How many people read news -- preliminary results

[tpdcvax!bobvan]

People have responded to my query with two different numbers: a raw
count of /usr/lib/news/users, and also a more "accurate" number.
This second number is usually derived from modify times on ~/.newsrc
or the news manager's "gut feeling." Here are the sites that have
reported in so far:

site wc users "accurate"
==== ======== ==========
tpdcvax 32 15
ittapp 44
ittvax 52 50
decwrl 9
floyd 87
eagle 15
u1100a 6
machaids 18
ariel 34
lime 29
houxe 23
houxg 53
cwruemp 21
burdvax 45
microsof 30
harpo 84 40
zeppo 30
hocda 24
utcsrgv 165
rochester 48

Now for the numbers you've all been waiting for. The average size of
/usr/lib/news/users is about 50. The average of the more "accurate"
figures is about 28. Multiplying these by 366 sites (from the last
map published), we get 18,300 and 10,248 net news readers.

****DISCLAIMER**** I have given the raw data and done the obvious
calculations. There is still a TREMENDOUS margin for error. Only 5
percent of the sites have reported in so far. The sites that have
reported are probably the most active, so the sample data is skewed. I
estimate that these figures are only accurate to within +/- 3 dB,
perhaps as poor as +/- 6 dB. The figures are more likely high than
low. I understand that some sites (Indian Hill) print netnews and
distribute hardcopy. This means that netnews could have a "readership"
significantly larger than its "circulation." (People who print these
"newspapers": please tell me now many copies you print each day.)

I will update my results as new information comes in.

Thanks to all who've contributed so far,

Bob Van Valzah
(...!decvax!ittvax!tpdcvax!bobvan)

[mitccc!jfw]

Not knowing if my direct reply got through, we have 28 netnews readers by WC,
27 in actual fact (one username was duplicated twice in 'users'!).