Laws@SRI-AI.ARPA (10/12/83)
From: Ken Laws <Laws@SRI-AI.ARPA> There have been a couple of net.ai requests lately that seminar notices be dropped, plus a strong request that they be continued. I would like to make a clear policy statement on this matter. Anyone who wishes to discuss it further may write to AIList-Request@SRI-AI; I will attempt to compile opinions or moderate the disscussion in a reasonable manner. Strictly speaking, AIList seldom prints "seminar notices". Rather, it prints abstracts of AI-related talks. The abstract is the primary item; the fact that the speaker is graduating or out "selling" is secondary; and the possibility that AIList readers might attend is tertiary. I try to distribute the notices in a timely fashion, but responses to my original query were two-to-one in favor of the abstracts even when the talk had already been given. The abstracts have been heavily weighted in favor of the Bay Area; some readers have taken this to be provincialism. Instead, it is simply the case that Stanford, Hewlett-Packard, and occasionally SRI are the only sources available to me that provide abstracts. Other sources would be welcome. In the event that too many abstracts become available, I will institute rigorous screening criteria. I do not feel the need to do so at this time. I have passed up database, math, and CS abstracts because they are outside the general AI and data analysis domain of AIList; others might disagree. I have included some borderline seminars because they were the first of a series; I felt that the series itself was worth publicizing. I can't please all of the people all of the time, but your feedback is welcome to help me keep on course. At present, I regard the abstracts to be one of AIList's strengths. -- Ken Laws