Jim C. wrote:

> If the university wants to filter out photos, they actually need to
> block all newsgroups with 'binaries' in the hierarchy (most fall within
> the alt.binaries.* hierarchy). If users post binaries to non-binaries
> groups, they are very quickly taken to task for it and dealt with by
> their provider if they're a repeat offender. This is just as true of
> the alt.* groups as it is of rec.*, comp.*, sci.*, etc, groups. And the
> university is doing a disserve by blocking many quality alt.* groups
> such as this one.
>
> It sounds like the university's computer department is either ignorant
> of how newsgroups work or dealing with a lot of politics & red tape.

My thoughts exactly, Jim. All of the common NNTP server software (DNews
and INN, primarily) include complex filtering schemes such that they
could easily block *.binaries.* or alt.binaries.* In fact, completely
blocking alt.* sounds like nothing more than prejudice.

Mark Lipton