From: Christopher Croughton <crough45 AT amc DOT de>
Message-Id: <98Mar20.091541gmt.27777@internet01.amc.de>
Subject: Re: DR-DOS Newsgroup????
To: opendos AT delorie DOT com
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 08:17:02 +0000
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Dean Dancey <dtwo AT sympatico DOT ca> wrote:

> I would really like to know why nobody has tried to setup a newsgroup
> for DR-DOS.  It would really make troubleshooting so much easier.

Have you ever tried to set up a newsgroup, especially in the "Big 8"
(of which comp.* is a part)?  It takes months, you need at least two RFDs
("Requests For Discussion") posted to news.groups via the correct channels,
then several months of discussion (with everyone and his dog trying to
knock the idea down), then a CFV ("Call For Votes") which has to pass 
with at least 100 'yes' votes and (I think) at least 50 more 'yes' than 
'no' votes.

There are very few new newsgroups which make it that far...

Setting it up in alt.* is easier, but if you want any reputable ISPs to
carry it you'll have to do a similar process (alt.config instead of 
news.groups for the discussion of whether to create it, I think), 
otherwise you'll find it's limited to just a few sites.  And many major 
sites don't take alt.* at all on policy.

One of the things that will be asked in the discussion is "why don't you 
use a mailing list instead?"  And they'll ask about the level of traffic
on the mailing list - five posts a week (the current traffic) would be
grounds for /removing/ a newsgroup!  Typically they expect traffic levels
of 20 or so messages per day average to justify a newsgroup as a minimum,
and this mailing list hasn't had that much traffic for ages (if at all).
I mean, someone just posted "Haven't received any mail lately, is the 
list up and running?" which was the only message on the list for about a
week - that's not going to impress anyone that a newsgroup is needed...

> We could even go as far as calling it OTHERDOS to include versions of
> DOS other than just MS.  My last test with DRDOS was great for a
> week---then crash freeze, crash etc.  Yet I STILL did not have to format
> or reformat my HD and I lost NO info.  Funny how flippantly gurus just
> tell people to "just reformat and re-install Win 95".  -Dean Dancey

I don't.  I tell people to reformat their disk and install an operating
system, one which doesn't mention 'Windows' at all...

Chris C