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From: Michael Vanier <mvanier@bbb.caltech.edu>
To: bcpierce@cis.upenn.edu
Cc: Pierre.Weis@inria.fr, garrigue@kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp, caml-list@inria.fr
In-reply-to: <2844.961073619@saul.cis.upenn.edu> (bcpierce@saul.cis.upenn.edu)
Subject: Re: Newsgroup for Caml?
References:  <2844.961073619@saul.cis.upenn.edu>
Message-Id: <20000615203644.711145E468@sith.bbb.caltech.edu>
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 13:36:44 -0700 (PDT)
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> Cc: garrigue@kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp (Jacques Garrigue),
> 	caml-list@inria.fr
>
> I agree that the volume of traffic on the caml-list is close to
> becoming a problem, but I'm not completely happy with the idea of an
> unmoderated newsgroup: in my experience, they *always* fill up with
> spam, off-topic discussions, and other kinds of garbage.  I would
> personally not read such a newsgroup.  

As a counter-example, look at comp.lang.python.  There is very little spam,
and the quality of postings is extremely high.  I suspect that people who
like nice languages like ocaml (and python!) are more likely to be
well-behaved than the average usenet poster :-)  Also, I think it's less
intimidating for beginners like myself to post to a newsgroup with a silly
question than to a mailing list.  comp.lang.ml has always had a strong SML
bias (due, no doubt, to this mailing list providing an alternative forum),
and a very low volume, perhaps due to the moderation.  I would rather see
comp.lang.ml.caml or comp.lang.caml than just redirecting news to
comp.lang.ml; how many of us actually read it?  Also, I fear pointless SML
vs. CAML flame wars might develop if all the caml traffic were to go to
c.l.ml.

However, a "caml-announce" mailing list would be a very good thing.

Mike