From: gfoot AT mc31 DOT merton DOT ox DOT ac DOT uk (George Foot) Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp Subject: Re: c.o.m.djgpp retro-moderated? Date: 3 Mar 1997 01:09:07 GMT Organization: Oxford University Lines: 45 Message-ID: <5fd8bj$t4n@news.ox.ac.uk> References: <199703022040 DOT PAA22429 AT delorie DOT com> NNTP-Posting-Host: mc31.merton.ox.ac.uk To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com DJ-Gateway: from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp DJ Delorie (dj AT delorie DOT com) wrote: : Is anyone interested in discussing the idea of switching the : comp.os.msdos.djgpp newsgroup from "unmoderated" to "retro-moderated" : status? Basically, this means that the retro-moderators (chosen by : the group) would have the authority to cancel any post for any reason : if they feel that such posts are not in line with the group's charter : (or if they just feel like it). This sounds like a good idea; how would it affect the mailing list, though? Presumably it wouldn't, unless all the messages are routed through moderators. Yuck. However, this change would require a formal RFD, CFV, etc in news.groups, would it not? IMHO the moderators should, in most cases, let the authors know why their posts are cancelled; otherwise this group would get a bad reputation. : While the c.o.m.djgpp newsgroup (and corresponding mailing list) has a : fairly high quality, There have been a number of lengthy off-topic : threads (below) that I personally feel should not have happened on : this forum. Switching to retro-moderated would have allowed someone : to simply cancel those posts, or re-posted them on the appropriate : group, effectively terminating the thread. How strict would the rules be? Would the threads about general C/C++ syntax remain? These seem to account for a lot of the traffic here, and would probably be better placed in one of the general language newsgroups. Is there any legitimate reason why anyone should cross-post to or from this group? I can't think of any reason off-hand. If this group became retro- moderated, some form of robo-moderator could perhaps be set up, cancelling these threads. : As for the usual censorship argument, let me remind you all that : moderation and retro-moderation don't stop posts, they only stop posts : in the wrong groups. : DJ -- George Foot Merton College, Oxford.