[Coco] Re: UseNet *"Bit.Listserv.CoCo"* NewsGroup elimination

[John E. Malmberg]

Dennis Bathory-Kitsz wrote:
> 
> I'm confused. I don't think I've ever seen a newsgroup actually eliminated.

I have no idea if any have actually been eliminated.  There is in the 
news server protocols the ability to create and remove newsgroups.

> How exactly will the bit.* groups actually be eliminated?

All the designated owner of the hierarchy has to do is issue the 
message.  And if the other newservers choose to operate on it, the 
newsgroup is gone.  In practice it probably happens very rarely.

As their is little authentication in the protocol, it is likely that a 
removal request might be treated with suspicion, and not acted on until 
the news server operator received some sort of confirmation, or had 
monitored no new posts for a period of time.  As I do not personally 
operate a news server, I do not know some of the operational details.


The bit.listserv.* newsgroups are under the control of a single 
organization.

I looked up my previous post to this list, and checked the web pages. 
Nothing has changed.

The bit.* newsgroups are under the sole control of newsadmin.com.

http://newsadmin.com/bit/bit.htm

They apparently took them over when the previous owner of the hierarchy 
gave them up.

While apparently it is preferred that a bitnet member be operating the 
mailing list, it is not an absolute requirement.

A post just showed up on bit.listserv.coco that confirmed that 
newsadmin.com is the apparent owner of the bit.* newsgroups.

Based on the history that they seem to want to preserve history, my 
guess is that they would not be quick on the trigger to delete the 
newsgroup.

But apparently by all the conventions that the news administrators 
recognize, they are the owners of bit.*


-John
wb8tyw at qsl.net
Personal Opinion Only