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Re: List of active (used) groups

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Koen Martens <gmc@metro.cx> wrote:
>Steve Bonine <spb@pobox.com> wrote:
>>Marco Moock wrote:

>>>Some time ago we created a getting started guide for setting up 
>>>newsgroup access.
>>>https://www.big-8.org/wiki/Getting_Started_with_Usenet

>>>I would like to extend that with a list of active groups, e.g. groups 
>>>that received new posts in the last year etc.

>>>Is there an easy way for server operators to create such statistics?

>>There is a basic flaw here. "New posts" does not equate to "useful".

>But it at least tells you which if the tens of thousands of groups you
>could check out to find active discussions. Sure, you'll get false
>positives, but it narrows things significantly.

Again: This is would-be advice to new users. These statistics may be of
interest to experienced users and News administrators, it will give new
users the wrong impression.

Again: This will lead a new user to seemingly active *.politics.*
groups, which consist not of worthwhile discussion, but of articles
reposted from the Web (not an example of Usenet discussion), trolling,
and flame wars that have lasted for years. No new user unprepared for a
flame war should be directed to such a group.

This is part of Marco's ongoing purge of Usenet newsgroups by actively
discouraging anyone from even thinking about posting to an inactive
newsgroup. Just the other day, Marco actively discouraged a new user fro
subscribing to and reading *.fan.* groups. The new user saw some group
names that appealed to him.

A new user needs to be told that it can be up to him to start
discussion. He may post on topic in a group that's lacked discussion for
a while, but that act could get discussion going. Inactive groups still
have subscribers.

Attempting to start an on topic discussion is the right thing to do.
Marco's act of discouraging reading and posting is the wrong thing to
do.

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List of active (used) groups Marco Moock <mm@dorfdsl.de> - 2026-06-20 10:51 +0200
  Re: List of active (used) groups Thomas Hochstein <thh@thh.name> - 2026-06-20 11:46 +0200
  Re: List of active (used) groups "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> - 2026-06-20 15:00 +0000
    Re: List of active (used) groups pschleck@panix.com (Paul W. Schleck) - 2026-06-23 12:31 +0000
      Re: List of active (used) groups Steve Bonine <spb@pobox.com> - 2026-06-23 18:28 -0500
        Re: List of active (used) groups pschleck@panix.com (Paul W. Schleck) - 2026-06-24 03:46 +0000
          Re: List of active (used) groups Steve Bonine <spb@pobox.com> - 2026-06-25 17:56 -0500
  Re: List of active (used) groups gmc@metro.cx (Koen Martens) - 2026-06-20 17:22 +0000
    Re: List of active (used) groups gmc@metro.cx (Koen Martens) - 2026-06-20 17:31 +0000
      Re: List of active (used) groups Marco Moock <mm@dorfdsl.de> - 2026-06-20 21:18 +0200
      Re: List of active (used) groups Marco Moock <mm@dorfdsl.de> - 2026-06-20 21:28 +0200
        Re: List of active (used) groups gmc@metro.cx (Koen Martens) - 2026-06-21 06:59 +0000
  Re: List of active (used) groups Steve Bonine <spb@pobox.com> - 2026-06-22 10:16 -0500
    Re: List of active (used) groups gmc@metro.cx (Koen Martens) - 2026-06-22 17:50 +0000
      Re: List of active (used) groups "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> - 2026-06-22 18:23 +0000
  Re: List of active (used) groups pschleck@panix.com (Paul W. Schleck) - 2026-06-23 13:02 +0000
    Re: List of active (used) groups Marco Moock <mm@dorfdsl.de> - 2026-06-23 15:12 +0200
      Re: List of active (used) groups Thomas Hochstein <thh@thh.name> - 2026-07-05 12:23 +0200

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