Interesting People mailing list archives
IP: More on Netcom Removal of alt.* Newsgroups
From: Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>
Date: Wed, 03 Jan 1996 02:24:24 -0500
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 20:54:52 -0600 From: shaynes () research westlaw com (Steve Haynes) To: farber () central cis upenn edu Dave - Brendan Kehoe wrote: ---------------------Forwarded Mail----------------------------- Date: Tue, 02 Jan 1996 11:15:09 -0800 From: Brendan Kehoe <brendan () zen org> From a friend who works for Netcom: ------- Forwarded Message I can't imagine where people get these ideas. #1. you can sign up for any newsgroup you like using the software. you simply type in the name. #2. NETCOM removed a bunch of newsgroups from the list in September or late August to get the stuff to fit on one disk. #3. NETCOM provides a search service to allow you to search for any newsgroup via a web page. Not a problem. Never has been a problem. Folks make up stuff. ----------------------End Forwarded Mail------------------------- After having read several disputations of my assertion that Netcom has censored alt.* newsgroups, I conclude I should have made clear in my original message that I have a NetCruiser account (not a shell account, where there apparently is no problem). With a NetCruiser account (which is updated by online downloads, not via diskettes, so limitations applicable to diskettes do not apply), #2 is definitely the case. For those of us having had NetCruiser for more than a year, Netcom for all intents and purposes _deleted_ the alt.* listings during a downloaded update. As to #s 1 & 3, the latter is certainly true, but to achieve #1 requires the user (in NetCruiser) _manually_ entering the newsgroup name each time he/she wishes to sign on (you can't add it to your list of "subscriptions," so far as I've been able to determine). For unsophisticated users, this, added to the "apparent" unavailability because they are not listed on Netcom's list of "subscribable" newsgroups, is in effect censorship as far as I'm concerned. Why remove alt.* groups from the listing, but not others, if not based on the presumption that they contain less "proper" material than other groups? Consider it interpretation and opinion, if you will. Steve
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- IP: More on Netcom Removal of alt.* Newsgroups Dave Farber (Jan 02)