Security: Only good if you use it

The charter for any *.advocacy newsgroup tends to be a carefully contrived ruse. It'll generally be incredibly brief, and say something like this:

Charter for foo.bar.advocacy.

The foo.bar.advocacy newsgroup should be used for all discussions about the relative merits of bar compared to baz.

Such discussions should be contained in this newsgroup, and should not take place in any other foo.* newsgroups.

In other words, it's designed to lull hotheads on the subject of general category foo who specifically pbuttionately favour subcategory bar -- and their opponents -- into obsessing on their pointless and annoying attempts to persuade each other (or pummel each other into submission) solely within the *.advocacy groups and not elsewhere on Usenet.

It's always been expected (and normal) for the various *.advocacy groups to cross-post to each other. After all, what's the fun of having an angry mob without ever encountering the opposition? But crossposting between those and other newsgroups defeats the advocacy purpose as a ghetto-oubliette for annoying gits.

Such cross-posts are usually intended as deliberate trolling attempts, aimed at marring the non-advocacy newsgroups, annoying their regulars, and inducing them to waste their time and look foolish in public.

-- Cheers, "Due to circumstances beyond our control, we regret to Rick Moen inform you that circumstances are beyond our control."