[tor.general] New newsgroup proposed - ont.unix-unanimous

evan@telly.UUCP (Evan Leibovitch) (08/31/88)

This is an invitation for discussion on a new newsgroup, ont.unix-unanimous.

There presently exists a group of people, informally known as 'unix unanimous',
which spun off from /usr/group/cdn when it became obvious that there would be no
technical bent to any /u/g/c meetings. Its meetings are open to anyone, member
or not, and has grown from a handful of technically-minded /u/g/c members to a
good mix of regulars, newcomers and one-timers, many of whom wouldn't touch
/u/g/c with a ten-metre pole.

The group presently has a mailing list (submissions to unix-unanimous@moore)
which now has more than 30 members. The intent of the proposed newsgroup is to
make it less of a clique, and letting the Ontario Unix cummunity know what
we're up to. I would hope we can generate interest outside of just Toronto.

The first posting in the group (to be repeated at intervals) will describe
the group, where we meet and what we're up to.

Please mail comments to me, and I will post anything worth summarizing. If
there is no great objection, you will see a newgroup control message in
mid-Sept. Please carry it and propogate it - we can use all the interest
we can get.

Thank you.
-- 
Evan Leibovitch, SA of System Telly, located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario
            evan@telly.UUCP / {uunet!attcan,utzoo}!telly!evan
The advantage of the incomprehensible is that it never loses its freshness.


david@geac.UUCP (David Haynes) (09/01/88)

In article <320@telly.UUCP> evan@telly.UUCP (Evan Leibovitch) writes:
>This is an invitation for discussion on a new newsgroup, ont.unix-unanimous.
>

This is not a direct comment about ont.unix-unanimous, but, one about
procedure. There seems to be a large body of folks who want to set up
news groups without showing the kind of volume that justifies the
setting up of a newsgroup. (remember ont.singles - what???) 

I think that we might want to have a policy about the setting up of a
new newsgroup. Maybe modelled after the US USENET policy.

Their policy (paraphrased) is:

	1. Find a newsgroup that is close to what you want
	   to talk about.

	2. Post there for about 3 months.

	3. If, over the 3 months, you can show *sustained*
	   volume and a true divergence from that newgroup,
	   request to have a new newgroup created.

In this case, perhaps posting the articles that would have gone to
ont.unix-unanimous to ont.general for a while would suffice.

On the other hand, if you are taking an established mail list over
to the news, perhaps you need only show the last three months of
volume for the mail list.

I was facing a similar situation with the Canadian X Software Repository,
in that it could become a newsgroup or a mail list. The final decision
was to become a mail list until I could show sufficient volume to become
a newsgroup. This has not happened yet -- aside from my erratic postings
of Canadian X Notes, there have only been two user-generated postings.

Opinions?

-david-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
David Haynes
At Geac until September 9th.
New email address:			yunexus!lethe!murder!david