Format proposal for this list

[utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!unix-wizards]

>From decvax!duke!ucf!whm at Berkeley Sun Nov  1 03:16:58 1981
If someone else has suggested this and I missed it, a thousand pardons
for the redundancy.

In recent days there has been renewed interest in ways to reduce the volume
of mail on this list.  Most suggestions have been either to split the
list into several lists, or to digestify the list.

Splitting the list seems to only complicate the matter as most people (I think)
would subscribe to all of the new lists, but then one would have to decide
which list an item should go to.

Digestifying the list has problems of reduced turnaround, finding someone to
do it, and avoiding editoral menace.

I propose a Unix-wizards list and a Unix digest.  Things like how-to questions,
queries for software, replies to questions would go to the list.  The digest
could be used to handle more verbose topics such as the recent discussions
on setuid bits, groups, mail systems, origins of "Unix" and "rc".

All topics would probably start by going to the list and then if much
discussion cropped up, the person(s) participating in the discussion
could send to the digest.

Obviously, the digest would have the problems that any digest faces
with finding an editor and increased turnaround time for a message.  However,
if the discussion type items went to the digest, it would definitely cut
down on the number of messages that a given person gets, and perhaps it
would encourage more discussion on relevant topics without burdening
people that "don't have the time" to sort through 30-40 messages everyday.

Comments?

Bill Mitchell, Univ. of Central Florida