In article <1996Mar11.165612@miavx1>, [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
>         Do you think this is fair?  If you look at the alt.* hierarchy, you'll
> find that 80% of the traffic by raw meggage comes from alt.binaries.* not
 alt.*
> itself.  I really think it would be fairer to make alt.binaries.* 24 hours and
> the rest of alt.* 72 hours.
 
     We simply don't have the resource to retain any of the alt.* hierarchy
beyond 24 hours at this point.
 
>         This is going to make it near impossible for regular readers of the
> alt.* hierarchy to keep up with their groups or participate in anyway with
 
     Some institutions are beginning to drop or considering dropping the alt.*
hierarchy altogether, not only because of the sheer volume of traffic it
represents but also because of its crippling rate of growth and the resource
required to keep pace with it.
 
     Miami University is *not* dropping the alt.* hierarchy or considering
dropping it, but we have limited resources with which to keep pace with its
growth.  We are attempting to use those resources as wisely as possible,
feeling that 24 hours of alt.* is better than none at all.
 
     A budget request has been made that, if approved, would provide for
additional storage space (and memory) for our NetNews server, which in turn
would enable us to increase the retention periods for the alt.* and other main
hierarchies.
 
     I'll keep the community posted on developments.
 
--
                                John B Harlan
             Campus Wide Information Systems (CWIS) Coordinator
                              Miami University
                 137 Hoyt Hall  Oxford, Ohio 45056-1618  USA
                      http://WWW.MUOhio.Edu/~CoorCWIS/
        (513) 529-5330 voice  (513) 529-1496 fax  [log in to unmask]