News

In Usenet, whenever a single newsgroup got too large, it tended to fork. So from comp we got comp.sys.ibm.pc which split into smaller and smaller groups like the unloved comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video, created because people were sick of talking about video drivers on the main group.

I didn't like forks, because they make discussions less interesting. I mean, it's bad enough there's a comp.software.windows.nt.40.microsoft.notepad, does there have to be a comp.software.windows.nt.40.microsoft.notepad.helpfile.index? Seriously now.

But my aversion to forking notwithstanding, there's just too much traffic in the Joel on Software discussion group. Things wind up scrolling off right away and discussion has to be fast and furious or you lose it. So as an experiment in forking, I've set up a few new groups:

1. The Business of Software
2. The Design of Software
3. The Human Side of Software
4. Whether Or Not It Is A Good Thing That Rory Slept With Dean

Just kidding about #4 there. The Gilmore Girls is holy. Can't mess with that.

If any of these groups doesn't have enough daily traffic, it'll go the way of the old New Yorkers group and the Delphi group, bless them, in the Joel on Software graveyard.

Joel on Software, The Book

My book is about to go into a second printing. Yay! Hurry up and buy one now or you may have to wait while Apress scurries around making more copies.

My new book is here! Apress has just published a new collection of 36 essays from Joel on Software, aptly named More Joel on Software. Get yours today! Available from Amazon.com or wherever fine cheese is sold.

About the Author: I’m your host, Joel Spolsky, a software developer in New York City. Since 2000, I've been writing about software development, management, business, and the Internet on this site. For my day job, I run Fog Creek Software, makers of FogBugz—the smart bug tracking software with the stupid name, and Fog Creek Copilot—the easiest way to provide remote tech support over the Internet, with nothing to install or configure.

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