NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/sci/physics/21730

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-24 | 4.1 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!bu.edu!nntp-read!merritt
From: [e-mail] (Sean Merritt)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Re: Reluctant call moder(and sci.physics.research-NOT!)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 24 Dec 92 16:51:37 GMT
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
    <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Organization: Boston University Physics Department
Lines: 76
In-reply-to: [e-mail]'s message of 24 Dec 92 07:41:21 GMT

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Cameron Randale Bass) writes:

   In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (John Perry) writes:
   >[e-mail] (Sean Merritt) writes:
   >
   >> When I was a grad student the department set aside a class room for
   >> tutoring undergrads. When times were slow we go to the chalk board
   >> and "play" with physics and I learned more from my fellow grad
   >> students at that chalkboard than I did from any Prof. When
   >> undergrads did come they too were interested in what we were discussing.
   >> I see this group more like the chalk board in that classroom
   >> than a "public restroom wall.". I also see no need for the
   >> creation of another group as I feel USENET is already too
   >> diluted by schisms. Most new groups are created because a
   >> certain sect wants to silence others. On the rare happy occasion
   >> a new gorup is created to accomadte a truly new subject of
   >> interest. I believe that your "middle ground" exist in the
   >> minds of many of the readers in this group already.
   >
   >This is one of the more sensible points made in this newsgroup in a long
   >time. I suggest everyone consider its contents.

%    The only problem is that the local Moose Lodge has sent over
%    the 50 man tag-drinking team right after an important match.
%    They've stolen all the chalk and are eating the erasers.
%    The professors are cowering in their offices, the grad students
%    have wandered off in search of the beer, and the undergrads
%    left in the room are filling out applications to join the Lodge.
%
%                 dale bass

Let's face it, this new call is to censure a few individuals. If the
sci.physics.research is to be moderated by Mr. Stale(jokes) Cameloon Bass
I should strongly oppose it's creation. My comments were of a serious nature
and this proposal should be dicussed with that  decorum in mind.

There is no hinderence of the exchange of ideas or communication of
facts here for those who have decent News-reading software.
With a program that allows you to view all subjects in a newsgroup
one need not read what he finds uninteresting. Further more one
particularly offensive individual from the start said he would not
resopnd to artciles without a certain title. Yet many of those
who are calling for the new group(whom I contend were "provoked"
to do so by said un-named individual) responded repeatedly
to that "Crackpot". If nobody had responded he would have "dried-up
and blown away". I contend that is these people (whom Mr. Bass
is one have created this Frankenstien). And now since they are
softwarily-challenged or too damn lazy to excercise their own
personal judgement they are calling for the creation of a group
which I think will be nothing more than a "mutual admiration
society" and consequently rather boring.

Still if there is a sincere desire to create useful new media
of exchange consider this counter-proposal:

Create not one but several unmoderated groups based on the
the divisions of Phyics as done Physical Review(A,B,C,D).

This seems much more likely to succeed and much more equitable.

I formally call for the creation of unmoderated groups:

sci.physrev.a
sci.physrev.b
sci.physrev.c
sci.physrev.d

And instead of a moderator each group have a keeper of a FAQ file
to be posted monthly.


-sjm
--
Sean J. Merritt                 | "Every revolt is a cry of innocence
Dept of Physics Boston University|  and an appeal to the essence of being."
[e-mail]             | Albert Camus, The Rebel