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Date:      Mon, 19 Feb 1996 10:36:40 -0800
From:      "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@time.cdrom.com>
To:        Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org>
Cc:        phk@critter.tfs.com (Poul-Henning Kamp), hackers@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   Re: News group split time? 
Message-ID:  <20953.824755000@time.cdrom.com>
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Mon, 19 Feb 1996 11:09:58 MST." <199602191809.LAA13038@phaeton.artisoft.com> 

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> Uh, you don't think that using the trademark in the news group right
> after the settlement that resulted in Net/2 being banned was the act
> of madmen?

That's not the issue.  The newsgroup was named by the infamous USENET
cabal, the usual collection of crazies who have dedicated themselves
and their lives (such as they are) to out-shouting everyone else when
it comes to naming things.  Since they also have the infinite amounts
of time and vitriol only available to those who are over 30, have no
jobs and still live with their parents, they win.

Given that the cost of winning against them is as high as it is and
the fact that nobody outside of the CABAL really *cares* as much as
they do about such silly trivia, we also let them.

In other words, yes, they're madmen but what's your point? :-)

> Why does Linux get their own hierarchy?

See above comments about people with enough free time and disregard
for quality of life to champion such things.  Some of the most
die-hard Linux fans are distinguishable from the USENET cabal only by
the fact that they wear different T-shirts at conventions.  The amount
of spittle flying during their oratories is about the same.  I think
the Linux fans also had the presence of mind to register early, before
the reorg, then shout down the CABAL when it suggested a renaming.
No mean feat, actually.

I'm not saying that having one's own hierarchy isn't necessarily a
good marketing tool, mind you, and there's gotta be SOME reason that
BYTE gave me 2 pages and Linux 8 (see Feb. issue of BYTE) but short of
swimming in the same sewer for long enough to gain the "respect" of
the CABAL, I really don't see what we can do about it.

In a field of steaming fresh cow manure, the man with no nostrils
is king! :-)

					Jordan



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