial.newgroups, trial.rec.metalworking, trial.soc.culture.czechoslovak,
trial.soc.culture.italian, trial.talk.politics.peace, and trial.test.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.binaries.multimedia, the first group
listed in its sub-hierarchy; alt.dcom.telecom; alt.restaurants, returned
from the dead (see the 1990 post); alt.usage.english. Also in this
Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies posting, the k12.* hierarchy replaces
the pubnet.* and unix-pc.* hierarchies.
On April 23, 1991, Bruce Becker for the first time posted a list
of alt.* groups, with subject line "a list of some alt groups".
I have not attempted to use these lists in this series of posts,
but they are obviously a useful resource for anyone who's more
interested than I am in the history of the alt.* hierarchy, so I
will note their fairly numerous subject line changes in this and
coming posts. See also the 1993 post for more on Becker. These
lists' format was somewhat unusual: they included copious
suggestions for aliasing one group to another, and they included
active file numbers from his system, providing a rough guide to
how many postings had appeared in each group, as well as the more
usual description lines, moderation tags, and moderation addresses.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 195 to 198 unmoderated groups,
from 50 to 51 moderated groups, from 245 to 249 total. In misc.*, from
20 to 20 unmoderated groups, from 2 to 3 moderated groups, from 22 to 23
total. In news.*, no change: 11 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated
groups, 17 total. In rec.*, from 112 to 125 unmoderated groups, from 10
to 13 moderated groups, from 122 to 138 total. In sci.*, from 32 to 34
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 37 to 39 total.
In soc.*, from 41 to 52 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 6 moderated
groups, from 48 to 58 total. In talk.*, no change: 15 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 15 total. 539 total (84 moderated, 455
unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 45 to 46 unmoderated groups, from 6
to 6 moderated groups, from 51 to 52 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 59 total (7
moderated, 52 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 240 to 244 unmoderated groups, from 56
to 57 moderated groups, from 296 to 301 total. In misc.*, from 20 to 20
unmoderated groups, from 2 to 3 moderated groups, from 22 to 23 total.
In news.*, no change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 18
total. In rec.*, from 113 to 126 unmoderated groups, from 11 to 14
moderated groups, from 124 to 140 total. In sci.*, from 35 to 37
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 40 to 42 total.
In soc.*, from 42 to 53 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 6 moderated
groups, from 49 to 59 total. In talk.*, no change: 15 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 15 total. 598 total (91 moderated, 507
unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups"
July 25, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@ector.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators"
July 25, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@ector.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies"
July 25, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@ector.cs.purdue.edu
Added: comp.archives.admin, comp.binaries.ibm.pc.archives,
comp.binaries.ibm.pc.wanted, comp.graphics.research, comp.human-factors,
comp.lang.lisp.mcl, comp.lsi.testing, comp.sources.hp48,
comp.specification.z, comp.sys.next.announce, comp.sys.next.misc,
comp.sys.next.programmer, comp.sys.next.sysadmin, comp.sys.palmtops,
comp.text.sgml, misc.activism.progressive, misc.entrepreneurs,
misc.writing, news.software.readers, rec.crafts.misc,
rec.crafts.textiles, rec.games.board.ce, rec.games.design,
rec.music.early, rec.music.industrial, rec.pets.cats, rec.sport.golf,
rec.sport.volleyball, sci.archaeology, soc.culture.spain.
Removed: rec.mag.otherrealms.
Unmoderated in place: comp.ai.shells.
The "New Groups Summary" posted July 15 shows the pending promotion of
comp.sys.handhelds from inet to the Big 7 thanks to a vote of 211:14,
and the one posted July 22 indicates that the relevant newgroup had gone
out the previous day, but this promotion apparently was never reflected
on the lists of newsgroups, and so it isn't reflected in the summaries
below. (Credit for discovering this omission goes to Rob Maxwell.) The
change was finally implemented for good, eleven years later, as a result
of the mass promotion of the remaining inet groups done by tale's
successors as news.announce.newgroups moderators. The archives preserve
no contemporary comment on the omission; the promotion was part of a
split into four groups, so the proponent perhaps didn't care as much
about the promotion as about the new creations. (Amusingly enough,
the voted charter of comp.sys.handhelds reads as follows: "This
newsgroup will contain all the same postings the inet group contains
of the same name. Voting on this will just make comp.sys.handhelds
an official Usenet newsgroup. Nothing else will change. If the vote
fails comp.sys.handhelds will just remain an inet only group.")
comp.org.eff.news, comp.protocols.iso.x400,
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1,
1988. comp.graphics.research wasn't listed at all on this List of
Moderators, though it was listed as moderated on this List of Active
Newsgroups; in the summaries below, I treat the latter as correct.
rec.equestrian is removed from the list of gatewayed Big 7 newsgroups;
rec.music.funky, rec.radio.amateur.policy, and rec.radio.shortwave are
added to that list.
Note that comp.text.sgml was added to this List of Active Newsgroups
*without* being removed from the list of inet groups in this Alternative
Newsgroup Hierarchies posting. While it's remotely possible that all of
the previous lists correctly reflected the group's real position at the
given time, I really don't see how the group can simultaneously have
been inet and Big 7, so at this time I reluctantly show it as Big 7 only
in the summaries below, and remove it from inet before this removal is
actually reflected in the posted lists. (Remember, please, that the
purpose of this phase of my work on this chronology is not to determine
what really happened, only to describe what data the lists whose
message-IDs I provide have to offer.) In any event, comp.text.sgml's
removal from inet probably never *really* happened, since the group was
probably never really inet anyway. See also on this a post by the
proponent, Ed Vielmetti, on May 31 to news.admin, with message-ID
<EMV.91Ma...@bronte.aa.ox.com>.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.binaries.pictures and its first
subgroup, alt.binaries.pictures.d; alt.comp.acad-freedom.{news,talk};
alt.fan.warlord; alt.rmgroup; alt.support. I see at least two cases
where I think Spafford must have had to deal with controversies in
alt.*: alt.magic vs. alt.magick, and alt.fan.rush-limbaugh vs.
alt.rush-limbaugh; in the former case, the newsgroup lines indicate
differing topics, while the latter pair appear entirely duplicative.
Also in this Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies posting, the bit.*
hierarchy of listserv mailing list gateways first appeared.
Bruce Becker's June 1, 1991 list had subject line '"alt" newsgroups
listing'. On July 2, it was 'alt groups'.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 198 to 211 unmoderated groups,
from 51 to 53 moderated groups, from 249 to 264 total. In misc.*, from
20 to 22 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 4 moderated groups, from 23 to 26
total. In news.*, from 11 to 12 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6
moderated groups, from 17 to 18 total. In rec.*, from 125 to 134
unmoderated groups, from 13 to 12 moderated groups, from 138 to 146
total. In sci.*, from 34 to 35 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5
moderated groups, from 39 to 40 total. In soc.*, from 52 to 53
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 58 to 59 total.
In talk.*, no change: 15 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 15
total. 568 total (86 moderated, 482 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 46 to 45 unmoderated groups, from 6
to 6 moderated groups, from 52 to 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 58 total (7
moderated, 51 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 244 to 256 unmoderated groups, from 57
to 59 moderated groups, from 301 to 315 total. In misc.*, from 20 to 22
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 4 moderated groups, from 23 to 26 total.
In news.*, from 12 to 13 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated
groups, from 18 to 19 total. In rec.*, from 126 to 135 unmoderated
groups, from 14 to 13 moderated groups, from 140 to 148 total. In
sci.*, from 37 to 38 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups,
from 42 to 43 total. In soc.*, from 53 to 54 unmoderated groups, from 6
to 6 moderated groups, from 59 to 60 total. In talk.*, no change: 15
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 15 total. 626 total (93
moderated, 533 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups"
September 9, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups
Message-ID: 15...@ector.cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators"
September 9, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers
Message-ID: 15...@ector.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
September 9, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups
Message-ID: 15...@ector.cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
September 9, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups
Message-ID: 15...@ector.cs.purdue.edu
Yes, this is the posting run in which one of these posts was first split
in two (the addition of bit.* in the previous run probably being the
straw that broke the camel's back). The inet groups are in the second
of the parts; I'll continue to list all parts of the Alternative
Newsgroup Hierarchies, despite the fact that the inet groups appear in
only one part each time, basically just for completeness' sake. (There
are, in any event, fewer than thirty posting runs left before all of
these posts fall into oblivion.)
Added: comp.lang.hermes, comp.org.issnnet, comp.protocols.ppp,
comp.sys.hp48, comp.sys.prime, misc.books.technical, rec.crafts.brewing,
rec.games.backgammon, rec.roller-coaster, rec.sport.triathlon,
soc.culture.italian, soc.culture.mexican, talk.politics.space.
Moderated in place: comp.windows.x.announce (inet).
The news.announce.newgroups postings related to soc.culture.italian
were cross-posted to trial.soc.culture.italian and explicitly
acknowledged its existence, but did not refer to the fact that
the trial.* hierarchy should have enabled the group to skip
the news.announce.newgroups process.
comp.org.eff.news, comp.protocols.iso.x400,
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1,
1988. comp.graphics.research appeared this time on that list as well as
the List of Active Newsgroups; on the other hand, sci.math.research
appeared on that list *without* appearing on this List of Active
Newsgroups; I treat neither as an added group in the summaries below.
comp.text.sgml continued to appear both in the Alternative Newsgroup
Hierarchies post as an inet group and in the List of Active [Big 7]
Newsgroups; I continue to count it only in the latter category in the
summaries below.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.evil; alt.games.xtrek, the second in
its sub-hierarchy; alt.personals.bondage, the first in *its*
sub-hierarchy; three new alt.religion.* groups, including
alt.religion.scientology. Also, alt.restaurants is again delisted.
Bruce Becker's list of alt.* groups posted August 5, 1991 had
subject line 'Listing of "alt" newsgroups'. On September 1,
it was 'A listing of "alt" newsgroups'. (This one provoked an
attempt by David Wright at explaining the list's existence, which
indicated that Becker was an alt.* completist - accept all newgroups,
ignore all rmgroups - at least for purposes of this list.)
This posting run's "Regional Newsgroup Hierarchies" post was the
first to be split into three parts, and the last to be maintained by
its original author, Andrew Partan.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 211 to 216 unmoderated groups,
from 53 to 53 moderated groups, from 264 to 269 total. In misc.*, from
22 to 23 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 26 to 27
total. In news.*, no change: 12 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated
groups, 18 total. In rec.*, from 134 to 138 unmoderated groups, from 12
to 12 moderated groups, from 146 to 150 total. In sci.*, no change: 35
unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 40 total. In soc.*, from 53 to
55 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 59 to 61
total. In talk.*, from 15 to 16 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 15 to 16 total. 581 total (86 moderated, 495
unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 45 to 44 unmoderated groups, from 6
to 7 moderated groups, from 51 to 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 58 total (8
moderated, 50 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 256 to 260 unmoderated groups, from 59
to 60 moderated groups, from 315 to 320 total. In misc.*, from 22 to 23
unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 26 to 27 total.
In news.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 6 moderated groups, 19
total. In rec.*, from 135 to 139 unmoderated groups, from 13 to 13
moderated groups, from 148 to 152 total. In sci.*, no change: 38
unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 43 total. In soc.*, from 54 to
56 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 60 to 62
total. In talk.*, from 15 to 16 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 15 to 16 total. 639 total (94 moderated, 545
unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups"
December 7, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-activ...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators"
December 7, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-modera...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
December 7, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
December 7, 1991
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
No, the variations in the Newsgroups headers are *not* my invention.
The September 30 posting unveiled a new format for the "New Groups
Summary", making it rather easier to read and adding newsgroup
description lines to the already considerable amount of information
contained.
The "Current Status of Votes on Newsgroup" postings of late September
and early October show a vote taking place on moving the trial.*
group creation method into the Big 7 hierarchies, but nothing
resulting from that vote ever appeared in the "New Groups Summary"
postings. The vote did in fact pass, 175:47. However, I find no
sign at Google that any posts to
{comp|humanities|misc|news|rec|sci|soc|talk}.trial.*
exist in their archives, nor have I heard by any other means of
such groups being created, so I conclude that this vote was the
end entire of the trial newsgroup creation experiment. I note in
this and subsequent year-summaries the promotion of the individual
trial.* groups to official Big 7 status, including whatever was
said at the time about the trial.* groups. As noted above, such a
promotion still has not occurred for trial.talk.politics.peace, but
I'm not going to note its sole survival on every post from here on.
Added: comp.databases.informix, comp.graphics.avs, comp.patents,
comp.soft-sys.khoros, comp.text.frame, misc.int-property,
misc.legal.computing, news.answers, news.future,
rec.arts.comics.marketplace, rec.arts.sf.announce, rec.arts.sf.fandom,
rec.arts.sf.marketplace, rec.arts.sf.misc, rec.arts.sf.movies,
rec.arts.sf.reviews, rec.arts.sf.science, rec.arts.sf.tv,
rec.arts.sf.written, rec.games.corewar, rec.games.mud.lp, rec.juggling,
rec.kites, rec.pets.birds, rec.pets.herp, rec.video.cable-tv,
rec.video.releases, sci.math.research, soc.bi, soc.culture.afghanistan,
soc.culture.caribbean, soc.culture.portuguese, soc.culture.usa,
talk.politics.animals.
Removed: comp.sys.next, rec.arts.sf-reviews.
The news.announce.newgroups posts related to the creation of
comp.patents, misc.legal.computing and misc.int-property were
cross-posted to trial.misc.legal.software but did not explicitly
relate that group to any of the proposed new groups.
comp.org.eff.news, comp.protocols.iso.x400,
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators, as described under June 1,
1988. sci.math.research, which had been listed on the previous List of
Moderators, was now listed on both lists, and now appears in the
summaries below.
comp.sys.prime and comp.windows.interviews are added to the list of
gatewayed Big 7 newsgroups.
comp.text.sgml finally left the inet list in this Alternative Newsgroup
Hierarchies, Part II posting. This isn't shown as a change in the
summary below, because in the summaries I already dropped it from inet
two posting runs back.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: improbably enough, several months after
the creation of alt.binaries.pictures, alt.sex.pictures.female and
alt.sex.pictures.male; alt.wais.
I see no October list of alt.* newsgroups from Bruce Becker. The
one dated November 9 has subject line 'listing of newsgroups in
the "alt" hierarchy'. I'm not clear on whether there was a December
list or not; if there was, I doubt Google has it.
This posting run's "Regional Newsgroup Hierarchies" was the last to
be maintained, this time by Gene Spafford.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 216 to 219 unmoderated groups,
from 53 to 54 moderated groups, from 269 to 273 total. In misc.*, from
23 to 25 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 27 to 29
total. In news.*, from 12 to 13 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7
moderated groups, from 18 to 20 total. In rec.*, from 138 to 154
unmoderated groups, from 12 to 13 moderated groups, from 150 to 167
total. In sci.*, from 35 to 35 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6
moderated groups, from 40 to 41 total. In soc.*, from 55 to 60
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 61 to 66 total.
In talk.*, from 16 to 17 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated
groups, from 16 to 17 total. 613 total (90 moderated, 523 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 44 unmoderated groups, 7
moderated groups, 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 58 total (8 moderated, 50 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 261 to 263 unmoderated groups, from 60
to 61 moderated groups, from 321 to 324 total. In misc.*, from 23 to 25
unmoderated groups, from 4 to 4 moderated groups, from 27 to 29 total.
In news.*, from 13 to 14 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated
groups, from 19 to 21 total. In rec.*, from 140 to 155 unmoderated
groups, from 13 to 14 moderated groups, from 153 to 169 total. In
sci.*, from 38 to 38 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups,
from 43 to 44 total. In soc.*, from 56 to 61 unmoderated groups, from 6
to 6 moderated groups, from 62 to 67 total. In talk.*, from 16 to 17
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 16 to 17 total.
671 total (98 moderated, 573 unmoderated).
This is the last newsgroup list/moderator list set known to me posted in
1991. This is also the date of the last "Alternative Newsgroup
Hierarchies" of the year. It includes 177 alt.* groups (up from 106 at
year-end 1990), 24 bionet.* groups (up from eighteen), 145 bit.* groups
(new this year), nineteen biz.* groups (up from fifteen), 155 clari.*
groups (unchanged), 28 gnu.* groups (up from 25), eleven ieee.* groups
(new), 58 inet groups (unchanged), two ddn.* groups (unchanged), 21
k12.* groups (new), five u3b.* groups (unchanged), and 25 vmsnet.*
groups (up from twelve), for a total of 670 (up from 408, even though
the pubnet.* and unix-pc.* hierarchies disappeared from the list).
(Bruce Becker's list dated January 2, 1992 had, according to the
forematter - I am not counting these lists by hand, unlike my practice
with Gene Spafford's lists - 330 alt.* groups along with 103 aliases.)
I'll also mention the alt.* newsgroup description lines. As far back as
1987, some of these had tried to be funny, but this year there was a
marked upturn in the number of this type, and a read of one of the
late-in-the-year Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies postings actually has
some comic value. Tastes differ, of course, but at least *I* think
alt.dev.null, alt.flame, alt.personals, alt.personals.bondage,
alt.rap-gdead, alt.religion.emacs, several of the alt.sex.* groups, and
alt.sport.bungee had lines worth reading. I don't know whether the
increase indicates that Gene Spafford had loosened up, or (what I think
likelier) that alt.* proponents had started doing their own newsgroup
lines.
Annual summary: IN THE BIG SEVEN: In comp.*, from 175 to 219
unmoderated groups, from 47 to 54 moderated groups, from 222 to 273
total. In misc.*, from 20 to 25 unmoderated groups, from 2 to 4
moderated groups, from 22 to 29 total. In news.*, from 11 to 13
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated groups, from 17 to 20 total.
In rec.*, from 103 to 154 unmoderated groups, from 10 to 13 moderated
groups, from 113 to 167 total. In sci.*, from 30 to 35 unmoderated
groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups, from 35 to 41 total. In soc.*,
from 39 to 60 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 6 moderated groups, from 46
to 66 total. In talk.*, from 14 to 17 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 14 to 17 total. Total, from 392 to 523
unmoderated groups, from 77 to 90 moderated groups, from 469 to 613
total.
IN INET: In comp.*, from 45 to 44 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7
moderated groups, from 51 to 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. Total, from 51 to 50
unmoderated groups, from 7 to 8 moderated groups, from 58 to 58 total.
OVER ALL: In comp.*, from 220 to 263 unmoderated groups, from 53 to 61
moderated groups, from 273 to 324 total. In misc.*, from 20 to 25
unmoderated groups, from 2 to 4 moderated groups, from 22 to 29 total.
In news.*, from 12 to 14 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated
groups, from 18 to 21 total. In rec.*, from 104 to 155 unmoderated
groups, from 11 to 14 moderated groups, from 115 to 169 total. In
sci.*, from 33 to 38 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups,
from 38 to 44 total. In soc.*, from 40 to 61 unmoderated groups, from 7
to 6 moderated groups, from 47 to 67 total. In talk.*, from 14 to 17
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 14 to 17 total.
Total, from 443 to 573 unmoderated groups, from 84 to 98 moderated
groups, from 527 to 671 total.
Joe Bernstein
first post in the series, for the year 1981, with Message-ID
<3c4a40c1$0$95686$892e...@authen.puce.readfreenews.net>.
As you will see, 1992 was the year re-orgs ("reorganisations" that split
groups) became a major force behind changes in the lists of groups in
the Big 8. It didn't actually have to be this way; the tremendous
growth in alt.* didn't result from re-orgs, and there are numerous
second- and third-level groups created in 1992 which look
head-smackingly obvious in hindsight. As best I can tell, by sheer
numbers, re-orgs produced only a third of the total change in the list
of newgroups in 1992. But all the same, the year's theme, in the Big 8,
was undoubtedly re-org.
This predictably means that comp.* revived from the doldrums it had been
in during 1991; although not due to re-orgs, sci.* also grew rapidly.
So did rec.*, but the other major growth centre of 1991, soc.*, slowed
down.
Meanwhile alt.* came much closer than before to the form I've known it
in (alt.* didn't exist yet when I was on Usenet in the 1980s). Even
Gene Spafford's lists, reflecting a relatively conservative take on the
hierarchy, show numerous joke groups (including the most famous of
these, alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork); at the same time, and rather
more stressed in my selective treatment of the hierarchy below, the
hierarchy's set of serious groups grew significantly and filled some
notable gaps.
The "NetNews on CD" series is the main source for Google's archives of
1992. This means the international hierarchies are covered, as they
weren't (for the most part) in the Toronto archives. Google doesn't
say how well the archives obtained from Jurgen Christoffel cover the
international hierarchies, and I haven't investigated. I can't be
sure, but it's my *impression* that Christoffel's archives have holes
in them, as Toronto's certainly did in the later years; this may,
therefore, be the first year since perhaps 1985 or so for which the
archives are anywhere near complete for the groups they do cover.
At any rate, whether or not this is the first year in which the
international hierarchies are well archived, it's not a year in
which they're well tracked. David Lawrence did briefly extend his
summaries of new groups to those hierarchies, but found it too
difficult to maintain this; and the "Regional Newsgroup Hierarchies"
post stopped changing, and then stopped appearing at all, in 1992.
Joe Bernstein
Lists of Newsgroups Posted in 1992
GENE SPAFFORD
"Checkgroups message (without INET groups)"
February 24, 1992
news.admin,news.announce.newgroups
Message-ID: spaf-ckgrp...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators"
February 24, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-modera...@cs.purdue.edu
"Changes to Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
February 24, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.misc,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-c_altgro...@cs.purdue.edu
"Changes to Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
February 24, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.misc,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-c_altgro...@cs.purdue.edu
In this set of lists, the inet-included total of groups passed 700, and
the inet-included total of *moderated* groups passed 100.
Beginning January 21, the regular news.announce.newgroups posting
"Current Status of Votes on Newsgroups" includes a list of groups for
which RFDs (no longer CFDs) had been posted in the past thirty days.
This fills one of the two major gaps the news.announce.newgroups
regular postings had previously had, as full records of nan activity.
Added: comp.apps.spreadsheets, comp.databases.ingres,
comp.databases.oracle, comp.dcom.lans.ethernet, comp.dcom.lans.fddi,
comp.dcom.lans.misc, comp.infosystems.gis, comp.internet.library,
comp.lang.tcl, comp.lang.verilog, comp.os.vxworks,
comp.sys.mac.databases, comp.sys.mentor, comp.sys.pen,
comp.sys.sun.admin, comp.sys.sun.announce, comp.sys.sun.apps,
comp.sys.sun.hardware, comp.sys.sun.misc, comp.sys.sun.wanted,
comp.sys.unisys, comp.text.interleaf, comp.windows.x.pex, rec.antiques,
rec.arts.startrek.current, rec.arts.startrek.fandom,
rec.arts.startrek.misc, rec.arts.startrek.tech, rec.games.cyber,
rec.humor.oracle, rec.humor.oracle.d, rec.models.railroad,
rec.motorcycles.dirt, rec.motorcycles.racing,
rec.music.indian.classical, rec.music.indian.misc, rec.skate,
rec.sport.cricket.scores, rec.sport.hockey.field, sci.astro.hubble,
sci.engr.biomed, sci.materials, sci.space.news, soc.culture.brazil,
soc.culture.bulgaria, soc.culture.netherlands, soc.culture.romanian.
Removed: comp.sys.sun, rec.arts.sf-lovers.
Unmoderated in place: comp.protocols.iso.x400 (inet).
comp.org.eff.news, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988. comp.sys.sun, on the other
hand, was fully listed on this List of Moderators despite its removal
from the official list; the removal is reflected in the summary below.
comp.protocols.iso.x400, entirely omitted from this List of Moderators,
had never, in fact, been fully listed.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.astrology;
alt.binaries.pictures.{erotica{|.male|.female}|misc|tasteless},
replacing alt.sex.pictures.* and alt.binaries.pictures;
alt.binaries.sounds.{d|erotica|misc}; alt.devilbunnies;
alt.drugs.usenet, the first alt.drugs.* subgroup;
alt.education.{distance|disabled}, beginning that sub-hierarchy;
alt.ensign.wesley.die.die.die, alt.french.captain.borg.borg.borg,
alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork, and a number of less conforming
knock-offs; a bunch of new alt.fan.* groups; alt.flame.psu, the second
alt.flame.* group listed; alt.gopher; alt.irc.recovery and
alt.usenet.recovery (the first subgroups in those sub-hierarchies,
though that's not the main reason I mention them); alt.os.linux;
alt.politics.correct, the second alt.politics.* group listed;
alt.religion.kibology; a bunch of new alt.sex.* groups. Also,
alt.books.technical, alt.humor.oracle, and alt.tennis are delisted,
presumably reflecting the creation of relevant Big 7 groups. My, such a
busy hierarchy...
This "Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies" post also showed Eliot Lear's
retirement as head of bionet.*, to be replaced by David Kristofferson.
He appears, however, to have continued running ba.*.
Bruce Becker's alt.* lists dated January 2 and February 12, 1992
had subject line 'A listing of "alt" newsgroups'.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 219 to 240 unmoderated groups,
from 54 to 55 moderated groups, from 273 to 295 total. In misc.*, no
change: 25 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 29 total. In
news.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 20 total.
In rec.*, from 154 to 166 unmoderated groups, from 13 to 16 moderated
groups, from 167 to 182 total. In sci.*, from 35 to 37 unmoderated
groups, from 6 to 8 moderated groups, from 41 to 45 total. In soc.*,
from 60 to 64 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 66
to 70 total. In talk.*, no change: 17 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated
groups, 17 total. 658 total (96 moderated, 562 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 44 to 45 unmoderated groups, from 7
to 6 moderated groups, from 51 to 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 58 total (7
moderated, 51 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 263 to 285 unmoderated groups, from 61
to 61 moderated groups, from 324 to 346 total. In misc.*, no change:
25 unmoderated groups, 4 moderated groups, 29 total. In news.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 21 total. In rec.*,
from 155 to 167 unmoderated groups, from 14 to 17 moderated groups, from
169 to 184 total. In sci.*, from 38 to 40 unmoderated groups, from 6 to
8 moderated groups, from 44 to 48 total. In soc.*, from 61 to 65
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 67 to 71 total.
In talk.*, no change: 17 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 17
total. 716 total (103 moderated, 613 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups"
May 12, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-activ...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators"
May 12, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-modera...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
May 6, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
May 6, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
I have ignored the six-day gap and treated these as being all part of
the same posting run. For what it's worth, making that assumption,
there are no changes in the inet groups anyway.
In this set of lists, unsurprisingly, the Big 7 reached the same pair of
marks (700 groups, 100 moderated groups) that the inet-included total
had passed last time.
The groups added are also an excellent example of what I meant in the
summary up top when I mentioned groups whose creation this late in
Usenet's history seems surprising: comp.programming, comp.unix.bsd,
rec.arts.sf.starwars, rec.scouting, rec.sport.paintball,
rec.sport.swimming, sci.classics. (Perhaps I should explain. I have
always understood paintball to be a relatively geekish sport, perhaps
because it was popular among the wargamers I knew when I was a child;
and classics was, alongside French literature, the first of the
humanities to embrace computers as a tool in a major, well-publicised,
way. At which I pause to note that Usenet *still* has no
English-language group concerned specifically with French literature...)
Note also the groups whose creation points to changes underway:
comp.infosystems.wais, comp.os.linux, comp.os.ms-windows.*; perhaps this
is really where rec.arts.sf.starwars belongs too? (I've been told that
the Star Wars franchise had become relatively somnolent, from a
*commercial* point of view, until the release of Timothy Zahn's first
Star Wars novel, which began the semi-regular stream of such books
since, in mid-1991.)
On a different note, this is the first set of lists since October, 1990
to show no new soc.culture.* group.
Beginning March 9, the regular news.announce.newgroups posting "Current
Status of Votes on Newsgroups" includes a list of votes that had closed
but whose results had not yet been posted. Beginning April 27, it's
rearranged to put RFDs first, then votes in progress, then results not
yet posted, and given the subject line "Current Status of USENET
Newsgroup Proposals".
The April 13 "New Groups Summary" includes for the first time a new
group from a hierarchy not included in the "Alternative Newsgroup
Hierarchies" posting: de.soc.recht. It's introduced with the same text
previously used to introduce vmsnet.* or inet changes, except that in
place of "alternate hierarchies" we read "alternate regional
hierarchies". In the April 23 posting, two sfnet.* groups appear as
well, and the table is rearranged to include description lines. In the
May 5 posting, a significant number of additional groups appear,
including a bit.* group and a clari.* group; thus at this point, the
"alternate hierarchies" of old have in fact become "alternate regional
hierarchies". (The same May 5 posting *also* includes an announcement
of the abg.* hierarchy for Augsburg, Germany. However, no further new-
hierarchy announcements appear between that date and September 21, on
whose postings of this kind see below under the October 19 set of lists.)
Added: comp.arch.storage, comp.bbs.waffle, comp.databases.theory,
comp.dcom.cell-relay, comp.infosystems.wais, comp.os.linux,
comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy, comp.os.ms-windows.announce,
comp.os.ms-windows.apps, comp.os.ms-windows.misc,
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.misc, comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.tools,
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32, comp.os.ms-windows.setup,
comp.os.msdos.pcgeos, comp.os.os2.advocacy, comp.os.os2.networking,
comp.programming, comp.society.privacy, comp.sys.next.advocacy,
comp.sys.next.hardware, comp.sys.next.marketplace,
comp.sys.next.software, comp.unix.bsd, comp.windows.x.apps,
rec.arts.comics.strips, rec.arts.sf.starwars, rec.audio.pro,
reg.games.netrek, rec.games.xtank.play, rec.games.xtank.programmer,
rec.music.info, rec.music.marketplace, rec.music.phish, rec.org.mensa,
rec.puzzles.crosswords, rec.radio.broadcasting, rec.scouting,
rec.sport.baseball.college, rec.sport.football.australian,
rec.sport.paintball, rec.sport.swimming, rec.travel.air,
rec.video.production, sci.astro.fits, sci.classics, sci.comp-aided,
sci.engr.civil, sci.systems, soc.libraries.talk, soc.religion.bahai.
Removed: comp.dcom.lans, misc.security, rec.arts.startrek.
comp.org.eff.news, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988. comp.sys.sun, on the other
hand, was removed from that list, as it had been from the List of Active
Newsgroups the previous time.
comp.society.privacy and rec.music.phish are added to the list of
gatewayed Big 7 groups. Several other additions may have been done in
the previous listing (which I don't have), or may in fact be new in this
one: comp.databases.ingres, comp.mail.mh, comp.sys.sun.announce
(replacing comp.sys.sun), comp.text.tex (an additional unidirectional
gateway to go with the one it already had), and rec.arts.sf.misc
(replacing rec.arts.sf-lovers, but with a notation that the gateway
might not work).
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: um, well, actually, I don't think any of
the additions this time *are* noteworthy. Small wonder, after the
massive expansion shown in the last set of lists...
Bruce Becker's list of alt.* groups posted March 10, 1992 had
subject line 'A listing of "alt" newsgroups'. The April 6 posting
had subject line 'Yet another listing of "alt" newsgroups'. The
May 9 one (which Google presents as dated May 11) has subject line
'Another listing of newsgroups in the "alt" hierarchy'.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 240 to 262 unmoderated groups,
from 55 to 57 moderated groups, from 295 to 319 total. In misc.*, from
25 to 25 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 3 moderated groups, from 29 to 28
total. In news.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 7 moderated
groups, 20 total. In rec.*, from 166 to 182 unmoderated groups, from 16
to 18 moderated groups, from 182 to 200 total. In sci.*, from 37 to 42
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated groups, from 45 to 50 total.
In soc.*, from 64 to 65 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated
groups, from 70 to 72 total. In talk.*, no change: 17 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 17 total. 706 total (100 moderated, 606
unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 45 unmoderated groups, 6
moderated groups, 51 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 58 total (7 moderated, 51 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 285 to 307 unmoderated groups, from 61
to 63 moderated groups, from 346 to 370 total. In misc.*, from 25 to 25
unmoderated groups, from 4 to 3 moderated groups, from 29 to 28 total.
In news.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 21
total. In rec.*, from 167 to 183 unmoderated groups, from 17 to 19
moderated groups, from 184 to 202 total. In sci.*, from 40 to 45
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated groups, from 48 to 53 total.
In soc.*, from 65 to 66 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated
groups, from 71 to 73 total. In talk.*, no change: 17 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 17 total. 764 total (107 moderated, 657
unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
July 20, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-activ...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
July 20, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-active...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators"
July 20, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-modera...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
July 20, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
July 20, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
And with these lists, the inet-included total of groups passes 800...
The "New Groups Summary" for May 26 announces a forthcoming rmgroup for
soc.culture.indian.american, "having failed its revote". I cannot
figure out what this means, but I do note that a CFV for
soc.culture.native.american (which was the outcome of an RFD for
soc.culture.amerindian) was reported to have passed 141:40, but then
found to include three duplicate votes and omit one vote, with the
ultimate result 139:40.
Rich Salz posted on June 15 on recent Usenix discussions of the fate
of the inet distribution: message-ID <1992Jun15.1...@osf.org>.
The thread is the largest single discussion of the distribution to
that date, and probably ever. The measures described by Salz in his
post demonstrably were not carried out. For the thread, see
<http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=Jun.5.16.46.28.1992.25236%40presto.ig.com>.
Added: comp.bbs.misc, comp.cad.cadence, comp.compression.research,
comp.dcom.isdn, comp.dcom.servers, comp.graphics.explorer,
comp.os.msdos.4dos (inet), comp.security.misc, comp.soft-sys.nextstep
(inet), comp.sys.ibm.pc.games, comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard,
comp.unix.solaris (inet), comp.windows.x.intrinsics,
misc.invest.real-estate, rec.arts.comics.info, rec.arts.comics.misc,
rec.arts.comics.xbooks, rec.arts.manga, rec.games.frp.advocacy,
rec.games.frp.announce, rec.games.frp.archives, rec.games.frp.dnd,
rec.games.frp.marketplace, rec.games.frp.misc, rec.games.mud.admin,
rec.games.mud.announce, rec.games.mud.diku, rec.games.mud.misc,
rec.games.mud.tiny, rec.sport.baseball.fantasy, rec.sport.olympics,
sci.anthropology, sci.cognitive, sci.cryonics, sci.engr.mech,
sci.image.processing, sci.research.careers, soc.culture.czecho-slovak,
soc.culture.tamil, soc.penpals, talk.politics.china.
None of the news.announce.newgroups postings related to
soc.culture.czecho-slovak acknowledged the existence of
trial.soc.culture.czechoslovak or were cross-posted to that group;
one news.groups poster mentioned it during discussion, and a couple
of posts about the result were cross-posted to it.
The three new inet groups were announced June 5 by Michael C. Berch,
with Erik Fair's approval: <Jun.5.16.46....@presto.ig.com>.
This is what launched the substantial thread referred to above,
which conveys the (probably inaccurate) impression that inet at that
time was run primarily by Fair, but also by Berch and Eliot Lear.
(In reality, the picture I get from the posts of this period is that
Fair had pretty much dropped Usenet from his interests. It wouldn't
surprise me a bit if Berch were running the show, probably with
Lear's assistance, and with Fair signing off on what they proposed.)
comp.org.eff.news, comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway, and
comp.security.announce were only partly listed on this List of
Moderators, as described under June 1, 1988.
comp.emacs, on the list of gatewayed Big 7 groups, is now listed with
only one, bidirectional, gateway; the two unidirectional gateways
previously shown no longer appear.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.best.of.internet;
alt.binaries.pictures.fine-art.{d|graphics|digitizes}, all moderated;
alt.cascade; alt.culture.{tamil|tuva}, the second and third groups in
their sub-hierarchy (I ignored alt.culture.electric-midget, the first, a
list or two further back); alt.fan.shostakovich and alt.fan.tom-robbins,
arguably the first alt.fan.* groups for high culture; all at once,
seriously,
alt.music.{alternative|enya|filk|progressive|rush|the.police};
alt.newbie ("Alt's answer to news.newusers.*"); alt.polyamory;
alt.silly.group.names.d ("Eponymy"), the inevitable recursion of the
most obvious feature of alt.* group creation in 1992. Also, this is the
first list in years that didn't list both alt.emusic and
alt.exotic-music, with a footnote saying these groups were aliased
together at many sites; interestingly, it was the group with the clearer
name, alt.exotic-music, that was delisted.
Bruce Becker's alt.* list posted June 5, 1992 had subject line
'Another listing of "alt" newsgroups'. The posting of July 7
had what became the list's lasting subject line, 'Another listing
of newsgroups in the "alt" Usenet hierarchy'.
The "Regional Newsgroup Hierarchies" post appeared for the last time
in this posting run; it hadn't been modified since the previous
November anyway.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 262 to 272 unmoderated groups,
from 57 to 57 moderated groups, from 319 to 329 total. In misc.*, from
25 to 26 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 28 to 29
total. In news.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 7 moderated
groups, 20 total. In rec.*, from 182 to 195 unmoderated groups, from 18
to 22 moderated groups, from 200 to 217 total. In sci.*, from 42 to 48
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated groups, from 50 to 56 total.
In soc.*, from 65 to 68 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated
groups, from 72 to 75 total. In talk.*, from 17 to 18 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 17 to 18 total. 744 total
(104 moderated, 640 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 45 to 48 unmoderated groups, from 6
to 6 moderated groups, from 51 to 54 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 61 total (7
moderated, 54 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 307 to 320 unmoderated groups, from 63
to 63 moderated groups, from 370 to 383 total. In misc.*, from 25 to 26
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 28 to 29 total.
In news.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 21
total. In rec.*, from 183 to 196 unmoderated groups, from 19 to 23
moderated groups, from 202 to 219 total. In sci.*, from 45 to 51
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated groups, from 53 to 59 total.
In soc.*, from 66 to 69 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated
groups, from 73 to 76 total. In talk.*, from 17 to 18 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 17 to 18 total. 805 total
(111 moderated, 694 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
September 4, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-activ...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
September 4, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-active...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
September 4, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-modera...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
September 4, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
The lack of Part II of the Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies list means
that the inet list cannot be updated; this appears to be the first set
of lists since 1988 in which the list of inet groups doesn't survive.
However, the changes in the inet list shown in the next posting run are
almost certainly attributable to that date alone, so inet probably
didn't actually see any changes between July 20 and September 4 anyway.
Added: comp.databases.sybase, comp.infosystems.gopher, comp.lang.logo,
comp.society.cu-digest, comp.software.licensing, comp.sources.testers,
comp.sys.acorn.advocacy, comp.sys.acorn.announce, comp.sys.acorn.tech,
comp.windows.garnet, misc.jobs.offered.entry, news.admin.misc,
news.admin.policy, news.admin.technical, rec.bicycles.marketplace,
rec.bicycles.misc, rec.bicycles.racing, rec.bicycles.rides,
rec.bicycles.soc, rec.bicycles.tech, rec.food.historic,
rec.food.sourdough, rec.motorcycles.harley, rec.music.compose,
rec.outdoors.fishing, sci.med.nutrition, sci.med.occupational,
soc.culture.indian.telugu.
Removed: comp.windows.ms, comp.windows.ms.programmer, rec.games.frp.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988. However,
comp.org.eff.news was fully listed, for the first time.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.chinese.text ("Postings in
Chinese"); alt.culture.usenet; alt.support.{cancer|diet}, the first
subgroups in their sub-hierarchy; a bunch of alt.uu.* groups for a
"Usenet University"; alt.zines.
Bruce Becker's only list between this posting run and the previous
one appeared August 7, 1992, with subject line 'Another listing of
newsgroups in the "alt" Usenet hierarchy'.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 272 to 278 unmoderated groups,
from 57 to 59 moderated groups, from 329 to 337 total. In misc.*, from
26 to 27 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 29 to 30
total. In news.*, from 13 to 15 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 8
moderated groups, from 20 to 23 total. In rec.*, from 195 to 205
unmoderated groups, from 22 to 22 moderated groups, from 217 to 227
total. In sci.*, from 48 to 50 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8
moderated groups, from 56 to 58 total. In soc.*, from 68 to 69
unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 75 to 76 total.
In talk.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 18
total. 769 total (107 moderated, 662 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
September 20, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-activ...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
September 20, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-active...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
September 20, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-modera...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
September 20, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
September 20, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
Added: comp.graphics.animation, comp.sys.mac.advocacy, rec.heraldry,
sci.engr.control, sci.fractals, soc.culture.bosna-herzgvna.
Added by promotion from inet: comp.org.eff.news, comp.org.eff.talk.
Removed: rec.games.mud.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988.
Noteworthy addition to alt.*: alt.hindu (moderated, and notably *not*
placed in alt.religion.* along with emacs, Kibology, and
Scientology...).
Bruce Becker posted a list September 7, 1992, with subject line
'Another listing of newsgroups in the "alt" Usenet hierarchy'.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 278 to 281 unmoderated groups,
from 59 to 60 moderated groups, from 337 to 341 total. In misc.*, no
change: 27 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated groups, 30 total. In
news.*, no change: 15 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated groups, 23 total.
In rec.*, no net change: 205 unmoderated groups, 22 moderated groups,
227 total. In sci.*, from 50 to 52 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8
moderated groups, from 58 to 60 total. In soc.*, from 69 to 70
unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 76 to 77 total.
In talk.*, no change: 18 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 18
total. 776 total (108 moderated, 668 unmoderated).
Summary for inet (beginning numbers inferred): In comp.*, from 48 to 47
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 5 moderated groups, from 54 to 52 total.
In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total.
In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total.
In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total.
In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total.
59 total (6 moderated, 53 unmoderated).
Overall summary (beginning numbers inferred): In comp.*, from 326 to
328 unmoderated groups, from 65 to 65 moderated groups, from 391 to 393
total. In misc.*, no change: 27 unmoderated groups, 3 moderated
groups, 30 total. In news.*, no change: 16 unmoderated groups, 8
moderated groups, 24 total. In rec.*, no net change: 206 unmoderated
groups, 23 moderated groups, 229 total. In sci.*, from 53 to 55
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated groups, from 61 to 63 total.
In soc.*, from 70 to 71 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated
groups, from 77 to 78 total. In talk.*, no change: 18 unmoderated
groups, 0 moderated groups, 18 total. 835 total (114 moderated, 721
unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
October 19, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-activ...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
October 19, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-active...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
October 19, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-modera...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
October 19, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
October 19, 1992
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
In this set of lists, the Big 7 grew past 800 groups.
The "New Groups Summary" posting was split in two on my twenty-fifth
birthday, September 21, 1992: "New USENET Groups" and "New Groups in
Alternate and Regional Hierarchies". The format was considerably
condensed, making the posts, in my opinion, rather harder to read; but
probably easier to handle. The alternate/regional post then explicitly
said that its data source was control messages received at UUNET (then
tale's employer), although it also explicitly said UUNET didn't
necessarily carry the resulting groups; finally, "It does not indicate
new hierarchies that UUNET is carrying, just new groups created within
existing hierarchies." This last would appear to rule out further
announcements of new hierarchies such as the announcement of abg.* on
May 5, but I'm not altogether sure I understand it correctly.
The October 8 "New USENET Groups" post includes a note that
sci.virtual-worlds.apps was being revoted because "the running total was
divulged before the close of the vote". (Interestingly, in the revote
it got more than twice as many YES votes as the first time around.)
Added: comp.client-server, comp.graphics.gnuplot, comp.graphics.opengl,
comp.speech, comp.sys.apple2.gno, comp.sys.stratus,
comp.unix.dos-under-unix, comp.unix.osf.misc, comp.unix.osf.osf1,
comp.unix.pc-clone.16bit, comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit, comp.unix.sys3,
comp.unix.sys5.misc, comp.unix.sys5.r3, comp.unix.sys5.r4,
misc.forsale.computers.d, misc.forsale.computers.mac,
misc.forsale.computers.other, misc.forsale.computers.pc-clone,
misc.forsale.computers.workstation, rec.aviation.announce,
rec.aviation.answers, rec.aviation.homebuilt, rec.aviation.ifr,
rec.aviation.military, rec.aviation.misc, rec.aviation.owning,
rec.aviation.piloting, rec.aviation.products, rec.aviation.simulators,
rec.aviation.soaring, rec.aviation.stories, rec.aviation.student,
rec.games.int-fiction, rec.models.scale.
Removed: rec.arts.comics, rec.aviation.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988.
Noteworthy addition to alt.*: alt.culture.kerala, showing that the
precedent of ac.tamil and ac.tuva would in fact be continued.
Bruce Becker posted a list October 5, 1992 with subject line
'Another listing of newsgroups in the "alt" Usenet hierarchy'.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 281 to 296 unmoderated groups,
from 60 to 60 moderated groups, from 341 to 356 total. In misc.*, from
27 to 32 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 30 to 35
total. In news.*, no change: 15 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated
groups, 23 total. In rec.*, from 205 to 215 unmoderated groups, from 22
to 25 moderated groups, from 227 to 240 total. In sci.*, no change: 52
unmoderated groups, 8 moderated groups, 60 total. In soc.*, no change:
70 unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 77 total. In talk.*, no
change: 18 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 18 total. 809 total
(111 moderated, 698 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 47 unmoderated groups, 5
moderated groups, 52 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 59 total (6 moderated, 53 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 328 to 343 unmoderated groups, from 65
to 65 moderated groups, from 393 to 408 total. In misc.*, from 27 to 32
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 3 moderated groups, from 30 to 35 total.
In news.*, no change: 16 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated groups, 24
total. In rec.*, from 206 to 216 unmoderated groups, from 23 to 26
moderated groups, from 229 to 242 total. In sci.*, no change: 55
unmoderated groups, 8 moderated groups, 63 total. In soc.*, no change:
71 unmoderated groups, 7 moderated groups, 78 total. In talk.*, no
change: 18 unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 18 total. 868 total
(117 moderated, 751 unmoderated).
This is the last newsgroup list/moderator list set known to me posted in
1992. This is also the date of the last "Alternative Newsgroup
Hierarchies" of the year. It includes 420 alt.* groups (up from 177 at
year-end 1991), 32 bionet.* groups (up from 24), 168 bit.* groups (up
from 145), 23 biz.* groups (up from nineteen), 217 clari.* groups (up
from 155), 28 gnu.* groups (unchanged), twelve ieee.* groups (up from
eleven), 59 inet groups (up from 58), two ddn.* groups (unchanged), 21
k12.* groups (unchanged), five u3b.* groups (unchanged), and 29 vmsnet.*
groups (up from 25), for a total of 1016 (up from 670). The
"alternative" hierarchies thus moved from approximate equality with the
Big 7 (ahead or behind depending on which category you put inet into) to
a solid lead in total newsgroups; I haven't checked yet, but I'll be
flabbergasted if I find any set of lists later than 1992 in which the
Big 7, with or without inet, pull ahead again.
Bruce Becker's lists dated October 5 and November 7, 1992 claimed,
respectively, 609 and 659 live groups, and 218 and 225 aliases, in
alt.*, as opposed to 330 live groups and 103 aliases at the end
of 1991. This makes it appear that the growth of alt.* in Gene
Spafford's list was at least partly a result of recognising groups
created earlier, and not solely 1992 creations.
This is, by a fair margin, the earliest date thus far for the last list
set of the year. Thus the annual summary below is more than usually a
summary of the *lists* of the year, and not a statement about the
condition of the relevant hierarchies as of midnight, December 31, 1992,
in the time zone of your choice. It is wise, in any event, to remember
what's noted in the introductory post mentioned at the top of this one:
this series of posts only relates tangentially to reality; its main
concern is with the data provided by quasi-official lists of newsgroups.
On December 1, 1992, David Lawrence instituted the third of the set of
regular news.announce.newgroups postings, "Bogus USENET Groups". On
November 23, he announced that he would discontinue the series of "New
Groups in Alternate and Regional Hierarchies" posts. I'll deal with
these matters in more detail in the 1993 post.
Annual summary: IN THE BIG SEVEN: In comp.*, from 219 to 296
unmoderated groups, from 54 to 60 moderated groups, from 273 to 356
total. In misc.*, from 25 to 32 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 3
moderated groups, from 29 to 35 total. In news.*, from 13 to 15
unmoderated groups, from 7 to 8 moderated groups, from 20 to 23 total.
In rec.*, from 154 to 215 unmoderated groups, from 13 to 25 moderated
groups, from 167 to 240 total. In sci.*, from 35 to 52 unmoderated
groups, from 6 to 8 moderated groups, from 41 to 60 total. In soc.*,
from 60 to 70 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 7 moderated groups, from 66
to 77 total. In talk.*, from 17 to 18 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0
moderated groups, from 17 to 18 total. Total, from 523 to 698
unmoderated groups, from 90 to 111 moderated groups, from 613 to 809
total.
IN INET: In comp.*, from 44 to 47 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 5
moderated groups, from 51 to 52 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. Total, from 50 to 53
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 6 moderated groups, from 58 to 59 total.
OVER ALL: In comp.*, from 263 to 343 unmoderated groups, from 61 to 65
moderated groups, from 324 to 408 total. In misc.*, from 25 to 32
unmoderated groups, from 4 to 3 moderated groups, from 29 to 35 total.
In news.*, from 14 to 16 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 8 moderated
groups, from 21 to 24 total. In rec.*, from 155 to 216 unmoderated
groups, from 14 to 26 moderated groups, from 169 to 242 total. In
sci.*, from 38 to 55 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 8 moderated groups,
from 44 to 63 total. In soc.*, from 61 to 71 unmoderated groups, from 6
to 7 moderated groups, from 67 to 78 total. In talk.*, from 17 to 18
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 17 to 18 total.
Total, from 573 to 751 unmoderated groups, from 98 to 117 moderated
groups, from 671 to 868 total.
Joe Bernstein
first post in the series, for the year 1981, with Message-ID
<3c4a40c1$0$95686$892e...@authen.puce.readfreenews.net>.
1993 is the year of two well-known events - Gene Spafford's retirement
and the beginning of the long September. It is, however, a considerably
less dramatic year seen from the perspective of these lists; the most
interesting event there is a massive (and, I think, failed) attempt by
David Lawrence to clean up alt.* mid-year. Slightly more groups were
first listed in 1993 than in 1992, in the Big 7, but the rate of growth
taken as a percentage of existing groups slowed markedly. In alt.* as
shown in the Alternative Newsgroups Hierarchies lists, even the
absolute rate of growth dropped (a result of that cleanup attempt).
I composed this post initially under a deadline and then while homeless.
Perhaps for this reason - but probably not only for this reason - I have
no elegant analyses of trends in namespace, for example, to offer.
Frankly, as I write this, the year-end summary bewilders me; I can't
characterise it either as a triumph of newbies, given the far from wild
growth in rec.* and soc.*, or as a return of the technical, though comp.*
and sci.* do seem to have done somewhat better. Moderated and
unmoderated groups grew about equally fast, though one noteworthy trend
is the several moderated sci.* groups created as alternatives to existing
unmoderated groups (or in one case, the moderation in place of a sci.*
group). Although re-orgs did once again drive much of the growth,
they're a less spectacular phenomenon than in 1992, perhaps because
they tended to be smaller; one interesting aspect, though, is the
appearance of second-generation re-orgs such as those of
comp.os.os2.programmer and comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware, both of which had
been created in 1990 re-orgs.
news.* shrank. This is actually an artifact of list posting runs' dates
(the groups involved had been removed in 1992, whose last lists were
posted quite early), but the reality is a bigger milestone: news.* had
shrunk before (in 1988, as had misc.* that year), but 1993 was the first
year in which any of the Big 7 hierarchies had *stood still*.
Gene Spafford's retirement is most often thought of by the post I've
called his "farewell note". It is, in reality, nothing of the sort; it
is rather a scathing denunciation of Usenet by a bitter man. It's easy
to link this with the changes, generally seen as disastrous, brought on
by the subsequent long September, and so the obvious way to characterise
1993 is as the year in which the barbarians invaded. Well, maybe so,
but I don't see it as the year in which this invasion is reflected in
newsgroup creation. The Usenet Spafford complained of is, by a few
months, *necessarily* the *pre*-long September Usenet; the Usenet that
drove the creation of all those sci.*.research groups was not full of
those of us who came to Usenet courtesy of ISPs, but of the people who
complained about us when we arrived.
But a less well-known event happened between these more famous ones, in
1993: the founding of the Usenet Volunteer Votetakers. To judge by Ron
Dippold's initial proposal, this wasn't *meant* to become a required
element of the Big 7 newsgroup creation process, it was just meant to
help people out. I didn't look at every vote taken in its first months,
which appear to be August and September of 1993, but did look at a fair
number. And it's pretty obvious that quite a lot of people in fact
wished to help people out by votetaking, right from the start; I'm not
sure we invaders have managed to match their numbers in the succeeding
*decade*.
So although 1993 could be characterised as the year in which the
callous, rude people Spafford denounced met an even more callous, rude
set of newcomers, I don't think any of that picture is wholly right.
METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES, skippable by the easily bored:
This draft of this post, as also the draft of the 1994 post appearing
as a followup to this, are preliminary ones, and will probably be
replaced at my website, if not on news.groups, as soon as I have
proper housing again, should that day ever come.
This is because these are the first two years for which I rely heavily
on the "Changes" postings, the diffs posted as part of each posting
run, theoretically showing the changes between the previous posting
run and the current one. I introduced these in the 1985 post, and
in the 1988 post, when for the first time I used a "Changes to the
List of Active Newsgroups" post, I discussed some of my reasons for
not using them.
Well, I *have* used them now, and have more reasons for considering
the results unreliable, and good to replace as soon as possible.
Basically, I'm not convinced I'm consistently reading the diffs
correctly; I'm quite certain the sources for the diffs aren't
always the same as the actual posts from the separate posting
runs (see, for example, the first 1994 Changes to the Alternative
Newsgroup Hierarchies post); and I'm not convinced the diffs
even *work* reliably (all of my comments below on the bizarreness
of the alt.* listings should be read with that in mind).
Nevertheless. I didn't have time to search for noteworthy new
alt.* groups for 1993 and 1994 my usual way, by comparing the two
lists at a normal reading pace. I certainly can't conceive of
doing that at library computers, now my only access to the posts.
But I can look at Changes posts, so I do. Similarly. I didn't
even know the "Mailing Lists Available in Usenet" series *existed*
until after I'd become homeless and my computer had been locked into
storage. So I did the comparison between the first of those posts
and the last list of gatewayed groups in the List of Active
Newsgroups by hand, with pen and paper. Changes posts were the
only sensible way to proceed thereafter.
But I will try to replicate or replace the results in my more
usual way, when I can, if that day comes.
In the meantime, I'm behaving inconsistently in my lists of posts
below. I've normally listed the same posts as I've used to obtain
the data summarised under the post-listing. This time I've listed
the source posts, not the Changes posts I actually used. Sorry!
This misrepresents my methods, but it does have two major
advantages: 1) It makes it easy for people to find the source
posts, the more important documents - for example, me later, going
back over this work; or someone else wishing to check it sooner.
2) Elsewhere, I've listed Changes posts only where the original
source posts aren't available. If I had listed Changes posts
here where the source posts *are* available, I'd have broken that
consistency, and left it unclear what materials actually survived.
Finally, a minor advantage: 3) This way, I don't have to re-do
anything I've already done. Since my net time is limited these
days, ...
Google's archives for 1993 derive, for the first part of the year, from
the "Usenet on CDs" collection, and for the latter part of the year,
from Jurgen Christoffel's archives; I don't know how much overlap there
is in the middle. To judge by the votes I looked at in what work I did
on the early days of the UVV, the news.announce.newgroups archive at the
ISC is largely, but hardly entirely, complete for 1993; I haven't yet
checked whether Google fills any of the gaps.
Joe Bernstein
Lists of Newsgroups Posted in the First Half of 1993
GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
January 11, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-activ...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
January 11, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-active...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
January 11, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-modera...@cs.purdue.edu
"Changes to Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
January 11, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.misc,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-c_altgro...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
January 11, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
The numerous additions this time are unsurprising given the three months
that had passed since the previous list; in any event, they took the
inet-included list past the 900 mark. The removals are all, as best I
can tell, the results of re-orgs, in some cases due to groups having
been split, in others due to groups that hadn't thriven being removed
while the topic was being discussed. At least one, rec.music.synth, had
simply been renamed.
On November 23, 1992 (yes, one month after the last list posting run of
1992), David Lawrence posted that he would discontinue posting "New
Groups in Alternate and Regional Hierarchies". He explained: 'it was
a lot of work for something of marginal value. It was hopelessly
lacking in accurate data for all that it was envisioned to cover, and
there was additional trouble in trying to decide whether it should mean
"these were just created for the first time in netnews" or "new groups
which uunet is carrying" or something else.' He correctly noted that
this decision meant he'd be returning to the kind of material Eliot Lear
had begun posting - evidently he, at least, was able at this time to
remember two years back - though in truth his posts had become
substantially more informative than Lear's.
On December 1, 1992, Lawrence introduced the third and last of the set
of periodically posted news.announce.newgroups list postings, "Bogus
USENET Groups". Its endmatter explicitly disavowed "official"ness but
nevertheless urged compliance. This posting changed less than the
others in its shakedown months, and never exfoliated into the wide
variety of information the others provided, although the January 25,
1993 one introduced a couple of changes to make it easier to use, and
the endmatter was slightly revised later in the year.
On December 14, 1992 the "New USENET Groups" posting's table of
moderator addresses changed format somewhat, without (as best I can see)
any change in the information actually provided.
That same post included an apology for a delay in reviewing the vote
result on rec.arts.poems.urdu, indicating that there should be a
decision by December 15; unfortunately, the following week's "New USENET
Groups" posting included the same apology and decision date...
Thereafter the group dropped out of that posting. A decision finally
appeared on April 8, 1993, invalidating the vote on different grounds
from those initially stated November 16, 1992; the April 8 post claims
to be a repost of a February 12 one that didn't propagate and isn't
archived.
The "Current Status of USENET Newsgroup Proposals" posted January 11 is
the first in a long time to list no ongoing votes for which there were
separate addresses for YES and NO votes (something I tracked due to my
misreading of the September, 1990 revisions to the Guidelines). Such
two-address votes did return fairly soon.
Added: comp.ai.genetic, comp.arch.bus.vmebus,
comp.archives.msdos.announce, comp.archives.msdos.d, comp.lang.pop,
comp.mail.mime, comp.networks.noctools.announce (inet),
comp.networks.noctools.bugs (inet), comp.networks.noctools.d (inet),
comp.networks.noctools.submissions (inet), comp.networks.noctools.tools
(inet), comp.networks.noctools.wanted (inet), comp.org.isoc.interest
(inet), comp.os.linux.announce, comp.sys.convex,
comp.sys.mac.oop.macapp3, comp.sys.mac.oop.misc, comp.sys.next.bugs,
comp.sys.sgi.admin, comp.sys.sgi.announce, comp.sys.sgi.apps,
comp.sys.sgi.bugs, comp.sys.sgi.graphics, comp.sys.sgi.hardware,
comp.sys.sgi.misc, comp.windows.x.i386unix, misc.health.alternative,
misc.news.east-europe.rferl, rec.arts.marching.drumcorps,
rec.arts.marching.misc, rec.autos.antique, rec.collecting.cards,
rec.crafts.metalworking, rec.games.abstract, rec.games.diplomacy,
rec.games.mecha, rec.music.makers.bass, rec.music.makers.guitar,
rec.music.makers.guitar.tablature, rec.music.makers.percussion,
rec.music.makers.synth, rec.music.reggae, rec.sport.fencing,
rec.sport.table-tennis, rec.travel.marketplace,
sci.aeronautics.airliners, sci.chem.organomet, sci.virtual-worlds.apps,
soc.culture.croatia, soc.religion.quaker, talk.politics.medicine.
Removed: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.archives, comp.unix.msdos,
comp.unix.sysv286, comp.unix.sysv386, misc.forsale.computers,
news.admin, news.sysadmin, rec.bicycles, rec.music.synth.
The news.announce.newgroups documents related to
rec.crafts.metalworking explicitly refer to trial.rec.metalworking
as the same group, looking for better propagation, and refer to the
trial "method of newsgroup creation" as "more or less abandoned",
hence unable to sanction a renaming. They were cross-posted to
the trial.* group.
As in the case of rec.autos.vw, I'll note that rec.games.diplomacy
re-created one of the first groups to be rmgrouped, net.games.dip, at
least in principle. (In practice, net.games.dip had existed solely for
the sake of a single online game of Diplomacy, not for ongoing
discussion of the topic.)
There was no pre-announcement of the comp.networks.noctools.* groups
to Usenet, or at least none is preserved *or* attested in the archives
(and given how high anti-inet feelings had risen by this time, that
strikes me as adequate proof). But a post by Jess Anderson on
January 8, 1993, <1993Jan8.0...@macc.wisc.edu>, preserves
an e-mail by Eliot Lear to the nntp-managers mailing list (which is
where most discussion of the inet distribution seems to have taken
place), dated November 13, 1992, saying "I'm going to issue control
messages with distribution INET for the following groups today (with
Erik's blessing)".
(If anyone knows of accessible archives of nntp-managers, please let
me know! I didn't find any on a cursory look around, but haven't
tried in any serious way.)
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988.
rec.music.makers.synth replaces rec.music.synth on the list of gatewayed
Big 7 newsgroups as on the main list.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.cesium; a bunch of new alt.culture.*
groups; alt.current-events.somalia; seven alt.education.bangkok.*
groups; alt.fan.elvis-presley (whatever took so long?); alt.fan.tolkien
(violating the apparent rule against duplications of Big 7 groups); ten
new alt.flame.* groups; alt.gorby.coup.coup.coup, with a description
line identical to that of the previously listed alt.gorby.gone.gone.gone
immediately following; alt.horror.cthulhu; alt.inet92 (whose stated
topic was a *1992* conference); a bunch of new alt.music.* groups; the
first two alt.org.* groups, alt.org.food-not-bombs and alt.org.pugwash;
alt.pets.chia and alt.philosophy.objectivism, each beginning a
sub-hierarchy; a bunch of new alt.politics.* groups; alt.sect.ahmadiyya
(showing religious groups even remotely mainstream still avoiding
alt.religion.*, which gained two newsgroups for "religions" unknown to
me this time out); a bunch of new alt.tv.* groups; two new alt.uu.*
groups, showing the "Usenet University" apparently still in business;
the first two alt.znet.* groups. Noteworthy removals from alt.*, at
least as shown by these lists: most of alt.bbs.*; much of
alt.binaries.pictures.*; alt.culture.tamil and alt.motorcycles.harley
(both duplicative of Big 7 groups; see above); alt.politics.democrats
and a bunch of its subgroups; alt.sewing (??). Amazingly enough,
alt.materials.simulation is shown as becoming moderated in place. Also,
this Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies post is the first to include the
info.* hierarchy, as well as the first to include the relcom.*
hierarchy, the first and (I think) the only non-English-language
hierarchy ever included in that series of posts. Finally, it gives
credit to Bruce Becker for help with the alt.* list.
This is pretty mind-boggling, and serves to indicate something of a
disconnect between Spafford and the rest of Usenet at the time, I
suspect. There is a perfectly logical explanation. Becker had been
posting completist lists of alt.* groups, *and* how many articles
his site had ever seen in each. Spafford could thus readily determine
whether any groups he'd been omitting were widely enough used to
justify adding. But Becker had become *extremely* hated in the
meantime. In order to find his lists, I had to search on his name;
he routinely morphed both subject line and From: header. Well, in that
search, I found *numerous* people, some of whom I take as truthful from
my own knowledge of them, indicating that Becker not only newgrouped
any alt.* group that anyone rmgrouped, but that no later than mid-1992
he had taken to newgrouping these groups *with newgroups forged to
appear as if sent by the rmgrouper*. By early 1993, this behaviour
appears to have resulted in his widespread repudiation and indeed
killfiling and obscurity on Usenet. I'm pretty surprised, therefore,
that Spafford chose to proceed in this fashion, having previously
ignored Becker's lists for a year and a half.
Those lists had appeared, since the last posting run, on November 7
and December 6, 1992, and there appears to have been a posting on
January 3, 1993, although that posting is not archived, so although
the date *is* encoded in the surviving Message-ID
(<1993Jan3.0...@becker.GTS.ORG>), it isn't provable.
Perhaps I should note, on my methodology, two things about my
choices of noteworthy situations in alt.*. After this posting run,
I in general consider it unnecessary to note substantial expansions
in well-established sub-hierarchies - my point *this* time was to
drive home just how massive a revision this post's alt.* list was.
And the ease of working from a Changes post, by necessity this time,
persuaded me to do it by choice thereafter - which led to bad results
below, but alas, turned out by then to be a necessity anyway.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 296 to 308 unmoderated groups,
from 60 to 63 moderated groups, from 356 to 371 total. In misc.*, from
32 to 32 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 4 moderated groups, from 35 to 36
total. In news.*, from 15 to 13 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8
moderated groups, from 23 to 21 total. In rec.*, from 215 to 230
unmoderated groups, from 25 to 25 moderated groups, from 240 to 255
total. In sci.*, from 52 to 53 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 10
moderated groups, from 60 to 63 total. In soc.*, from 70 to 72
unmoderated groups, from 7 to 7 moderated groups, from 77 to 79 total.
In talk.*, from 18 to 19 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated
groups, from 18 to 19 total. 844 total (117 moderated, 727
unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 47 to 52 unmoderated groups, from 5
to 7 moderated groups, from 52 to 59 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 66 total (8
moderated, 58 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 343 to 360 unmoderated groups, from 65
to 70 moderated groups, from 408 to 430 total. In misc.*, from 32 to 32
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 4 moderated groups, from 35 to 36 total.
In news.*, from 16 to 14 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated
groups, from 24 to 22 total. In rec.*, from 216 to 231 unmoderated
groups, from 26 to 26 moderated groups, from 242 to 257 total. In
sci.*, from 55 to 56 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 10 moderated groups,
from 63 to 66 total. In soc.*, from 71 to 73 unmoderated groups, from 7
to 7 moderated groups, from 78 to 80 total. In talk.*, from 18 to 19
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 0 moderated groups, from 18 to 19 total.
910 total (125 moderated, 785 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
February 1, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-activ...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
February 1, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-active...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
February 1, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-modera...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
February 1, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
February 1, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
The obvious explanation for the short gap between the first list of this
year and this one would be that Gene Spafford was making one last
attempt to turn over a new leaf, but I suspect he was actually just
responding to the creation of the *.answers groups. He does not seem
to have posted any remarks about it at the time.
Added: comp.ai.fuzzy, comp.answers, comp.binaries.ms-windows,
comp.dcom.sys.wellfleet, comp.lang.dylan, comp.soft-sys.matlab,
misc.answers, rec.answers, rec.radio.info, sci.answers,
sci.med.dentistry, soc.answers, soc.culture.singapore, talk.answers.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988.
comp.graphics.gnuplot is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7
newsgroups.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.news.macedonia; alt.lang.apl and
alt.lang.sas (more duplications of Big 7 groups). Again, Bruce Becker
is named as helping with the alt.* list.
He had posted no new lists of alt.* groups since the previous posting
run himself, however.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 308 to 312 unmoderated groups,
from 63 to 65 moderated groups, from 371 to 377 total. In misc.*, from
32 to 32 unmoderated groups, from 4 to 5 moderated groups, from 36 to 37
total. In news.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated
groups, 21 total. In rec.*, from 230 to 230 unmoderated groups, from 25
to 27 moderated groups, from 255 to 257 total. In sci.*, from 53 to 54
unmoderated groups, from 10 to 11 moderated groups, from 63 to 65 total.
In soc.*, from 72 to 73 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 8 moderated
groups, from 79 to 81 total. In talk.*, from 19 to 19 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 1 moderated group, from 19 to 20 total. 858 total
(125 moderated, 733 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 52 unmoderated groups, 7
moderated groups, 59 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 66 total (8 moderated, 58 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 360 to 364 unmoderated groups, from 70
to 72 moderated groups, from 430 to 436 total. In misc.*, from 32 to 32
unmoderated groups, from 4 to 5 moderated groups, from 36 to 37 total.
In news.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated groups, 22
total. In rec.*, from 231 to 231 unmoderated groups, from 26 to 28
moderated groups, from 257 to 259 total. In sci.*, from 56 to 57
unmoderated groups, from 10 to 11 moderated groups, from 66 to 68 total.
In soc.*, from 73 to 74 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 8 moderated
groups, from 80 to 82 total. In talk.*, from 19 to 19 unmoderated
groups, from 0 to 1 moderated group, from 19 to 20 total. 924 total
(133 moderated, 791 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
March 27, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-activ...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
March 27, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-active...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
March 27, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-modera...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
March 27, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
March 27, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
Don't be under the illusion that these posts, voluminous as they are,
actually mention all the news-architectural periodic postings of the
times they discuss; they certainly don't. For example, I haven't
touched the Arbitron project; and I only mention here the advent of
"Sites honoring invalid newsgroups (by site)", by Kenneth Herron,
on February 7, in preparation for a point I'll make further below.
This post would appear weekly for the next 20 months.
Added: comp.os.386bsd.announce, comp.os.386bsd.apps,
comp.os.386bsd.bugs, comp.os.386bsd.development, comp.os.386bsd.misc,
comp.os.386bsd.questions, comp.sources.postscript,
rec.arts.startrek.reviews, rec.games.frp.cyber, rec.sport.rowing,
sci.physics.research, soc.culture.baltics, soc.culture.malaysia,
soc.culture.native, soc.religion.christian.bible-study.
Removed: rec.games.cyber.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988. On the other
hand, comp.lang.ml was fully listed although it would not be added to
the List of Active Newsgroups until the next posting run; likewise
rec.games.cyber, which was removed from the List of Active Newsgroups
with this posting run, and sci.aeronautics, which was shown on this List
of Active Newsgroups (but no later one) as unmoderated. In each case,
the summaries below agree with the List of Active Newsgroups, not the
List of Moderators for Usenet.
rec.games.diplomacy is added to the list of gatewayed Big 7 newsgroups.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.answers;
alt.current-events.wtc-explosion; alt.mothers; alt.pave.the.earth
(noteworthy only in the sense that it's a joke group I'd actually
heard of, far as I know; but joke groups are numerous in the additions
in each posting of the alt.* list these days); alt.transgendered;
alt.tv.babylon-5. For the last time, Bruce Becker is listed as a
helper with alt.*.
Bruce Becker posted lists of alt.* groups on February 5 and March 3,
1993, with subject line 'Another listing of newsgroups in the "alt"
Usenet hierarchy' each time.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 312 to 317 unmoderated groups,
from 65 to 67 moderated groups, from 377 to 384 total. In misc.*, no
change: 32 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 37 total. In
news.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated groups, 21 total.
In rec.*, from 230 to 232 unmoderated groups, from 27 to 27 moderated
groups, from 257 to 259 total. In sci.*, from 54 to 54 unmoderated
groups, from 11 to 12 moderated groups, from 65 to 66 total. In soc.*,
from 73 to 76 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 9 moderated groups, from 81
to 85 total. In talk.*, no change: 19 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated
group, 20 total. 872 total (129 moderated, 743 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 52 unmoderated groups, 7
moderated groups, 59 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 66 total (8 moderated, 58 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 364 to 369 unmoderated groups, from 72
to 74 moderated groups, from 436 to 443 total. In misc.*, no change:
32 unmoderated groups, 5 moderated groups, 37 total. In news.*, no
change: 14 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated groups, 22 total. In rec.*,
from 231 to 233 unmoderated groups, from 28 to 28 moderated groups, from
259 to 261 total. In sci.*, from 57 to 57 unmoderated groups, from 11
to 12 moderated groups, from 68 to 69 total. In soc.*, from 74 to 77
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 9 moderated groups, from 82 to 86 total.
In talk.*, no change: 19 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 20
total. 938 total (137 moderated, 801 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
April 26, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-activ...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
April 26, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-active...@cs.purdue.edu
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
April 26, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-modera...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
April 26, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
April 26, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: spaf-altgrou...@cs.purdue.edu
"That's all, folks"
April 29, 1993
news.announce.newusers,news.misc,news.admin.misc,news.groups,soc.net-people
Message-ID: 1rpq88...@ector.cs.purdue.edu
This posting run was the last Gene Spafford posted, and provides an
appropriate occasion to pause and consider his nine-year career as
Usenet's most prominent participant. I don't consider myself well
equipped to consider that career as a whole; for example, I'm
practically certain there isn't nearly enough evidence as yet public,
on what went into the massive changes the Great Renaming FAQ describes
between 1986 and 1989, and what, specifically, Gene Spafford's role in
them was. But I can speak to his role in a much narrower field: the
lists I'm using as evidence in this series of postings.
He overstated that role, most prominently in the post I've referred to
as his "farewell note". I believe I *am* the person who has
resurrected the name of Adam Buchsbaum [1], as the originator of the List
of Active Newsgroups, of its core list's format (also ancestral to the
newsgroup description lines *later* implemented in news software), and
of the semi-monthly posting schedule normal for years. Adam Buchsbaum
was much more than the "another netter" his successor mentioned in
passing, in the farewell note, and even if this misrepresentation was
just a result of forgetfulness, that forgetfulness isn't to his credit.
But the fact remains that practically everything else these lists have
to offer is Gene Spafford's work. He *created* the List of Moderators,
as well as the list of gatewayed groups. He originated the Checkgroups
Messages as well. He shares credit for the Alternative Newsgroup
Hierarchies post with John Gilmore. He came up with the notion of
posting diff listings - the "Changes" post - to make keeping track
easier.
And for nearly ten years, he was the *only* person to work on any of
these major posts, except for Gilmore's contribution at the start of the
Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, perhaps some sort of work by Jeff
Forys and/or Gilmore on 1987 Lists of Active Newsgroups, and help with
individual hierarchies in the Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies post
(for example, Bruce Becker's with alt.* for the first three posts of
1993, whatever that help actually consisted of). As a student of
history, I fiercely despise the general human reluctance to give credit
to those who *maintain* things, the insistence that only the first and
last names in any list are worth knowing, the unawareness that
originality is often much cheaper than commitment, and that history is
littered with flashes in the pan. When Gene Spafford tried to post real
checkgroups control messages, people complained that it broke their
software, and he switched to doing Checkgroups Messages as normal posts.
I would argue that this should be seen not as giving up, but rather as
persistence in the face of obstacles. I know of *nothing* else he
instituted that was in any way a flash in the pan. And he devoted
immense amounts of effort to making sure that other people's creations
would also last.
The List of Active Newsgroups survived, maintained by humans, for
fourteen years, from November of 1982 to December of 1996. If there is
any other repeated posting on Usenet with a similar longevity, kept up
to date throughout and yet not machine-generated, it's news to me. Gene
Spafford deserves the majority of the credit for this, if nothing else,
in *numerical* terms, as the poster of the majority of the lists, and
the one who lasted the longest time.
He also maintained the places where these materials could be posted.
mod.newslists began in 1984 with him and Rick Adams as moderators; by
the time he retired, Gene Spafford was the sole moderator of news.lists.
net.announce.newusers began that year with Mark Horton as moderator,
but later that same year, Gene Spafford took over, and remained
moderator of it and its successor groups again until his retirement nine
years later. His apparent belief that these lists *belonged* in a new
users' group strikes me as somewhat amusing; nevertheless, his record as
moderator of that group, as of the lists group, compares very favourably
with those of the others who've held those jobs.
Finally, the formal process that fed the List of Active Newsgroups
begins with him. Jim Riley has researched the evolution of the group
creation guidelines much more thoroughly than I have so far, but I do
know that Gene Spafford was the first to publish a clearly defined set
of guidelines on a regular basis. They were fairly soon superseded by
a different set, written by Greg Woods, but Woods didn't start from
nothing; Spafford did. And it was also Gene Spafford, not Greg Woods
nor his successors moderating news.announce.newgroups, who ensured that
Woods's Guidelines would continue to be posted, even after their author
had walked away from them.
I do not salute him uncritically, and when people bruit falsehoods (such
as the widespread claim that he once moderated news.announce.newgroups,
or his own claim to have originated the List of Active Newsgroups), I
can easily sound like I want to take his glory away. I also have strong
qualms about much of what happened in Usenet's governance during the
years when he was most closely linked to that governance, say 1985 to
1987. But the fact remains that he deserves a great deal of glory, and
it is proper, as this project moves into his successors' years, to stop
to salute him for what he did do.
[1] A search on "Adam Buchsbaum" at Google reveals two previous
references to his Lists of Active Newsgroups, subsequent to Gene
Spafford's near-omission in his farewell note: a post by Greg Andruk
quoting a 1983 List in full, in 2000; and Ronda Hauben's article on
Usenet's early days, posted in both 1995 and 1996. Prior to the farewell
note, there appears to be no reference later than Buchsbaum's last List.
Interestingly, though, Buchsbaum has stayed much more active on Usenet
than most of his contemporaries, so if I ever do decide to try to
interview people for a later phase of this project, he's an obvious
choice.
Added: comp.ai.nat-lang, comp.databases.object, comp.lang.ml,
comp.lang.oberon, comp.os.os2.announce, comp.os.os2.beta,
comp.os.os2.ver1x, comp.parallel.pvm, comp.sys.atari.advocacy,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.demos, comp.sys.mac.portables, misc.kids.computer,
rec.arts.bonsai, rec.arts.books.tolkien, rec.games.miniatures,
rec.games.video.classic, rec.games.video.marketplace,
rec.games.video.misc, rec.games.video.nintendo, rec.games.video.sega,
rec.music.classical.guitar, sci.med.telemedicine.
Moderated in place: sci.aeronautics.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988. rec.games.cyber
remained on this List of Moderators for Usenet despite its absence from
the List of Active Newsgroups, and comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.announce
appeared on it one posting run earlier than its first appearance on the
List of Active Newsgroups. As always, the summaries stick with what
that latter post says.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.agriculture.{fruit|misc}, beginning
that sub-hierarchy; alt.bigfoot; alt.books.{anne-rice|deryni}, a new
use of that sub-hierarchy; alt.cabal; alt.fan.serdar-argic;
alt.history.{living|what-if}; alt.journalism.{criticism|gonzo|music},
beginning that sub-hierarchy; alt.prisons; alt.sex.fetish.feet,
beginning *that* (spectacularly populous) sub-sub-hierarchy.
Bruce Becker's intervening list appeared April 3 with subject line
'Another listing of newsgroups in the "alt" Usenet hierarchy'.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 317 to 326 unmoderated groups,
from 67 to 69 moderated groups, from 384 to 395 total. In misc.*, from
32 to 33 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 37 to 38
total. In news.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated
groups, 21 total. In rec.*, from 232 to 241 unmoderated groups, from 27
to 27 moderated groups, from 259 to 268 total. In sci.*, from 54 to 54
unmoderated groups, from 12 to 13 moderated groups, from 66 to 67 total.
In soc.*, no change: 76 unmoderated groups, 9 moderated groups, 85
total. In talk.*, no change: 19 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group,
20 total. 894 total (132 moderated, 762 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 52 unmoderated groups, 7
moderated groups, 59 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 66 total (8 moderated, 58 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 369 to 378 unmoderated groups, from 74
to 76 moderated groups, from 443 to 454 total. In misc.*, from 32 to 33
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 37 to 38 total.
In news.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated groups, 22
total. In rec.*, from 233 to 242 unmoderated groups, from 28 to 28
moderated groups, from 261 to 270 total. In sci.*, from 57 to 57
unmoderated groups, from 12 to 13 moderated groups, from 69 to 70 total.
In soc.*, no change: 77 unmoderated groups, 9 moderated groups, 86
total. In talk.*, no change: 19 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group,
20 total. 960 total (140 moderated, 820 unmoderated).
This post, including as it does multiple topics on which I chose to
write at length, turned far too long not to be split. For the rest
of the year, see the followup.
Joe Bernstein
of the year, see the post to which this one follows up.
Joe Bernstein
Lists of Newsgroups Posted in the Second Half of 1993
DAVID C LAWRENCE AND GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
July 23, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: tale-activ...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
July 23, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: tale-active...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
July 23, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: moderate_...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
July 23, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: tale-altgrou...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
July 23, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: tale-altgrou...@uunet.uu.net
This posting run is transitional. The credits lines in the secondary
set of headers explicitly indicate that Gene Spafford continued
maintaining these posts until May 1993, although the last postings he
did were in April; in addition, the prefatory text to the List of Active
Newsgroups and the List of Moderators for Usenet remained largely
unchanged, and indeed even had Spafford's name at the end.
(But David Lawrence did make one change right away. This is the
first time comp.specification came before comp.speech in the List
of Active Newsgroups, although the two groups had both existed for
over a year. I think Lawrence probably alphabetised automatically
from the start, whereas Spafford had only alphabetised at random
and sometimes long intervals. For another sudden impact, see the
discussion of alt.* in its usual place below.)
The three-month gap produced an amazing profusion of new groups,
boosting the official list well above 900, and the inet-included list,
finally, past 1000 newsgroups. One of those new groups, in a rare
example of the Big 7 responding rapidly to the outside world, was
comp.infosystems.www.
The May 11 "Current Status of USENET Newsgroup Proposals" post
implemented a change in how ongoing votes were listed; instead of
providing votetaking addresses, it now provided message-IDs for the
CFVs. Ron Dippold had been shown as a votetaker on each of this series
of posts since February, but for only one proposal at a time; this
format change makes it just hard enough for me to trace the rise of
Dippold's Usenet Volunteer Votetakers from that unimpressive beginning
that any information I provide on that rise in this post should be
considered strictly provisional.
That said, every comp.* vote listed in that May 11 posting was taken by
proponents, one of whom did acknowledge using Dippold's UseVote
software; the exact same pattern holds for additional comp.* votes
listed in later "Current Status" postings through May 28.
Unfortunately, at this point my archives have a long gap between
postings. The July 2 posting, however, again listed no comp.* votes
other than proponent-taken ones. The CFV for comp.databases.xbase.*
posted July 8 thus appears to be the first third-party CFV in comp.* to
appear since sometime in late April; it does not refer to Dippold or
UseVote. There are no further comp.* votes before the July 23 date of
the lists noted above. (Ironically, the votes taken earlier in 1993 by
Dippold *were* in comp.*.)
soc.* presents a rather different picture. The first soc.* proposal
listed in the May 11 post, for soc.culture.makedonija, had not only a
third-party votetaker but also a third-party proponent! The votetaker,
Jonathan Kamens, is described as using voting software; but in the
extensive comments by both him and Erland Sommerskog, the proponent,
there is no sign of UseVote. The second soc.* proposal in that list is
soc.religion.islam.ahmadiyya, whose third-party votetaker's initial
result appears to have been overturned (data below), and whose third-
party *votetaker* appears to have been an invention of the proponent
(ditto); this situation is explicitly referenced twice in Ron Dippold's
first post proposing what became the UVV (which was pointed out to me
by George William Herbert; my thanks) - first, as the kind of mess an
organised corps of third-party votetakers could avoid by pooling
experience and software; second, by Dippold's remark that the sria
votetaker should be the group's "mascot". However, the other two
soc.culture.* votes listed in that post (sc.austria and sc.ukrainian)
were proponent-taken (the proponent for sc.austria acknowledged help
with software), as were the soc.* votes listed in the other May posts
(sc.maghreb and sc.venezuela). The votes listed in the July 2 and July
15 postings split evenly; the third-party votetakers Mark James
(soc.culture.cambodia) and Jonathan Kamens (soc.religion.taize) are not
described as part of any organisation, and the proponents for sc.peru
and sc.argentina acknowledge no software.
The last vote begun before July 23 appears to be that for
rec.sport.waterski. This actually started out as a proponent-taken
vote, but "accidental disclosure" of partial results led to the
cancellation of that vote, and the revote was done by Ron Dippold. His
first CFV, posted July 20, has an organization header reading "UseVote";
his third CFV, posted August 2, has the same; but the result, posted
August 17, uses instead "Usenet Volunteer Votetakers". There are
earlier examples, though; see below.
The July 2 "New USENET Groups" mentions that the passing result for
soc.religion.islam.ahmadiyya was under review. Thereafter, there was a
reference to this review in each posting except that for July 27, until
it disappeared in the October 18 posting. The ISC
news.announce.newgroups archive's file on this proposal contains no post
giving a final result of this review, nor do I find any post at Google
in either news.announce.newgroups or news.groups stating such a result,
but the group never became part of the official Big 7 list. The
comment above about the fictionality of Anthony Lest, the group's
third-party votetaker, was controverted at the time, but the
information archived at
http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=223tc6%24q3h%40senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU
strikes me as sufficient to justify the remark.
The "Sites honoring invalid newsgroups (by site)" posting for June 13
is the first to list aol.com among the sites in question. Similarly,
a regular posting "Articles rejected at news.uu.net during the past
week", that had appeared since October 1992, first listed AOL as
having supplied such an article in the posting dated June 21. (I
only mention these facts to establish that AOL was putting posts into
Usenet in June of 1993, not to criticise AOL; it in fact did not
reappear in the "Articles rejected" post in 1993, and reappeared in
the "Sites honoring" post only once, in November.)
Added: comp.cad.compass, comp.cad.synthesis, comp.databases.ms-access,
comp.databases.pick, comp.dcom.lans.token-ring, comp.infosystems.www,
comp.lang.sather, comp.object.logic, comp.os.ms-windows.nt.misc,
comp.os.ms-windows.nt.setup, comp.os.msdos.mail-news,
comp.os.msdos.programmer.turbovision, comp.os.os2.bugs,
comp.os.os2.multimedia, comp.os.os2.programmer.misc,
comp.os.os2.programmer.porting, comp.os.os2.setup, comp.protocols.dicom,
comp.publish.cdrom.hardware, comp.publish.cdrom.multimedia,
comp.publish.cdrom.software, comp.soft-sys.sas, comp.soft-sys.shazam,
comp.soft-sys.spss, comp.software.testing, comp.std.wireless,
comp.sys.apple2.comm, comp.sys.apple2.marketplace,
comp.sys.apple2.programmer, comp.sys.apple2.usergroups, comp.sys.harris,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.announce, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.flight-sim,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.misc, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic, comp.sys.mac.oop.tcl,
comp.sys.mac.scitech, comp.windows.suit, misc.health.diabetes,
misc.invest.technical, rec.arts.anime.info, rec.arts.anime.marketplace,
rec.arts.anime.stories, rec.arts.prose, rec.autos.rod-n-custom,
rec.music.a-capella, rec.music.makers.marketplace,
rec.radio.amateur.antenna, rec.radio.amateur.digital.misc,
rec.radio.amateur.equipment, rec.radio.amateur.homebrew,
rec.radio.amateur.space, sci.data.formats, sci.econ.research,
sci.engr.manufacturing, sci.life-extension, sci.med.pharmacy,
sci.nonlinear, sci.stat.consult, sci.stat.edu, sci.stat.math,
soc.college.teaching-asst, soc.culture.indonesia, soc.culture.maghreb,
soc.culture.peru, soc.culture.ukrainian, soc.culture.venezuela.
Removed: rec.games.video.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988. rec.games.cyber
remained on this List of Moderators for Usenet despite its absence from
the List of Active Newsgroups.
rec.radio.broadcasting and rec.radio.info are added to the list of
gatewayed Big 7 newsgroups.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: the alt.binaries.pictures.* groups
that had been removed some lists back re-appeared, along with a new
one, abp.erotica.orientals; alt.humor.best-of-usenet{|.d};
alt.paranet.{abduct|paranormal|science|skeptic|ufo}, several years
after the end of misc.psi; alt.sex.bestiality.barney;
alt.sex.fetish.{fa|hair|orientals}, firmly establishing that
sub-sub-hierarchy; the alt.sports.baseball.* groups for individual
American teams, along with
alt.sports.football.{mn-vikings|pro.wash-redskins}. (Do I detect
a suggestion that the Vikings are an amateur team? Hmmmm.)
There were *lots* of removals; among the noteworthy ones are
alt.agriculture.fruit (added only on the previous list);
alt.alien.vampire.flonk.flonk.flonk; alt.bizarre;
alt.books.anne-rice; alt.cabal; alt.drugs.usenet; *all* of
alt.education.*; lots of alt.fan.* groups; most of alt.flame.*,
alt.irc.*, and alt.lang.*; alt.mothers; alt.native; alt.newbie;
much of alt.religion.*; the venerable alt.rissa and alt.weemba; much
of alt.sci.*; alt.sect.ahmadiyya; alt.sigma2.height (which I've
heard was a serious group for people at the extremes of the height
spectrum, and was replaced by *two* alt.support.* groups later);
alt.silly.group.names.d; alt.support.cancer; much of alt.tv.*; all
but one group in alt.uu.* (the Usenet University); all of
alt.wanted.*.
alt.current-events saw two groups replaced with two other,
presumably more current, groups; the groups related to the 1991
US-Iraq war went away; the three alt.journalism.* groups listed
last time were replaced by alt.journalism alone. alt.znet.pc is
shown as moderating in place. There were several changes that look
like attempts to clean up the namespace - for example, alt.dragons-inn
is replaced by alt.pub.dragons-inn. However, incredibly enough,
alt.sex.pictures.* re-appeared in this listing, so namespace purity
certainly wasn't the only mover.
Again, although the great majority of the joke groups were delisted
were delisted, at least some joke groups were *added*, and plenty of
non-joke groups removed, so serious purpose doesn't seem to have
been the criterion. Nor do I think the concern was for well-formed
newgroup messages, which is approximately the criterion long stated
for including alt.* groups in the sample active file David Lawrence
maintained, because some of the groups removed went back so far that
he almost certainly didn't *have* copies of their newgroups.
The only usual criterion left standing would seem to be traffic. From
what I've looked at, it is *possible* to hypothesise that the groups
delisted were those that didn't have significant *current* traffic.
Since Bruce Becker's alt.* lists provide article counts, and since
Google at this time did archive some alt.* groups (it has more
articles in alt.agriculture.fruit than Becker, for example), this
hypothesis should be testable, but testing it would require either
more data entry or more scripting skill than I can provide at this
time, particularly given that alt.* is far from my primary focus.
(I can say that not all the spot-checks I did are consistent with each
other, at any rate: traffic sufficient to preserve
alt.agriculture.misc, *this* time, was less than half the traffic
*in*sufficient to preserve alt.culture.kerala, to judge by Becker's
lists of June and July.)
So I don't really know what motivated the changes in the alt.* list
at this time. An extremely sketchy attempt to find any posted
explanation in Google turns up nothing; there doesn't seem to have
been any comment at all on the changes. The one thing that *does*
unify these many changes, and is obvious at first glance, is that
David Lawrence was hurrying to make a massive impact on alt.*.
But as far as I know, he failed. I feel safe in saying that the
many removals and name changes in this posting were so imperfectly
propagated, that whatever similarity the alt.* list in this series
had shown to reality as experienced by most alt.* users hitherto, was
now reduced to the minimum. (Note, for example, that alt.mothers
thrives to this day; Google's alt.agriculture.fruit archive shows no
unusual gap after this list appeared.) Henceforth, I think, the only
way this list could be relied upon was that if it indicated an alt.*
group existed, the group really existed, while if it didn't mention
that group, the non-mention proved absolutely nothing; that was
certainly the impression I formed when I returned to Usenet in 1995.
Meanwhile in the rest of the net, this Alternative Newsgroup
Hierarchies post is the first to include hepnet.*.
Bruce Becker's list appeared, between this posting run and the previous,
on May 4, June 9, and July 4, 1993, each with subject line 'Another
listing of newsgroups in the "alt" Usenet hierarchy'.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 326 to 365 unmoderated groups,
from 69 to 71 moderated groups, from 395 to 436 total. In misc.*, from
33 to 35 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 38 to 40
total. In news.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated
groups, 21 total. In rec.*, from 241 to 250 unmoderated groups, from 27
to 29 moderated groups, from 268 to 279 total. In sci.*, from 54 to 62
unmoderated groups, from 13 to 14 moderated groups, from 67 to 76 total.
In soc.*, from 76 to 82 unmoderated groups, from 9 to 9 moderated
groups, from 85 to 91 total. In talk.*, no change: 19 unmoderated
groups, 1 moderated group, 20 total. 963 total (137 moderated, 826
unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 52 unmoderated groups, 7
moderated groups, 59 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 66 total (8 moderated, 58 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 378 to 417 unmoderated groups, from 76
to 78 moderated groups, from 454 to 495 total. In misc.*, from 33 to 35
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 38 to 40 total.
In news.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated groups, 22
total. In rec.*, from 242 to 251 unmoderated groups, from 28 to 30
moderated groups, from 270 to 281 total. In sci.*, from 57 to 65
unmoderated groups, from 13 to 14 moderated groups, from 70 to 79 total.
In soc.*, from 77 to 83 unmoderated groups, from 9 to 9 moderated
groups, from 86 to 92 total. In talk.*, no change: 19 unmoderated
groups, 1 moderated group, 20 total. 1029 total (145 moderated, 884
unmoderated).
DAVID C LAWRENCE AND PERHAPS GENE SPAFFORD
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
September 24, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active_7...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
September 24, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active2_...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
September 24, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: moderate_...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
September 24, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
September 24, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups2...@uunet.uu.net
"Mailing Lists Available in Usenet"
September 24, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,bit.admin,news.answers
Message-ID: gateways_...@uunet.uu.net
In this posting run, the List of Active Newsgroups prefatory matter is
revised (mainly by the removal of the list of gatewayed Big 7
newsgroups), and signed by David Lawrence (without the middle initial),
but the prefatory matter for the List of Moderators for Usenet is still
signed by Gene Spafford.
The list of gatewayed Big 7 groups previously included in the List of
Active Newsgroups became, with this posting run, a vastly more
ambitious separate post, in which Lawrence added a bunch of Big 7 groups
(noted below) but also listed groups in alt.*, bit.*, chile.*, and
vmsnet.*, and named Jim McIntosh as "a major contributor".
Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of this series of posts when gathering my
resources at the beginning of this project, nor indeed until after I
put my computer into storage indefinitely. As a result, while I've
been able to revise this and the 1994 posting making use of it, the
spreadsheet available on my website does *not* reflect the information
it contains, and I henceforth rely on Changes posts for updates (on
which fact see above).
The month of September 1993 is best known as the month that many posters
to Usenet believe has never ended. I think it ended sometime between
1998 and 2000, personally, but anyway, the Google archives do provide
plenty of contemporary evidence that in 1993 nobody saw it as having
ended. The long September drove many changes in Usenet, and
specifically in newsgroup creation patterns; to give just one example,
there were people seriously claiming, in 1996 when I was new in
news.groups and the long September was at its height there, that no new
unmoderated soc.culture.* group should ever be created; but until
December 20, 1993, no *moderated* soc.culture.* group had ever *been*
created! Should I ever be able to do these posts for the years later
than 1993, these patterns will become obvious. For now, however,
nothing of the sort is the case - the rest of 1993 actually sees a
slight *slowing* of growth from the frantic pace shown by the previous
list, and the kinds of growth characteristic of the long September
aren't much in evidence. But there is one symbolic exception: while
the creation of soc.culture.scientists surely owes nothing to the
invaders - the newsgroup creation process was already by this time too
*slow* for that - it did become a symbol, in later years, of the kind of
bizarre idea associated with us by oldtimers.
This series of posts is not meant to become a general history of
Usenet, and I've tried to restrain my discussions to areas linked
to newsgroup creation, or areas that can be handled group by group.
Thus I traced the advent of group-specific FAQs, but not the earlier
advent of the net-wide periodic postings collected in the new users'
groups. Similarly here, my focus is on the effects of the long
September on group creation, not on the long September itself. But
I've never really been satisfied with any aspects of the September
mythology, and I couldn't resist looking into one thing at this
time. As noted above, AOL was generating posts as early as June,
1993. On the other hand, there's a fair amount of evidence at
Google that AOL didn't open up entirely to Usenet until right around
March 1, 1994, six months *after* September, 1993. The standard
story about the long September is that it resulted from AOL's hookup
to Usenet; sometimes this is presented as a straightforward matter
of a single cause for the whole effect. Well, um, I don't think it
*can* be that simple. (A thread that appears to bridge the time
before and after AOL had fully unveiled its Usenet software is
reachable at
<http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=rdippold.762479054%40happy>.)
Also in this posting run appeared a revision of the Guidelines. It
included a note that "a proposal for major updates to this document
should be out in the not very distant future", and also included the
first reference in the Guidelines to the UVV, saying that their "use" is
"currently" "strongly advocated for all newsgroup proposals". It
removed Gene Spafford's name from the list of people to contact when a
group passed, and added his name to the opening credits.
Speaking of the UVV, the comp.os.geos CFV posted by Jay Maynard August 4
appears to be the first comp.* CFV done in the name of the UVV, and
based on the information listed under the July 23 date above, this
appearance is probably correct. However, all comp.* votes listed in
"Current Status" posts from then through September 24 were taken by UVV
members.
The first soc.* CFV done under the UVV aegis, amusingly enough, appears
to be Jim Huggins's August 12 CFV for none other than ...
soc.culture.scientists! The few other CFVs in soc.* between that date
and September 24 were apparently all UVV-originated.
George William Herbert posted (in the same post wherein he pointed me to
Ron Dippold's proposal mentioned above) that the sci.op-research vote
begun with an August 1 CFV posted by Ian Jackson was the first vote done
under the Usenet Volunteer Votetakers name. (More precisely, that's
what was in the organization header.) A Google search for CFVs in
late July (with the risks that relying on Google's dates or completeness
entails) produces some other items worth noting: a somewhat UVV-like
vote on rec.music.celtic conducted by future UVV member Andrew Solovay,
beginning July 26, in which he noted that he would use UseVote but did
not identify himself with any organisation; a July 26 CFV for
sci.polymers from Ron Dippold, with "Organization: Usenet Volunteer
Voters"; and (sorry, Mr. Herbert) a July 27 CFV for rec.radio.scanner
from Ron Dippold, with "Organization: Usenet Volunteer Votetakers".
While soc.* and comp.* obviously aren't the entire Big 8, and are in
fact stereotypical extreme cases of votes, they are useful guides for
precisely that reason. If the UVV had been adopted only gradually, then
I would have expected strong social pressure to use UVV votetakers on
soc.* proponents, and I would have expected relatively little pressure
in that direction to be applied to comp.* proponents. Given comp.*
proponents' previous record of taking their own votes, therefore, I'd
have thought it would be some time before the UVV were handling all
comp.* votes. Well, no. And this suggests to me that the UVV were in
fact taking every vote rather earlier than the Guidelines required this;
I will therefore not be making spot-checks later into 1993 at this time.
But I should emphasise again that my research is incomplete, and
therefore not totally reliable.
(In case anyone's wondering, soc.* was actually a second choice. I
wanted to do rec.*, partly because there are rec.* proposals throughout
an apparent gap between comp.* proposals in the summer; but my copy of
the ISC file for rec.arts.prose, the first rec.* group on the May 11
list, appears to be corrupt, so I switched to soc.*, which probably
optimised my research strategy, but obviously reduced the percentage of
votes May 11 to September 24 that I actually looked at.)
Added: comp.ai.jair.announce, comp.ai.jair.papers,
comp.cad.pro-engineer, comp.databases.xbase.fox,
comp.databases.xbase.misc, comp.graphics.algorithms,
comp.graphics.data-explorer, comp.os.geos, comp.os.linux.admin,
comp.os.linux.development, comp.os.linux.help, comp.os.linux.misc,
comp.programming.literate, comp.sys.newton.announce,
comp.sys.newton.misc, comp.sys.newton.programmer,
misc.education.language.english, misc.invest.canada,
rec.crafts.quilting, rec.crafts.winemaking,
rec.games.roguelike.announce, rec.games.roguelike.misc,
rec.music.celtic, rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic, rec.parks.theme,
rec.radio.scanner, rec.sport.waterski, sci.astro.planetarium,
sci.bio.ecology, sci.energy.hydrogen, sci.engr.advanced-tv,
sci.op-research, sci.physics.accelerators, sci.polymers,
soc.culture.argentina, soc.culture.austria, soc.culture.scientists,
talk.politics.crypto.
Removed: comp.os.os2.programmer, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games,
rec.radio.amateur.packet.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988. rec.games.cyber
remained on this List of Moderators for Usenet despite its absence from
the List of Active Newsgroups.
A lot of groups in the namespace I'm trying to cover in this post are
added to the list of gatewayed groups (now "Mailing Lists Available
in Usenet"). For the first time, the list includes inet groups,
although of the then 66 groups ostensibly created as mailing list
gateways in inet, only four are listed here this time. There is also
one removal, sci.astro, which under that name and as net.astro had
been listed as a gateway that might not work for *eight years*, ever
since the list of gatewayed groups began. Anyway, here are the
additions: comp.compilers, comp.infosystems.gis, comp.lang.rexx
(inet), comp.lang.smalltalk, comp.org.acm, comp.os.coherent,
comp.os.msdos.4dos (inet), comp.programming.literate,
comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc, comp.risks (which was originally the
last fa.* group to be created, and so had *always* been a gatewayed
group), comp.society, comp.soft-sys.nextstep (inet),
comp.soft-sys.sas, comp.soft-sys.spss, comp.sys.amiga (a group which
had officially been removed some years previously),
comp.sys.amiga.hardware, comp.sys.amiga.tech (also removed some years
earlier), comp.text.desktop, comp.unix.solaris (inet),
misc.emerg-services, misc.news.east-europe.rferl, misc.taxes,
news.software.anu-news, rec.arts.anime, rec.arts.bonsai, rec.hunting,
rec.music.early, rec.radio.shortwave (an additional gateway to the one
previously listed), rec.sport.cricket.scores, rec.sport.golf,
rec.video.satellite, rec.woodworking, sci.answers, sci.bio.ecolog
(sic), sci.energy.hydrogen, sci.lang.japan, sci.med.aids,
sci.med.telemedicine, sci.psychology.digest, sci.space (an
additional gateway to the one previously listed), sci.stat.consult,
sci.stat.edu, soc.culture.jewish, soc.culture.soviet,
soc.culture.vietnamese, soc.politics.arms-d (another former fa.*
group), soc.religion.bahai, talk.politics.soviet. Note also that
rec.radio.amateur.packet remains on this list despite its removal
from the List of Active Newsgroups.
The ferment in alt.* continued. alt.books.anne-rice, alt.culture.tuva,
alt.desert-storm, alt.dragons-inn, alt.native, alt.sources.amiga, and
alt.support.cancer all re-appeared, for example, but
alt.agriculture.misc joined aa.fruit in being delisted, and the one
remaining alt.uu.* group was replaced with alt.uu.future (as in, "Does
Usenet University have a future?"). Noteworthy additions to alt.*:
alt.fan.jai-maharaj; alt.sex.spanking. Noteworthy removals:
alt.cesium; alt.emusic; alt.fan.debbie.gibson; alt.fan.serdar-argic;
alt.journalism; alt.pave.the.earth; all of alt.pub.* *except* for
alt.pub.dragons-inn, even though that group had now been recognised
as duplicative. alt.sex.pictures.{male|female} go away, but
alt.sex.pictures doesn't. I remain mystified by David Lawrence's
1993 decisions with regard to alt.*.
Bruce Becker's alt.* lists between this posting run and the previous
appeared in two parts: 'Another listing of newsgroups in the "alt"
hierarchy, Part 1 of 2' and '[...] Part 2 of 2'. Their dates are
August 4 and September 4, 1993.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 365 to 376 unmoderated groups,
from 71 to 74 moderated groups, from 436 to 450 total. In misc.*, from
35 to 37 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 40 to 42
total. In news.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated
groups, 21 total. In rec.*, from 250 to 257 unmoderated groups, from 29
to 30 moderated groups, from 279 to 287 total. In sci.*, from 62 to 69
unmoderated groups, from 14 to 14 moderated groups, from 76 to 83 total.
In soc.*, from 82 to 85 unmoderated groups, from 9 to 9 moderated
groups, from 91 to 94 total. In talk.*, from 19 to 20 unmoderated
groups, from 1 to 1 moderated group, from 20 to 21 total. 998 total
(141 moderated, 857 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 52 unmoderated groups, 7
moderated groups, 59 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 66 total (8 moderated, 58 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 417 to 428 unmoderated groups, from 78
to 81 moderated groups, from 495 to 509 total. In misc.*, from 35 to 37
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 5 moderated groups, from 40 to 42 total.
In news.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated groups, 22
total. In rec.*, from 251 to 258 unmoderated groups, from 30 to 31
moderated groups, from 281 to 289 total. In sci.*, from 65 to 72
unmoderated groups, from 14 to 14 moderated groups, from 79 to 86 total.
In soc.*, from 83 to 86 unmoderated groups, from 9 to 9 moderated
groups, from 92 to 95 total. In talk.*, from 19 to 20 unmoderated
groups, from 1 to 1 moderated group, from 20 to 21 total. 1064 total
(149 moderated, 915 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
November 30, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active_7...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
November 30, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active2_...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
November 30, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: moderate_...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
November 30, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
November 30, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups2...@uunet.uu.net
"Mailing Lists Available in Usenet"
November 30, 1993
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,bit.admin,news.answers
Message-ID: gateways_...@uunet.uu.net
Gene Spafford's name appeared again this time at the end of the
prefatory matter in the List of Moderators for Usenet. My best guess is
that this reflects David Lawrence not yet having gotten around to a
careful study of it. (I do look forward to the list that fully lists
the inet moderated groups, so I can stop repeating the paragraph I'm
sure people are sick of seeing in these descriptions!) In any event, as
with the previous posting run, this is the only sign that Spafford
*might* have had any direct input into the changes, and it's a pretty
thin one. (However, the "New USENET Groups" post's boilerplate
continued to refer to "Gene Spafford's List of Moderators" through the
end of 1993, at least.)
These lists bring the official total of newsgroups past 1000, and the
inet-included total past 1100. This is, arguably, not the only sign
that the long September was beginning to affect newsgroup creation: one
could so interpret, also, the re-org of comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware, the
creation of misc.legal.moderated, a small resurgence of soc.*, and the
fact that talk.* here, for the first time [1], was not the smallest Big
7 hierarchy. But I'm dubious. The main effect I'd expect from the long
September is a pronounced increase in votes, most likely usually YES
votes, and hence in the total number of groups created; but the rate
remains below that of the spring and early summer.
In this posting run's copy of the Guidelines, the note promising major
changes soon disappeared. However, before that, David Lawrence had
posted an outline of what those major changes would have been, which
also provides some insight into his approach to moderating
news.announce.newgroups, in a post specifically concerned with the
controversial issues surrounding "comp.dcom.telecom.tech and Changing
the Guidelines", message-ID <29klo7...@rodan.UU.NET>, October 14,
to nan, news.groups, news.admin.policy, and news.admin.misc.
Interestingly, in this post he indicated that one reason he hadn't
enforced a six-month waiting period before holding a second vote on
this group was that the group would have been created in the inet
distribution regardless. I know of no inet group added to the official
lists Lawrence maintained after this date, and I find myself wondering
whether these events - though he spoke of them, in this post, rather
calmly - precipitated or helped to bring on the end of group creation
in inet.
[1] talk.* had previously tied with news.* for smallest hierarchy, in
the April 8, May 15, June 20, and July 22, 1989 lists, as well as in the
September 24 list above. Strictly speaking, rec.* was the smallest Big
7 hierarchy in the November 1, 1986 list, which showed one placeholder
group prior to the full Great Renaming of rec.*. In the lists at the
beginning of the Great Renaming, earlier in 1986, talk.* was the only
Big 7 hierarchy as yet created, and therefore both largest and smallest.
With these exceptions, none of which I consider meaningful
contradiction, talk.* had always been smallest, until in this list
news.* took that role.
Added: comp.binaries.cbm, comp.databases.rdb, comp.os.lynx,
comp.os.qnx, comp.security.unix, comp.soft-sys.wavefront,
comp.sys.hp.apps, comp.sys.hp.hardware, comp.sys.hp.hpux,
comp.sys.hp.misc, comp.sys.hp.mpe, comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.cd-rom,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips, comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.comm,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc, comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.networking,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage, comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.systems,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video, comp.sys.powerpc, comp.sys.psion,
comp.unix.user-friendly, misc.legal.moderated, rec.games.chinese-chess,
rec.games.roguelike.angband, rec.music.classical.performing,
rec.sport.football.canadian, rec.sport.football.fantasy,
sci.engr.lighting, sci.med.nursing, sci.techniques.xtallography,
soc.college.org.aiesec, soc.couples.intercultural, soc.culture.chile,
soc.culture.israel, soc.culture.laos, soc.culture.palestine,
soc.culture.uruguay, soc.religion.shamanism, talk.politics.tibet.
Moderated in place: comp.compression.research.
Removed: comp.os.linux, sci.math.stat.
comp.databases.rdb was one of the groups I looked at in my attempt
described above to figure out the rise of the UVV, and it's worth noting
that the proponent was none other than Ron Dippold, the organisation's
founder. He did not, of course, take the vote on the group...
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988. rec.games.cyber
remained on this List of Moderators for Usenet despite its absence from
the List of Active Newsgroups.
comp.newprod, comp.org.eff.news, comp.org.eff.talk,
comp.society.cu-digest, comp.sys.hp.mpe, comp.sys.next.advocacy,
comp.sys.next.announce, comp.sys.next.bugs, comp.sys.next.hardware,
comp.sys.next.marketplace, comp.sys.next.misc, comp.sys.next.programmer,
comp.sys.next.software, comp.sys.next.sysadmin, rec.arts.cinema,
and rec.juggling are added to the Mailing Lists Available in Usenet.
One of two listings for rec.radio.shortwave is removed, and
sci.bio.ecology's name is corrected.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.ascii-art, and mystifyingly
enough also alt.binaries.pictures.ascii;
alt.current-events.{russia|usa}, rather changing that sub-hierarchy's
focus; alt.pets.rabbits, either beginning or re-beginning that
sub-hierarchy; alt.pub.coffeehouse.amethyst, beginning that sub-sub-
hierarchy; alt.sci.physics.spam (?); alt.support.attn-deficit, the
first group in that sub-hierarchy for a mental problem;
alt.syntax.tactical (yes, children, at one time it was actually on an
Official List!). Noteworthy removals: alt.fan.jai-maharaj; about
half of the alt.sports.baseball.* team groups. Also, the
reverberations of the summer's purge continue, with
alt.aeffle.und.pferdle, alt.agriculture.misc, alt.cesium,
alt.education.disabled, a bunch of alt.fan.*, alt.irc.*,
alt.journalism, and alt.music.* groups, alt.pave.the.earth, and
several alt.tv.* groups being re-added and alt.desert-storm being
re-removed.
Bruce Becker's lists for the intervening period appeared October 6
and November 8, 1993, with subject lines again 'Another listing of
newsgroups in the "alt" hierarchy, Part 1 of 2' and '[...] Part 2
of 2'.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 376 to 395 unmoderated groups,
from 74 to 76 moderated groups, from 450 to 471 total. In misc.*, from
37 to 37 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups, from 42 to 43
total. In news.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated
groups, 21 total. In rec.*, from 257 to 262 unmoderated groups, from 30
to 30 moderated groups, from 287 to 292 total. In sci.*, from 69 to 71
unmoderated groups, from 14 to 14 moderated groups, from 83 to 85 total.
In soc.*, from 85 to 92 unmoderated groups, from 9 to 10 moderated
groups, from 94 to 102 total. In talk.*, from 20 to 21 unmoderated
groups, from 1 to 1 moderated group, from 21 to 22 total. 1036 total
(145 moderated, 891 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 52 unmoderated groups, 7
moderated groups, 59 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 66 total (8 moderated, 58 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 428 to 447 unmoderated groups, from 81
to 83 moderated groups, from 509 to 530 total. In misc.*, from 37 to 37
unmoderated groups, from 5 to 6 moderated groups, from 42 to 43 total.
In news.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated groups, 22
total. In rec.*, from 258 to 263 unmoderated groups, from 31 to 31
moderated groups, from 289 to 294 total. In sci.*, from 72 to 74
unmoderated groups, from 14 to 14 moderated groups, from 86 to 88 total.
In soc.*, from 86 to 93 unmoderated groups, from 9 to 10 moderated
groups, from 95 to 103 total. In talk.*, from 20 to 21 unmoderated
groups, from 1 to 1 moderated group, from 21 to 22 total. 1102 total
(153 moderated, 949 unmoderated).
This is the last newsgroup list/moderator list set known to me posted in
1993. This is also the date of the last "Alternative Newsgroup
Hierarchies" of the year. It includes 617 alt.* groups (up from 420 at
year-end 1992), 47 bionet.* groups (up from 32), 205 bit.* groups (up
from 168), 35 biz.* groups (up from 23), 228 clari.* groups (up from
217), 28 gnu.* groups (unchanged), eleven hepnet.* groups (new this
year), twelve ieee.* groups (unchanged), 66 inet groups (up from 59),
two ddn.* groups (unchanged), 40 info.* groups (new), 36 k12.* groups
(up from 21), 94 relcom.* groups (new), five u3b.* groups (unchanged),
and 35 vmsnet.* groups (up from 29), for a total of 1461 (up from 1016).
Note that this means alt.* - as represented in this list - grew not
only relatively, but absolutely, faster in 1992 (243 groups, or 137%)
than in 1993 (197 groups, or 47%); I haven't tried to do a careful
count, but to judge by the above, the slowdown appears to owe as much
to groups being delisted as to any reduction in groups added to the
list.
For comparison, Bruce Becker's alt.* list of December 6, 1993 claims
1269 groups and 443 aliases.
Annual summary: IN THE BIG SEVEN: In comp.*, from 296 to 395
unmoderated groups, from 60 to 76 moderated groups, from 356 to 471
total. In misc.*, from 32 to 37 unmoderated groups, from 3 to 6
moderated groups, from 35 to 43 total. In news.*, from 15 to 13
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated groups, from 23 to 21 total.
In rec.*, from 215 to 262 unmoderated groups, from 25 to 30 moderated
groups, from 240 to 292 total. In sci.*, from 52 to 71 unmoderated
groups, from 8 to 14 moderated groups, from 60 to 85 total. In soc.*,
from 70 to 92 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 10 moderated groups, from 77
to 102 total. In talk.*, from 18 to 21 unmoderated groups, from 0 to 1
moderated group, from 18 to 22 total. Total, from 698 to 891
unmoderated groups, from 111 to 145 moderated groups, from 809 to 1036
total.
IN INET: In comp.*, from 47 to 52 unmoderated groups, from 5 to 7
moderated groups, from 52 to 59 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. Total, from 53 to 58
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 8 moderated groups, from 59 to 66 total.
OVER ALL: In comp.*, from 343 to 447 unmoderated groups, from 65 to 83
moderated groups, from 408 to 530 total. In misc.*, from 32 to 37
unmoderated groups, from 3 to 6 moderated groups, from 35 to 43 total.
In news.*, from 16 to 14 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated
groups, from 24 to 22 total. In rec.*, from 216 to 263 unmoderated
groups, from 26 to 31 moderated groups, from 242 to 294 total. In
sci.*, from 55 to 74 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 14 moderated groups,
from 63 to 88 total. In soc.*, from 71 to 93 unmoderated groups, from 7
to 10 moderated groups, from 78 to 103 total. In talk.*, from 18 to 21
unmoderated groups, from 0 to 1 moderated groups, from 18 to 22 total.
Total, from 751 to 949 unmoderated groups, from 117 to 153 moderated
groups, from 868 to 1102 total.
Joe Bernstein
first post in the series, for the year 1981, with Message-ID
<3c4a40c1$0$95686$892e...@authen.puce.readfreenews.net>.
THIS IS AN INCOMPLETE FIRST DRAFT.
All of the posts I've so far posted to this thread have been preliminary
drafts anyway, of course. I've explicitly acknowledged that I got the
renaming of NET.* to net.* completely wrong in those hierarchies'
summaries and in the 1980-81 year-summary, and that a usage in the first
draft of the 1986 year-summary was incorrect; there are probably other
errors I haven't found yet.
But I do have a number of ways to catch my mistakes *before* posting
them, and the fact is, I haven't used *most* of those ways on the data
that follow. I'm writing this on a computer about to go into storage,
using tools I can't replicate on the library computers that will soon be
my only available option. I have twenty-five hours left to work in, and
other things to do besides this work. All this post offers is what
those twenty-five hours allow.
My reasons for wanting to get it out there anyway? There are several:
1. I have no confidence I'll ever get this computer out of storage
again, because I have no confidence I'll actually *survive* the next few
months; my computer isn't the only thing losing its home tomorrow. The
more of the work I did in assembling my tools that actually gets used
and passed on to the world at large, the less is wasted.
2. I had all along intended the second phase of this project to consist
of year-summaries for the years 1987 to 1994, the years of the Big 7.
The closer I get to that, the happier I am.
3. As I've done each year from 1987 onward, I've been looking for the
coming explosion. Today's Big 8 hierarchies have over 2000 groups,
indeed *twice* as many as there were at the end of 1993, but the list
hasn't grown dramatically since 1998 at latest. Year by year, the
explosion has not shown up in my data, and I can now confidently assert
that even by 1993 the exponential growth I expected had not begun.
Well, it has to have begun *sometime*, and with the long September
already under way, 1994 is a good place to look for that start.
So on with it.
Google's Usenet archive has only one source for 1994, Jurgen
Christoffel's archive.
LATER NOTES: I had finished only two posting runs before the computer
was moved, and those posting runs' treatments did not include any
look at alt.* for interesting changes, nor any list of gatewayed
groups. Within twenty-four hours, I had learnt of the existence of
the series Mailing Lists Available in Usenet that continued the lists
of gatewayed groups, and I had done, as I'd intended, a bunch of
decisions about alt.* via the Changes posts discussed in the 1985
and 1988 posts up the thread. As noted in the introduction to the 1993
post, the obvious result was that I went ahead and used Changes posts
for other things too: for the gateways, in the first two posting
runs of 1994, and for *everything*, in the remaining three. (Oh, and
also, the error-checking routines mentioned above remain impossible,
with this approach.)
Also as noted in the 1993 post, I don't really trust this approach,
and do expect to do the work the way I prefer, group by group in the
original lists, if I'm ever able to. But at least this approach
allows me, if only half-assedly, to present the posts I had intended
to present in this bunch: 1987 to 1994, year-summaries, each.
Hope they've been worth something.
For what it's worth, my summary of 1994 is a confirmation of the above
guess: it's the year the Big 7 began to grow exponentially.
(It is not, alas, the still awaited year in which inet froze in place.
On the other hand, talk.* did, in this year's lists, as news.* had last
year in reality. The talk.* freeze of 1994 is, however, an illusion;
a list dated January 1, 1995 shows two new talk.* groups.)
(One more note. This *is* the year in which trial.* froze in place;
I simply failed to note in the 1993 post that the creation of
rec.crafts.metalworking was the last example to date of a trial.*
group moving into the Big 8. trial.talk.politics.peace remained on
January 1, 1994, what it remains today, the only completely
unreplaced trial.* group; although there are still, I gather, those
who think trial.misc.legal.software has not been fully replaced.)
Joe Bernstein
Lists of Newsgroups Posted in 1994
DAVID C LAWRENCE
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
February 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active_7...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
February 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active2_...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
February 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: moderate_...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
February 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
February 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups2...@uunet.uu.net
"Mailing Lists Available in Usenet"
February 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,bit.admin,news.answers
Message-ID: gateways_...@uunet.uu.net
On this List of Moderators for Usenet, for the first time, Gene
Spafford's name doesn't appear at the end of the forematter. I
therefore consider it extremely unlikely that he had anything to do with
it, and I remove his name as a maintainer from the above heading.
However, the "New USENET Groups" post's boilerplate continued to refer
to "Gene Spafford's List of Moderators" until the posting dated March
10, 1994.
Unfortunately, the removal of Spafford's name from the forematter did
not indicate that David Lawrence had reviewed the entire list; while he
might not have noticed, or might have chosen to continue, treating two
of the inet moderated groups differently from the rest, surely any
careful check would have turned up the undeadness of rec.games.cyber.
Anyway. Perhaps the most obvious sign in these lists of the long
September (which at this point *still* was not being fed by all AOL's
customers; see on this the 1993 post) is indeed in the moderated
groups. comp.unix.wizards' moderation in place is a famous example;
note also the first moderated soc.culture.* group. But that group
was in fact a perfectly conventional announcement group meant to
parallel a busy discussion group, not moderation in response to
unbridled misbehaviour.
Again, these lists show multiple new misc.* groups, a rare event thus
far; more rec.* groups than comp.* ones; and a total pace of growth
nearly equal to that of mid-1993, thus a significant increase over
late 1993 - but it's worth noting that this increase is composed
largely of an unusually fast growth in sci.*.
So these lists aren't *only* about the long September.
Added: comp.databases.paradox, comp.dcom.telecom.tech,
comp.infosystems.announce, comp.lang.basic.misc, comp.lang.basic.visual,
comp.org.lisp-users, comp.std.lisp, comp.sys.mac.graphics,
comp.sys.sinclair, comp.unix.advocacy, comp.unix.unixware,
misc.invest.funds, misc.invest.stocks, misc.kids.vacation,
rec.autos.marketplace, rec.autos.misc, rec.autos.simulators,
rec.collecting.stamps, rec.games.bolo, rec.games.frp.live-action,
rec.games.video.3do, rec.games.video.advocacy,
rec.games.video.arcade.collecting, rec.games.video.atari, rec.toys.lego,
rec.toys.misc, sci.agriculture, sci.anthropology.paleo,
sci.bio.ethology, sci.bio.evolution, sci.bio.herp,
sci.med.psychobiology, sci.physics.particle, sci.space.policy,
sci.space.science, sci.space.tech, sci.techniques.microscopy,
soc.culture.burma, soc.culture.indian.info.
Moderated in place: comp.unix.wizards.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988. rec.games.cyber
remained on this List of Moderators for Usenet despite its absence from
the List of Active Newsgroups.
comp.soft-sys.wavefront, comp.virus, sci.bio.ethology, and
soc.culture.chile are added to the Mailing Lists Available in Usenet;
comp.unix.internals, comp.unix.questions, and rec.railroad are
removed from it, and a flag is added to indicate that rec.video's
gateway might not work.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.2600 (wasn't this the first group
with a namespace component lacking letters?); a bunch of
alt.binaries.sounds.* groups; alt.christnet and eleven subgroups;
more alt.current-events.* groups in both the topical and regional
molds; alt.religion.christian, which I believe to be the first
alt.religion.* group for a more or less conventional religion; a lot
of alt.sports.football.pro.* and alt.sports.hockey.nhl.* groups;
alt.usenet.kooks; alt.uu.{comp.os.linux.questions|lang.russian.misc},
apparently showing that the Usenet University in fact did have a
future. Noteworthy removal: alt.syntax.tactical. I'm becoming
decreasingly confident in the Changes posts, since this posting run's
one includes yet *more* additions of groups recently removed and vice
versa, and in some cases additions of groups I thought had last been
added, not removed, anyway. So please take the alt.* paragraphs in
this post with as many grains of salt as you need to make them
palatable.
Bruce Becker's lists of alt.* groups did continue. He posted them,
between the last posting run and this one, on December 6, 1993 and
January 4, 1994. Again, subject lines, 'Another listing of newsgroups
in the "alt" hierarchy, Part 1 of 2' and '[...] Part 2 of 2'.
(And although I *am* in fact much more interested in alt.* than in
the regional or topical hierarchies, I should play fair, and note
that Bruce Becker also began, on December 14, 1993, to post "A listing
of Canadian regional and university newsgroups". Since I've come
across it, and all. It does appear to have continued thereafter.)
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 395 to 403 unmoderated groups,
from 76 to 79 moderated groups, from 471 to 482 total. In misc.*, from
37 to 40 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 43 to 46
total. In news.*, no change: 13 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated
groups, 21 total. In rec.*, from 262 to 274 unmoderated groups, from 30
to 30 moderated groups, from 292 to 304 total. In sci.*, from 71 to 79
unmoderated groups, from 14 to 17 moderated groups, from 85 to 96 total.
In soc.*, from 92 to 93 unmoderated groups, from 10 to 11 moderated
groups, from 102 to 104 total. In talk.*, no change: 21 unmoderated
groups, 1 moderated group, 22 total. 1075 total (152 moderated, 923
unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 52 unmoderated groups, 7
moderated groups, 59 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 66 total (8 moderated, 58 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 447 to 455 unmoderated groups, from 83
to 86 moderated groups, from 530 to 541 total. In misc.*, from 37 to 40
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 6 moderated groups, from 43 to 46 total.
In news.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 8 moderated groups, 22
total. In rec.*, from 263 to 275 unmoderated groups, from 31 to 31
moderated groups, from 294 to 306 total. In sci.*, from 74 to 82
unmoderated groups, from 14 to 17 moderated groups, from 88 to 99 total.
In soc.*, from 93 to 94 unmoderated groups, from 10 to 11 moderated
groups, from 103 to 105 total. In talk.*, no change: 21 unmoderated
groups, 1 moderated group, 22 total. 1141 total (160 moderated, 981
unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
April 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active_7...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
April 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active2_...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
April 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.answers
Message-ID: moderate_...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
April 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
April 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups2...@uunet.uu.net
"Mailing Lists Available in Usenet"
April 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newusers,news.announce.newgroups,bit.admin,news.answers
Message-ID: gateways_...@uunet.uu.net
The pace of the previous set of lists is maintained but not exceeded;
although an impressive variety of topics is covered by the new groups,
there is no such surprise as last time's sci.* explosion. In any event,
to judge by the "New USENET Groups" posting of April 5, the next lists
should show a dramatic increase in growth. Thus, I think 1994 is in
fact the year the exponential growth phase in the Big 8 began.
In this set of lists, talk.* reclaims its place as the smallest of the
Big 7, thanks to two new groups in news.*.
Also in this posting run appeared a copy of the Guidelines that
explicitly acknowledged that the UVV were taking all votes.
The "Current Status of USENET Newsgroup Proposals" posting of March
15 included a note that "proposals" (in context apparently meaning
CFVs) could be found via FTP. This is, I think, the first reference
to what is now the ISC archive in any of the postings I'm tracking
for this series of posts. I'm well aware that the archive itself
is older than this.
Added: comp.bbs.tbbs, comp.binaries.geos, comp.binaries.newton,
comp.constraints, comp.graphics.raytracing, comp.home.misc,
comp.infosystems.interpedia, comp.lang.prograph, comp.lang.python,
comp.os.os2.games, comp.os.os2.networking.misc,
comp.os.os2.networking.tcp-ip, comp.os.os2.programmer.oop,
comp.os.os2.programmer.tools, comp.soft-sys.powerbuilder,
comp.software.config-mgmt, misc.education.adult,
misc.education.multimedia, misc.test.moderated, news.groups.questions,
news.groups.reviews, rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5, rec.crafts.jewelry,
rec.food.drink.beer, rec.food.veg.cooking, rec.games.board.marketplace,
rec.games.deckmaster, rec.music.makers.builders, rec.music.makers.piano,
rec.music.rem, rec.skiing.alpine, rec.skiing.announce,
rec.skiing.nordic, rec.skiing.snowboard, rec.sport.basketball.women,
rec.sport.water-polo, sci.engr.semiconductors, sci.geo.satellite-nav,
sci.med.radiology, sci.physics.electromag, sci.research.postdoc,
sci.techniques.spectroscopy, soc.culture.hongkong.entertainment,
soc.culture.swiss, soc.history.moderated.
Removed: comp.sys.hp, comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware, sci.space,
talk.politics.space.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988. rec.games.cyber
remained on this List of Moderators for Usenet despite its absence from
the List of Active Newsgroups. In addition, comp.binaries.newton,
although listed as moderated in the List of Active Newsgroups, was
entirely absent from this List of Moderators for Usenet; and four
newsgroups entirely absent from the List of Active Newsgroups, probably
to be added in the next list, were fully listed on this List of
Moderators for Usenet: comp.org.cpsr.announce, rec.autos.sport.info,
rec.aviation.questions, and sci.psychology.research. As usual, I stick
to the List of Active Newsgroups version in the summaries below.
comp.ai.fuzzy, comp.lang.prograph, comp.music, comp.research.japan,
rec.arts.dance, rec.audio.high-end, rec.crafts.jewelry,
rec.music.gaffa, rec.org.sca, and sci.bio.herp are added to the
Mailing Lists Available in Usenet; rec.music.funky and
rec.sport.cricket.scores are removed from it.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.america.online;
alt.binaries.{doom|misc}; alt.fan.cecil-adams; alt.make.money.fast;
a bunch of alt.online-service.* groups to go with the parent group
and a.o-s.delphi; alt.religion.{computers|gnostic|islam|shamanism},
strengthening both the oddball and the mainstream sides of that
sub-hierarchy (and providing unmoderated alternatives to more than
half of the then-existing soc.religion.* groups); a bunch of
alt.sports.basketball.nba.* team groups; alt.support.depression
(my first large newsgroup) and alt.support.tall (replacing part of
alt.sigma2.height, one of the few groups removed in 1993 whose
restoration has not appeared on any subsequent list);
alt.this.group.has.the.longest.name.of.any.alt.group.there.is.just.to.mess.up.your.newsreader
(yes, it was on an official list). Noteworthy removals: six of
the eleven alt.christnet.* sub-groups; alt.fan.david-lawrence ("All
about cricket"). At this point, it looks to me like most of the
groups whose removals I highlighted in the 1993 post have been
listed again, although in some cases they have flip-flopped between
the listed and delisted states two or three times. (For example,
alt.paranet.*, whose creation in five groups I highlighted, saw
two of those groups removed, one each in the next two lists, then
both added back in; now one that hadn't been removed goes away.
Either these Changes postings I'm working from are nothing but lies,
or these lists are meant primarily as a demonstration of a chaotic
system, take your pick.)
Bruce Becker's alt.* lists, which showed only additions and so are,
for this period, much more stable than David Lawrence's, appeared
in the intervening period on February 9 and March 6, 1994, with
subject lines 'Another listing of newsgroups in the "alt" hierarchy,
Part 1 of 2' and '[...] Part 2 of 2'.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 403 to 416 unmoderated groups,
from 79 to 82 moderated groups, from 482 to 498 total. In misc.*, from
40 to 41 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 8 moderated groups, from 46 to 49
total. In news.*, from 13 to 14 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 9
moderated groups, from 21 to 23 total. In rec.*, from 274 to 287
unmoderated groups, from 30 to 32 moderated groups, from 304 to 319
total. In sci.*, from 79 to 85 unmoderated groups, from 17 to 17
moderated groups, from 96 to 102 total. In soc.*, from 93 to 95
unmoderated groups, from 11 to 12 moderated groups, from 104 to 107
total. In talk.*, no change: 21 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group,
22 total. 1120 total (161 moderated, 959 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 52 unmoderated groups, 7
moderated groups, 59 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 66 total (8 moderated, 58 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 455 to 468 unmoderated groups, from 86
to 89 moderated groups, from 541 to 557 total. In misc.*, from 40 to 41
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 8 moderated groups, from 46 to 49 total.
In news.*, from 14 to 15 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 9 moderated
groups, from 22 to 24 total. In rec.*, from 275 to 288 unmoderated
groups, from 31 to 33 moderated groups, from 306 to 321 total. In
sci.*, from 82 to 88 unmoderated groups, from 17 to 17 moderated groups,
from 99 to 105 total. In soc.*, from 94 to 96 unmoderated groups, from
11 to 12 moderated groups, from 105 to 108 total. In talk.*, no change:
21 unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 22 total. 1186 total (169
moderated, 1017 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
June 2, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active_7...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
June 2, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active2_...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
June 2, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.answers
Message-ID: moderate_...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
June 2, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
June 2, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups2...@uunet.uu.net
"Mailing Lists Available in Usenet"
June 2, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,bit.admin,news.answers
Message-ID: gateways_...@uunet.uu.net
These lists make clear the exponential growth had indeed begun. The
fastest pace in 1993 was somewhat over 20 groups per month, matched
in the months leading up to the April 1994 list posting run; but
*these* lists show about 40 groups per month being added.
And David Lawrence finally did remove the lists from the new users'
group, where in my opinion they hadn't belonged for some time. (It
made sense to post them in the new users' group in 1984, when the
group began, or for the next several years, while the total number of
groups remained low; but a list that takes over an hour to read is
unlikely to be as useful to a new user as a pointer to where that
user can find out which groups are actually available to him or her.
Sez me, anyway.)
In the May 23 "New USENET Groups" posting, Lawrence added a list
of groups that had failed their votes to the other lists provided.
From this point, therefore, this posting along with the "Current
Status of USENET Newsgroup Proposals" one provided a complete
summary of news.announce.newgroups's core activity. This does not
change my methods for this phase of this chronology, but will
obviously give me much more flexibility for later phases. (It
may interest people to know that passing votes seem to be *vastly*
more common than failed ones, from here through October 3, 1994.)
Added: comp.arch.arithmetic, comp.emulators.announce,
comp.emulators.apple2, comp.emulators.cbm, comp.emulators.misc,
comp.groupware.lotus-notes.misc, comp.home.automation, comp.mail.pine,
comp.mail.smail, comp.org.cpsr.announce, comp.org.cpsr.talk,
comp.os.ms-windows.apps.comm, comp.os.ms-windows.apps.financial,
comp.os.ms-windows.apps.misc, comp.os.ms-windows.apps.utilities,
comp.os.ms-windows.apps.word-proc, comp.os.ms-windows.networking.misc,
comp.os.ms-windows.networking.tcp-ip,
comp.os.ms-windows.networking.windows,
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.controls,
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.drivers,
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.graphics,
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.memory,
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.misc,
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.multimedia,
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.networks,
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.ole, comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.tools,
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.win32,
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.winhelp, comp.os.ms-windows.video,
comp.publish.prepress, comp.soft-sys.ptolemy,
comp.software.international, comp.sys.acorn.games, comp.sys.amiga.cd32,
misc.creativity, misc.education.science, rec.arts.books.marketplace,
rec.arts.sf.tv.quantum-leap, rec.arts.theatre.misc,
rec.arts.theatre.musicals, rec.arts.theatre.plays,
rec.arts.theatre.stagecraft, rec.arts.tv.mst3k, rec.audio.marketplace,
rec.audio.misc, rec.audio.opinion, rec.audio.tech,
rec.autos.sport.info, rec.autos.sport.nascar, rec.autos.sport.tech,
rec.aviation.questions, rec.food.drink.coffee, rec.games.video.cd32,
rec.music.movies, rec.outdoors.fishing.fly, rec.sport.boxing,
rec.travel.cruises, rec.video.desktop, sci.agriculture.beekeeping,
sci.archaeology.mesoamerican, sci.astro.research,
sci.chem.electrochem, sci.geo.eos, sci.geo.hydrology, sci.mech.fluids,
sci.physics.computational.fluid-dynamics, sci.physics.plasma,
sci.psychology.research, sci.techniques.mag-resonance,
soc.culture.belgium, soc.culture.colombia,
soc.culture.jewish.holocaust, soc.culture.mexican.american,
soc.culture.mongolian, soc.culture.puerto-rico, soc.culture.slovenia,
soc.culture.somalia, soc.history.war.misc,
soc.history.war.world-war-ii.
Removed: rec.autos.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988. rec.games.cyber
remained on this List of Moderators for Usenet despite its absence from
the List of Active Newsgroups, and comp.binaries.newton remained absent
from this List of Moderators for Usenet despite is presence in the List
of Active Newsgroups as a moderated group. As in previous examples,
there are a number of new discrepancies: comp.emulators.announce
(on List of Active Newsgroups, not List of Moderators for Usenet),
and comp.sys.atari.announce, rec.arts.ascii, and rec.sport.cricket.info
(all on List of Moderators for Usenet, not List of Active Newsgroups).
As usual, I stick to the List of Active Newsgroups version in the
summaries below.
comp.compilers.tools.pccts, comp.dcom.sys.cisco,
comp.groupware.lotus-notes.misc, comp.home.misc, comp.mail.pine,
rec.arts.drwho, rec.skiing.nordic, sci.bio.evolution, and
soc.religion.christian.bible-study are all added to the Mailing
Lists Available in Usenet; note that comp.compilers.tools.pccts
had not yet appeared on the List of Active Newsgroups.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.culture.riot-grrrls;
alt.current-events.net-abuse; alt.flame.canter-and-siegel;
alt.folklore.suburban (the moderated counterpart of
alt.folklore.urban); alt.horror.shub-internet; alt.music.nirvana
(this is clearly the list on which the 1990s show up all at once!);
alt.sex.cthulhu; alt.sex.femdom; alt.sports.baseball.fla-marlins
(go, Yankees opponents!); alt.stop.spamming (detecting a trend
here?). I'm no longer noting the oscillations in alt.*, so I
don't know whether the Florida Marlins group was really new to
this list, but I'm pretty sure the others are.
Bruce Becker's alt.* lists appeared in the intervening period on
April 12 and May 6, 1994, with subject lines 'Another listing of
newsgroups in the "alt" hierarchy, Part 1 of 3', '[...] Part 2 of 3',
and '[...] Part 3 of 3'. My search strategy for finding these
listings is to search on his name, and since he stopped signing
part 2 some while back and apparently never signed part 3, I've given
up, as of these two dates, verifying that Google actually has all
parts of each one; sorry.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 416 to 450 unmoderated groups,
from 82 to 84 moderated groups, from 498 to 534 total. In misc.*, from
41 to 43 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated groups, from 49 to 51
total. In news.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 9 moderated
groups, 23 total. In rec.*, from 287 to 307 unmoderated groups, from
32 to 34 moderated groups, from 319 to 341 total. In sci.*, from 85 to
93 unmoderated groups, from 17 to 20 moderated groups, from 102 to 113
total. In soc.*, from 95 to 103 unmoderated groups, from 12 to 14
moderated groups, from 107 to 117 total. In talk.*, no change: 21
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 22 total. 1201 total (170
moderated, 1031 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 52 unmoderated groups, 7
moderated groups, 59 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 66 total (8 moderated, 58 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 468 to 502 unmoderated groups, from 89
to 91 moderated groups, from 557 to 593 total. In misc.*, from 41 to 43
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated groups, from 49 to 51 total.
In news.*, no change: 15 unmoderated groups, 9 moderated groups, 24
total. In rec.*, from 288 to 308 unmoderated groups, from 33 to 35
moderated groups, from 321 to 343 total. In sci.*, from 88 to 96
unmoderated groups, from 17 to 20 moderated groups, from 105 to 116
total. In soc.*, from 96 to 104 unmoderated groups, from 12 to 14
moderated groups, from 108 to 118 total. In talk.*, no change: 21
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 22 total. 1267 total (178
moderated, 1089 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
August 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active_7...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
August 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active2_...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
August 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.answers
Message-ID: moderate_...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
August 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
August 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups2...@uunet.uu.net
"Mailing Lists Available in Usenet"
August 1, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,bit.admin,news.answers
Message-ID: gateways_...@uunet.uu.net
A summer slowdown: not quite 30 groups per month added.
This summer in news.*, there are a number of threads about the inet
groups, in which the most informative answers given revolved around
a not entirely accurate article Rich Salz had posted earlier in the
year. It's clear, from reading the discussions of the distribution
in news.* in 1994, that the controversies of just two years earlier
had been almost totally forgotten, and the distinction no longer
carried meaning to most posters.
Ironically, it may be that the intermarriage of the Internet with
Usenet that was central to inet's self-presentation is also what
ultimately doomed it, and that an inet group was instrumental in
that doom. Rich Salz began writing a new Usenet server package
in 1990, which he published as INN in 1992. INN has always come
with a sample file indicating how to handle control messages such
as newgroups and rmgroups, called control.ctl, and in its earlier
versions, this file's instructions included automatic execution of
any newgroup sent by David Lawrence, but treated newgroups sent by
Erik Fair the same as those sent by anyone else. Over time, this
almost certainly led to a situation in which inet groups were at a
material disadvantage in propagation, and among precisely the sites
inet had originally targeted, those whose news came via the
Internet. (The earlier versions of INN can be found at
<ftp://ftp.isc.org/isc/inn/OLD/>.)
The inet distribution had always uneasily married three core
characteristics: a preference for a group creation system driven
by the wise, not the many; a belief that group creation (and
removal) should be less cumbersome than the Big 7 system made it;
and an effort to link Usenet newsgroups with Internet mailing
lists, ostensibly targeted specifically at Internet-connected
sites. Neither in 1987 nor at any time since was there any obvious,
inherent, link between these three traits. If the INN defaults did,
in fact, do inet in, the third trait is in fact what did the deed;
because INN stands for InterNet News, and was in origin the first
server optimised for use of the Internet to transmit posts. And
news.software.nntp - an inet group, and by some claims the only
inet group created without a mailing list behind it, as a banner of
inet's focus on Internet traffic - is where Rich Salz announced
his program, found his beta testers, and provided advice to his
users.
It isn't shown on the 1994 lists, but by year's end, the promotion
of news.software.nntp to regular Big 7 status was on its way.
There is a post archived at Google in which Bill Bogstad, who had
been one of the more vocal critics of inet in the early 1990s, lays
out something approximating the combination of reasons for inet's
decline that I offered in this post and the last one, though his
post is a reply to Dave Hayes so he overlays these with conspiracy-
theory jokes. See "Thank you Rich Salz and company", November 15,
1993, to news.groups, news.admin.policy, news.admin.misc and
alt.culture.usenet, message-ID <2c89n9$r...@blaze.cs.jhu.edu>.
Last archived posts about the inet groups by the four people I've
found who claimed at least some responsibility for them:
Erik Fair: October 28, 1994, to bit.listserv.netnews-l,
message-ID <15027.7...@apple.com>; last post not to a
mailing list gateway, the manifesto already mentioned in the 1990
post, <45...@apple.Apple.COM> October 10, 1990.
Michael Berch: June 23, 1993, to bit.listserv.lstsrv-l,
message-ID <930624002...@presto.ig.com>; last post not to a
mailing list gateway, February 1, 1993, to news.admin.policy,
message-ID <Jan.31.21.45...@net.bio.net>.
Eliot Lear: January 17, 1994, to news.groups, message-ID
<CJrJB...@odin.corp.sgi.com>.
David Herron: May 25, 1989, to comp.sys.amiga, message-ID
<11...@s.ms.uky.edu>.
Added: comp.ai.alife, comp.arch.fpga, comp.compilers.tools.pccts,
comp.dcom.cabling, comp.edu.languages.natural,
comp.emulators.ms-windows.wine, comp.infosystems.kiosks,
comp.infosystems.www.misc, comp.infosystems.www.providers,
comp.infosystems.www.users, comp.lang.mumps, comp.os.chorus,
comp.os.parix, comp.parallel.mpi, comp.sys.amiga.networking,
comp.sys.amiga.uucp, comp.sys.atari.announce,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.advocacy, comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.games,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.misc, comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.music,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.tech, comp.sys.sgi.audio,
misc.education.home-school.christian, misc.education.home-school.misc,
misc.education.medical, misc.transport.urban-transit, rec.arts.ascii,
rec.arts.comics.creative, rec.arts.movies.production,
rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan, rec.games.deckmaster.marketplace,
rec.games.roguelike.moria, rec.games.roguelike.nethack,
rec.games.roguelike.rogue, rec.gardens.orchids, rec.gardens.roses,
rec.outdoors.fishing.saltwater, rec.photo.advanced,
rec.photo.darkroom, rec.photo.help, rec.photo.marketplace,
rec.photo.misc, rec.sport.baseball.analysis, rec.sport.baseball.data,
rec.sport.cricket.info, rec.travel.asia, rec.travel.europe,
rec.travel.misc, rec.travel.usa-canada, sci.aeronautics.simulation,
sci.chem.labware, sci.electronics.cad, soc.culture.berber,
soc.culture.cuba, soc.org.nonprofit, soc.org.service-clubs.misc,
soc.religion.christian.youth-work, soc.religion.gnosis,
soc.support.transgendered.
Added by promotion from inet: comp.windows.x.announce.
Removed: comp.os.os2.networking, comp.os.os2.ver1x, rec.skiing,
rec.sport.cricket.scores.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988. rec.games.cyber
remained on this List of Moderators for Usenet despite its absence from
the List of Active Newsgroups. But all the other discrepancies between
the two lists were cleared up in this posting run.
comp.infosystems.kiosks, comp.lang.mumps, misc.transport.urban-transit,
rec.arts.marching.drumcorps, and soc.org.nonprofit are added to the
Mailing Lists Available in Usenet, but soc.roots is removed from it.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.aquaria.killies; several alt.drugs.*
groups; a bunch of groups about O. J. Simpson; alt.graffiti (holy cow;
I hadn't realised there *was* a natural second-level alt.* topic
left...); alt.internet.media-coverage; alt.religion.buddhism.tibetan
(I think this is only the second mainstream religion in this sub-
hierarchy; oh, but ar.mormon and ar.zoroastrianism are coincident...);
alt.sex.masterbation (so whatever Lawrence's criteria for group
addition were at this time, non-duplication and well-spelled names
don't seem to have been among them...); alt.tarot (another natural
for second level in alt.*?); alt.tv.real-world (who knew what was to
come?). Noteworthy removal: yes, I know I said I'd stop listing the
oscillations, but alt.culture.riot-grrrls, that very timely group, was
delisted after one appearance... alt.america.online was delisted, but
alt.aol-sucks and alt.aol.rejects were added. And a bunch of
basketball teams' groups were delisted while a bunch of football teams'
were added, which would fit a seasonal pattern for the US; I'm
beginning to get the sense that Lawrence was, in fact, now basing his
choices on traffic alone, and traffic measured in short intervals at
that.
Bruce Becker's alt.* lists appeared in the intervening period on
June 8 and July 5, 1994, with subject lines 'Another listing of
newsgroups in the "alt" hierarchy, Part 1 of 3', '[...] Part 2 of 3',
and '[...] Part 3 of 3'.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 450 to 469 unmoderated groups,
from 84 to 87 moderated groups, from 534 to 556 total. In misc.*, from
43 to 47 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated groups, from 51 to 55
total. In news.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 9 moderated
groups, 23 total. In rec.*, from 307 to 326 unmoderated groups, from
34 to 36 moderated groups, from 341 to 362 total. In sci.*, from 93 to
95 unmoderated groups, from 20 to 21 moderated groups, from 113 to 116
total. In soc.*, from 103 to 108 unmoderated groups, from 14 to 16
moderated groups, from 117 to 124 total. In talk.*, no change: 21
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 22 total. 1258 total (178
moderated, 1080 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, from 52 to 52 unmoderated groups, from 7
to 6 moderated groups, from 59 to 58 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change:
1 unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. 65 total (7
moderated, 58 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 502 to 521 unmoderated groups, from 91
to 93 moderated groups, from 593 to 614 total. In misc.*, from 43 to 47
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 8 moderated groups, from 51 to 55 total.
In news.*, no change: 15 unmoderated groups, 9 moderated groups, 24
total. In rec.*, from 308 to 327 unmoderated groups, from 35 to 37
moderated groups, from 343 to 364 total. In sci.*, from 96 to 98
unmoderated groups, from 20 to 21 moderated groups, from 116 to 119
total. In soc.*, from 104 to 109 unmoderated groups, from 14 to 16
moderated groups, from 118 to 125 total. In talk.*, no change: 21
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 22 total. 1323 total (185
moderated, 1138 unmoderated).
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part I"
October 3, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active_7...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Active Newsgroups, Part II"
October 3, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: active2_...@uunet.uu.net
"List of Moderators for Usenet"
October 3, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.answers
Message-ID: moderate_...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part I"
October 3, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups...@uunet.uu.net
"Alternative Newsgroup Hierarchies, Part II"
October 3, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,news.answers
Message-ID: altgroups2...@uunet.uu.net
"Mailing Lists Available in Usenet"
October 3, 1994
news.lists,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,bit.admin,news.answers
Message-ID: gateways_...@uunet.uu.net
And with the rest of the summer, back down to 20/month.
Added: comp.bbs.majorbbs, comp.cad.autocad, comp.databases.olap,
comp.internet.net-happenings, comp.lang.asm.x86, comp.lang.beta,
comp.protocols.kermit.announce, comp.protocols.kermit.misc,
comp.protocols.smb, comp.sys.amstrad.8bit,
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.marketplace, comp.sys.mac.programmer.codewarrior,
misc.kids.consumers, misc.kids.health, misc.kids.info,
misc.kids.pregnancy, misc.news.bosnia, misc.survivalism,
rec.antiques.radio+phono, rec.arts.books.childrens,
rec.autos.sport.f1, rec.autos.sport.indy, rec.autos.sport.misc,
rec.aviation.ultralight, rec.boats.racing, rec.collecting.coins,
rec.crafts.marketplace, rec.crafts.textiles.misc,
rec.crafts.textiles.needlework, rec.crafts.textiles.quilting,
rec.crafts.textiles.sewing, rec.crafts.textiles.yarn,
rec.food.preserving, rec.music.bluenote.blues, rec.music.tori-amos,
rec.sport.billiard, rec.video.satellite.dbs, rec.video.satellite.misc,
rec.video.satellite.tvro, sci.astro.amateur, sci.crypt.research,
sci.geo.oceanography, sci.geo.petroleum, sci.materials.ceramics,
sci.med.immunology, sci.med.transcription, soc.culture.cambodia,
soc.culture.ecuador, soc.culture.nigeria, soc.culture.punjab,
soc.culture.quebec, soc.history.living, soc.history.science,
soc.religion.unitarian-univ.
Removed: comp.infosystems.www, comp.os.ms-windows.apps,
comp.protocols.kermit, comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard, rec.arts.theatre,
rec.audio, rec.games.hack, rec.games.moria, rec.games.rogue,
rec.travel.
comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway and comp.security.announce were only
partly listed on this List of Moderators for Usenet, as described (in re
a post titled List of Moderators) under June 1, 1988. rec.games.cyber
remained on this List of Moderators for Usenet despite its absence from
the List of Active Newsgroups.
comp.cad.autocad, comp.os.linux.admin, comp.os.linux.announce,
comp.os.linux.development, comp.os.linux.help, comp.os.linux.misc,
comp.windows.x.announce, rec.arts.startrek.reviews,
sci.aeronautics.airliners, sci.econ.research, soc.culture.nepal,
soc.feminism, and soc.history.science are added to the Mailing Lists
Available in Usenet.
Noteworthy additions to alt.*: alt.animals.felines; alt.anonymous;
alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc, beginning that sub-sub-hierarchy;
alt.comp.shareware; alt.disasters.{aviation|earthquake|misc},
showing alt.* organising its current events tasks;
alt.games.ultima.dragons. The oscillations, of course, continued.
Bruce Becker's alt.* lists appeared in the intervening period on
August 4, September 5, and October 3, 1994, with subject lines 'Another
listing of newsgroups in the "alt" hierarchy, Part 1 of 3', '[...] Part
2 of 3', and '[...] Part 3 of 3'.
Summary for the Big 7: In comp.*, from 469 to 476 unmoderated groups,
from 87 to 88 moderated groups, from 556 to 564 total. In misc.*, from
47 to 51 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 10 moderated groups, from 55 to
61 total. In news.*, no change: 14 unmoderated groups, 9 moderated
groups, 23 total. In rec.*, from 326 to 341 unmoderated groups, from
36 to 36 moderated groups, from 362 to 377 total. In sci.*, from 95 to
101 unmoderated groups, from 21 to 22 moderated groups, from 116 to 123
total. In soc.*, from 108 to 115 unmoderated groups, from 16 to 17
moderated groups, from 124 to 132 total. In talk.*, no change: 21
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 22 total. 1302 total (183
moderated, 1119 unmoderated).
Summary for inet: In comp.*, no change: 52 unmoderated groups, 6
moderated groups, 58 total. In news.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3 unmoderated groups,
0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1 unmoderated group,
0 moderated groups, 1 total. 65 total (7 moderated, 58 unmoderated).
Overall summary: In comp.*, from 521 to 528 unmoderated groups, from 93
to 94 moderated groups, from 614 to 622 total. In misc.*, from 47 to 51
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 10 moderated groups, from 55 to 61 total.
In news.*, no change: 15 unmoderated groups, 9 moderated groups, 24
total. In rec.*, from 327 to 342 unmoderated groups, from 37 to 37
moderated groups, from 364 to 379 total. In sci.*, from 98 to 104
unmoderated groups, from 21 to 22 moderated groups, from 119 to 126
total. In soc.*, from 109 to 116 unmoderated groups, from 16 to 17
moderated groups, from 125 to 133 total. In talk.*, no change: 21
unmoderated groups, 1 moderated group, 22 total. 1367 total (190
moderated, 1177 unmoderated).
This is the last newsgroup list/moderator list set known to me posted in
1994. This is also the date of the last "Alternative Newsgroup
Hierarchies" of the year. It includes probably 1281 alt.* groups (up
from 617 at year-end 1993), 64 bionet.* groups (up from 47), 234 bit.*
groups (up from 205), 40 biz.* groups (up from 35), 315 clari.* groups
(up from 228), 28 gnu.* groups (unchanged), eleven hepnet.* groups
(unchanged), twelve ieee.* groups (unchanged), 65 inet groups (down
from 66), two ddn.* groups (unchanged), 39 info.* groups (down from
40), 36 k12.* groups (unchanged), 103 relcom.* groups (up from 94),
five u3b.* groups (unchanged), and 36 vmsnet.* groups (up from 35), for
a total of probably 2271 (up from 1461).
For comparison, Bruce Becker's post of October 3 claims 1842 active
groups and 599 aliases in alt.*.
This is the earliest date for the last newsgroup list of a year
since the lists began, earlier even than the October 19 of 1992's
last list posting run. So I refer you to the 1992 post for a
reminder that these posts are summaries of the lists, and not
meant to reflect reality; I'm well aware that the annual summaries
below don't represent the state of affairs as of December 31, 1994.
For what it's worth, there was a posting run on January 1, 1995,
and anyone who wants to can certainly do similar summaries for
themselves; I've probably described methods clearly enough... Or
you can wish for my life to become what it should have been for
the past year, so I can proceed with this project. Up to you.
For those of you who find this attitude irksome, I will note that
alt.support.short, one of the three alt.support.* groups I've
frequented, is shown only on Bruce Becker's October 3, 1994 list,
not on David Lawrence's, and only with two posts in its history;
while the one y'all might most easily have predicted, alt.support.ocd,
is not yet listed. 1995 is the year in which I returned to Usenet,
and I'm just as interested in getting to it as any reader could be.
Annual summary: IN THE BIG SEVEN: In comp.*, from 395 to 476
unmoderated groups, from 76 to 88 moderated groups, from 471 to 564
total. In misc.*, from 37 to 51 unmoderated groups, from 6 to 10
moderated groups, from 43 to 61 total. In news.*, from 13 to 14
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 9 moderated groups, from 21 to 23 total.
In rec.*, from 262 to 341 unmoderated groups, from 30 to 36 moderated
groups, from 292 to 377 total. In sci.*, from 71 to 101 unmoderated
groups, from 14 to 22 moderated groups, from 85 to 123 total. In soc.*,
from 92 to 115 unmoderated groups, from 10 to 17 moderated groups, from
102 to 132 total. In talk.*, from 21 to 21 unmoderated groups, from 1
to 1 moderated group, from 22 to 22 total. Total, from 891 to 1119
unmoderated groups, from 145 to 183 moderated groups, from 1036 to 1302
total.
IN INET: In comp.*, from 52 to 52 unmoderated groups, from 7 to 6
moderated groups, from 59 to 58 total. In news.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. In rec.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 1 moderated group, 2 total. In sci.*, no change: 3
unmoderated groups, 0 moderated groups, 3 total. In soc.*, no change: 1
unmoderated group, 0 moderated groups, 1 total. Total, from 58 to 58
unmoderated groups, from 8 to 7 moderated groups, from 66 to 65 total.
OVER ALL: In comp.*, from 447 to 528 unmoderated groups, from 83 to 94
moderated groups, from 530 to 622 total. In misc.*, from 37 to 51
unmoderated groups, from 6 to 10 moderated groups, from 43 to 61 total.
In news.*, from 14 to 15 unmoderated groups, from 8 to 9 moderated
groups, from 22 to 24 total. In rec.*, from 263 to 342 unmoderated
groups, from 31 to 37 moderated groups, from 294 to 379 total. In
sci.*, from 74 to 104 unmoderated groups, from 14 to 22 moderated groups,
from 88 to 126 total. In soc.*, from 93 to 116 unmoderated groups, from
10 to 17 moderated groups, from 103 to 133 total. In talk.*, from 21 to
21 unmoderated groups, from 1 to 1 moderated groups, from 22 to 22
total. Total, from 949 to 1177 unmoderated groups, from 153 to 190
moderated groups, from 1102 to 1367 total.