Nan:2026-03-20-lcc-comp.unix.sys5
From Usenet Big-8 Management Board
From: Big-8 Management Board <board@big-8.org> Newsgroups: comp.unix.misc,comp.unix.sys5.misc,comp.unix.sys5.r4,news.announce.newgroups,news.groups.proposals Subject: 2nd RFD: Remove comp.unix.sys5.misc and comp.unix.sys5.r4 - LAST CALL FOR COMMENTS Followup-To: news.groups.proposals Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:32:59 EDT Message-ID: <10pkam8$rvd$1@reader2.panix.com> Archive-Name: comp.unix-reorg This is a formal Request for Discussion (RFD) to remove the following unmoderated newsgroups. comp.unix.sys5.misc comp.unix.sys5.r4 The Big-8 Management Board plans to begin voting on this proposal after five days. Please offer any final discussion or comments before the end of this waiting period. Voting may take up to one week (seven days); a result will be posted following the end of the voting period. DISTRIBUTION: news.announce.newgroups news.groups.proposals comp.unix.misc comp.unix.sys5.misc comp.unix.sys5.r4 PROPONENT: Marco Moock <mmoock@big-8.org> RATIONALE: There are various groups in comp.unix.* that are not used regularly. I propose to delete groups that are not used well and to direct the people to more general groups like comp.unix.misc in case they want to discuss the topics they special groups covered. If people declare interest in using them, I suggest to not delete them. DISCUSSION SO FAR: For discussions relating to the 1st RFD, please see the summary in the 2nd RFD at <news:MPG.4382d7dcd99c72d7989702@news.eternal-september.org>. Discussions relating to the 2nd RFD took place in news.groups.proposals and in news.groups. The discussion occurred primarily in the threads in each group for "2nd RFD: Remove comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc and comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc", but many responses were generally applicable to all groups under consideration for removal, including the ones in this RFD. Arguments, suggestions, and observations put forward in response to the 2nd RFD were: - Removing unused groups will not increase participation in related groups, nor in Usenet as a whole. [sticks, Steve Bonine, Adam H. Kerman] - Many sites won't list a group that has been rmgrouped, so group history will be inaccessible unless one knows the group existed and seeks out a provider that keeps the removed groups archived. [sticks, Steve Bonine] - There is potential for inconsistency/confusion for users if some sites keep the group available and some don't. [Steve Bonine] - There is no point to streamlining the list of newsgroups, as there are no new users coming in to Usenet who could usefully be funneled into a smaller list of groups. [Steve Bonine] - It would be more useful to overhaul the whole Big-8, keeping only the active groups and combining unused or little-used groups with them. While this will not "save" Usenet, it would bring users together and encourage active discussions with more contributors. Something like this has happened in fr.* and nobody has asked to re-create the removed newsgroups. [Julien Élie] - The topics of some groups are now obsolete. Other groups were split into sub-groups when the volume of discussion was much greater, and these could perhaps now be usefully recombined. [Dr Englebert Buxbaum] - Large-scale consolidation of groups might work if users could be consolidated along with their subscribed groups, but it's more likely that they would just lose access to their old groups once the rmgroups were issued. Also, to have much effect, it would be necessary to remove a large majority of groups. [Matija Nalis] - In a large-scale deletion, groups that are to be deleted could be left in place for a transitional period in order to redirect users to the best remaining group. [The True Melissa] - The proposals overestimate the importance of the hierarchy administration, as the active newsgroups list merely tells news server administrators that, if they create a group on a given topic, they should use the canonical name given in the list. [Adam H. Kerman] - Hierarchy administration does benefit new operators installing Usenet servers, who ask for more accurate active files. [Todd M. McComb] - Older Unix systems, possibly including those covered by the groups under discussion, may still be in use in the telephone industry or by individuals with old PCs. [David Chmelik] GROUPS: comp.unix.sys5.misc Versions of System V which predate Release 3 Charter: Older versions of System V are still in use, however, and there should be a home for discussion of new releases. Thus the proposal to create "c.u.sys5.misc". History: comp.unix.sys5.misc is an unmoderated newsgroup which passed its vote for creation by 252:50 as reported in news.announce.newgroups on 17 Sep 1992. Rationale: 1 message in 2011 This operating system isn't developed anymore. If there is need for discussion, more general groups can be used. comp.unix.sys5.r4 Discussing System V Release 4. Charter: System V Release 4 has been an even bigger success than SVR3, not only on the IBM PC but also on the Amiga and other proprietary architectures. Thus the proposal to create "c.u.sys5.r4". History: comp.unix.sys5.r4 is an unmoderated newsgroup which passed its vote for creation by 258:50 as reported in news.announce.newgroups on 17 Sep 1992. Rationale: Last thread in 2010, last message in 2012. This operating system isn't developed anymore. If there is need for discussion, more general groups can be used. PROCEDURE: Those who wish to comment on this request to remove this newsgroup should subscribe to news:news.groups.proposals and participate in the relevant threads in that newsgroup. To this end, the followup header of this RFD has been set to news.groups.proposals. All discussion of active proposals should be posted to news.groups.proposals. If desired by the readership of closely affected groups, the discussion may be crossposted to those groups, but care must be taken to ensure that all discussion appears in news.groups.proposals as well. For more information on the newsgroup removal process, please see https://www.big-8.org/wiki/Removing_newsgroups HISTORY OF THIS RFD: 2025-10-10: 1st RFD (remove) 2025-11-15: 2nd RFD (remove) 2026-03-20: Final RFD / Last Call for Comments -- Usenet Big-8 Management Board https://www.big-8.org/ board@big-8.org
