I have issued 6 cancels for large binary files (average size 467,862
characters - total size 2,807,177 characters) posted to 4 different
unmoderated discussion groups in the comp, misc and rec hierarchies as
follows:
3 rec.autos.simulators
1 misc.taxes
1 comp.sys.atari.8bit
1 comp.periphs.printers
This pointer is being posted to each affected group.
Each of the groups listed above is an affected group, meaning that at
least one binary file was canceled from that group. If you want to see
exactly which file that was or the criteria that I used to select it,
read the full report in the newsgroup news.admin.net-abuse.announce.
The full report is the parent article to this message, and has the same
subject. It has been cross-posted to alt.nocem.misc and alt.retromod.
There has been a long-standing consensus among news administrators that
binaries belong in binaries newsgroups, and not elsewhere. There also
seems to be a consensus supporting the cancellation of large binaries in
discussion groups as long as appropriate protocols are followed.
In my opinion, the best way to distribute binary files is via ftp or
the web. With the ready availablity of ftpmail servers, even uucp
sites can retrieve binaries from ftp sites.
However, if you really must post a binary to Usenet, please post it to
an appropriate binaries newsgroup such as alt.binaries.misc. Then, if
you like, post something in the appropriate discussion group telling
people where to find the binary in the binaries group (a pointer to
the binary). This will permit news administrators and users to decide
for themselves whether to receive the binary files.
Please direct public feedback to news.admin.net-abuse.misc and private
unmoderated binaries group in the hierarchies that I scan, I don't know
about it yet. Feel free to enlighten me.
Best wishes,
***
--
It's over, and can't be helped, and that's one consolation, as they
always say in Turkey, when they cut the wrong man's head off''
-- Charles***ens