Re: [Pan-users] GNKSA

[Lacrocivious Acrophosist]

Joe Zeff <address@hidden> writes:

> 
> I've just received a response to my email about updating the GNKSA.  In 
> part, it says:
> 
> Actually, I consider the GNKSA a historic document, to be read in the 
> context of its own time, rather than a useful guideline for today's 
> practice.  It played its part, but to me its relevance is over.  Usenet 
> has become a niche, or a suite of niches for a relatively small audience 
> and particular purposes.  The GNKSA, by intention anyway, aimed to help 
> Usenet function in a time before web forums, "social" sites and the like.
> 
> I don't think there's any other interest in updating it or even paying 
> any attention to it any longer.  I think it's now time for us to ask 
> ourselves if complying to an otherwise dead standard is in Pan's best 
> interests, and if not, what other changes are appropriate.
> 

Thanks to Joe Zeff for contacting the source, and to Rob for doing actual tests.

It seems to me that the source said everything that need be said.

I agree that GNKSA is historical and, in today's environment with today's users,
no longer either critical or particularly relevant.

First, very few people apart from what appear to be a bunch of us old coots even
use Usenet 'the way it was intended', meaning, as it was used a decade or more
ago. New users only know Usenet as far as their understanding of .nzb files will
take them.

Second, ISPs either have already or will soon have dropped NSP functions from
their monthly packages, leaving Usenet access almost exclusively the realm of
commercial news service providers. This is especially true for binaries. None of
those providers are likely to care whether a subscriber uses more than 4
connections.

Third, I have never heard or seen mention of GNKSA anywhere, ever, apart from
pan.rebelbase.com ... it is not unlike some PC Magazine benchmark from 1990. We
would not use such a benchmark to measure systems today.

So. Most of us who use or are likely to begin using actual newsreaders are,
relative to the Usenet population as a whole, a niche and probably a shrinking
one at that.

It was great to have the GNKSA discussion, but I for one see no point in
continuing to abide by an award that no longer has much beyond historical
importance.

That said, it makes sense to me to have the number of connections accessible to
the gui client without resorting to manual edits. If any of us notice that 20
connections cause Pan to no long 'play nice' with other applications sharing the
same bandwidth behind the router, for example, then we can throttle it back to 4
or whatever works.