From: sunclad@sunclad.com 
  
 In article , 
  "Vanguard"  wrote: 
  
 > Does the alt.* anarchy have any moderated groups?  The list of moderated 
 > groups that I remember scanning through were for the Big-8 groups. 
  
  
  
 Yes there are.  I handle one. 
  
 Message is sent to the posters local NNTP. 
  
 That message isnot posted to the local NNTP but instead is routed via 
 e-mail to a pop box established for the messages.  It has to be a 
 poppable box - not web mail. 
  
 Moderator checks the pop box using a moderation software package. 
 There are only a handful of Unix based ones and nly one-known program 
 for Windows.  There are none for Mac computers. 
  
 The moderator can return the message with edits via e-mail explaining 
 why the message is refused, delete it outright, or route it to his 
 local NNTP server. 
  
 The moderation software retains the original header information 
 regarding the original poster and adds an approval line. 
  
 Under my present set up I have server-end spam filtering so a lot of 
 the advertising is getting killed off up front.  The few that get 
 through I handle manually, usually just deleting it since the reply 
 addresses are likely forged or dead.  Its a rare occasion I disallow a 
 post.  I'm lucky. 
  
 While the moderation software allows me everything, the Windows 
 program itself is buggy and its not unusual for me to have to close it 
 and re-launch it.  Because of that I usually handle the message load 
 via e-mail access leaving the acceptable posts in the cue.  Then I 
 fire up the moderation ware to pass along the posts. 
  
 Some Unix moderation wares allow one to set a list of trusted posters. 
 The Windows ware only allows for maybe 1-2 or some other criteria that 
 is an auto-accept. 
  
 From my standpoint the problem with moderation is the lack of a decent 
 program that will allow one to easily handle the task or even alow a 
 group of people handle the task.  Unless you have a certain level 
 access to a Unix system you cannot necessarily use the Unix-ware and 
 as noted the Windows program is just plain buggy. Interestingly I find 
 it works better on W2k rather than XP. 
  
 If you have a Mac or some other platform you are SOL. 
  
 It is true that you can over-ride the approval line if you have 
 software that allows that to be done.  However so far I am the only 
 person in my group, and the former moderator of the group, that are 
 savvy enough or have the tools to do it. 
  
 Occasionally a troll-like person pops in to be a problem but they tend 
 to be gone soon enough.  An IP trace and complaint to their service 
 provider are often enough to get that stopped.  Provided of course the 
 service provider is in the USA and is not some putz operation.  Those 
 few and foreign systems can be a problem. 
  
 With the advent of private systems at Yahoo, Google, and a few others, 
 and the availability of message board ware for Windows or Unix/Linux, 
 the ever-popular PHP, etc, moderated newsgroups may quickly become 
 dinosaurs. 
  
 DMK 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)