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  • '' for groups gatewayed from ARPANET , ''mod.---'' for Moderated discussions, and ''net.---'' for unmoderated groups. Names of the groups were said to be rather haphazard (see The Great Renaming FAQ ).


While reorganization discussions had taken place earlier, software limitations prevented the adoption of a consistent organization scheme. Improvements introduced by Adams in 1986 with B News version 2.11 removed the requirement for moderated groups to use the "mod." prefix, allowed posting to moderated groups using Newsreader s rather than separate E-mail programs, and eliminated the flat storage method, which required that the first 14 characters of all newsgroups be unique. With this added flexibility and transparency, it became practical to undertake the effort.


A more detailed account of reasons behind the Renaming can also be seen in a Usenet article posted by Gene Spafford at ''net.news'' and ''net.news.group''.

  • '', '''''misc.---''''', '''''news.---''''', '''''rec.---''''', '''''sci.---''''', '''''soc.---''''', and '''''talk.---'''''.


These hierarchies, known collectively as the " Big Seven ," were open and free for anyone to participate in (except for the moderated newsgroups), though they were subject to a few general rules governing their naming and distribution.


  • _hierarchy" class="copylinks">Alt.--- '', was also created shortly after the Renaming. The term ''alt'' is short for "alternative" (but has been taken to stand for " Anarchist s, Lunatic s, and Terrorists "). The ''alt.---'' hierarchy was meant to be completely free from centralized control, and it was not subject to the formalities of the Big Seven.


  • '', was introduced, and with the seven hierarchies created by the Renaming, comprises today's so-called " Big 8 ."



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