Subject: CALL FOR DISCUSSION: Alternate strategies for tv show newsgroups
From: mrapple@quack.sac.ca.us (Nick Sayer)
Date: 1990-11-19, 00:26
Newsgroups: news.groups,alt.tv.simpsons,alt.tv.tiny-toon,alt.tv.twin-peaks,rec.arts.tv,news.announce.newgroups

There has been a lot of discussion, and a few calls for votes lately
concerning newsgroups about currently running television programs.
It is usually the case that when these groups are created, their
relevance and traffic disappears when these shows are taken off
the air, or when people lose interest.

Usually, when a rec group about a TV show is created, one of the main
reasons given is that the associated alt.tv.* group receives poor
propogation because of its placement in alt. Creating any tv show
group under rec implies a long-term presence, like rec.arts.startrek.
Most tv shows just don't last.

alt.tv is part of alt, and there are lots of sites that refuse to carry
alt. Again, that usually results in a call for a new group under
rec.arts.tv.

Creating a new hierarchy just for tv shows would be overkill, and
undoubtedly would also suffer from poor propogation.

None of these solutions is particularly good. Perhaps increased
propogation of alt.tv.* would solve the whole problem, but
that seems unlikely.

I don't have an answer. it would be useful, however, to discuss
this matter, IMHO.

-- Nick Sayer | Disclaimer: "Don't try this at home, | RIP: Mel Blanc mrapple@quack.sac.ca.us | kids. This should only be done by | 1908-1989 N6QQQ [44.2.1.17] | trained, professional idiots." | May he never 209-952-5347 (Telebit) | --Plucky Duck | be silenced.