ss6349@leah.Albany.Edu (Steven H Schimmrich) (05/20/89)
This is a call for votes on a proposal to create SCI.GEO -- an unmoderated newsgroup to discuss the earth and planetary sciences. Send votes for or against the proposal to "SS6349@LEAH.ALBANY.EDU". The following should clear up any questions regarding the newsgroup proposal. What is SCI.GEO and why is it needed? ------------------------------------- SCI.GEO is the proposed name for an unmoderated newsgroup to discuss the earth and planetary sciences. There currently does not exist any newsgroup for the discussion of geology, paleontology, geophysics, planetology, meteorology, climatology, etc. except where they might fit into other newsgroups such as SCI.BIO, SCI.ASTRO, SCI.CHEM, SCI.PHYSICS, SCI.SPACE, etc. There are no SCI newsgroups dealing specifically with the earth sciences and this one would fill that gap. I believe that the newsgroup would also be broad enough to stimulate interest and discussion by non-professionals in the above fields. I can envision discussions on plate tectonics, earthquake risks, petroleum reserves, mass extinctions, dinosaurs, claims made by creationists, the geology and meteorology of other planets, ice ages, the greenhouse effect, el nino, etc. What were the results of the discussion period? ----------------------------------------------- During the one month discussion period (begun by the posting of article <1775@leah.albany.edu> to NEWS.GROUPS on April 20), the postings and all of the mail I received indicated a positive interest in the formation of a newsgroup to discuss the geological sciences. I received no responses against the proposal. The only point of contention among the respondents was what to call the newsgroup. Most felt that SCI.EARTH, the original suggestion, was not the best choice although they would support such a group regardless of what it was named. The various suggested alternate names were SCI.GEO, SCI.GEONOMY, SCI.PLANETS, SCI.PLANETS.EARTH, SCI.EPLAN, and SCI.EARTHPLANET. The largest number of respondents supported SCI.GEO which I believe to be the best choice being both brief and succintly describing the purpose of the newsgroup. How long will the vote last? ---------------------------- The call for discussion was posted on April 20th, this call for votes is being posted on May 20th, and the voting will last until June 20th. No votes will be accepted after that date. In two weeks, I will post a reminder of the call for votes, and on June 21st I will post the final voting results. If I have received 100 more YES votes than NO votes, the group should then be created shortly thereafter. How do I vote for the creation of SCI.GEO? ------------------------------------------ To vote for the creation of a SCI.GEO newsgroup, send mail to : SS6349@LEAH.ALBANY.EDU and explicitly state in the text of the mail message either "Yes, I vote for the creation of a SCI.GEO newsgroup" or "No, I vote against the creation of a SCI.GEO newsgroup." Don't bother suggesting new names for the newsgroup, that stage has passed. It will be named SCI.GEO or it will not be created (at least through my efforts). To make the vote counting easier for me, may I suggest placing either YES or NO on the subject line of your mail message. I will try to acknowledge the receipt of each vote. REMEMBER -- DON'T POST YOUR VOTE INSTEAD OF MAILING IT! A POSTED VOTE DOES NOT COUNT! Please, If you want to see the group created then mail me your vote -- this is not too controversial a topic so every vote will count and is needed. Thank you for your time. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- | Steven H. Schimmrich | Internet : ss6349@leah.albany.edu | | Department of Geological Sciences | "The Rock Men are very primitive | | State University of New York at Albany | Flash, they have no science." | | Albany, New York 12222 (518) 442-4470 | Dr. Zarkhov. | -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
dmark@cs.Buffalo.EDU (David Mark) (05/20/89)
In article <1849@leah.Albany.Edu> ss6349@leah.albany.edu.UUCP (Steven H Schimmrich) writes: > [some lines deleted] > What is SCI.GEO and why is it needed? > ------------------------------------- > > SCI.GEO is the proposed name for an unmoderated newsgroup to discuss the >earth and planetary sciences. There currently does not exist any newsgroup >for the discussion of geology, paleontology, geophysics, planetology, >meteorology, climatology, etc. except where they might fit into other >newsgroups such as SCI.BIO, SCI.ASTRO, SCI.CHEM, SCI.PHYSICS, SCI.SPACE, >etc. There are no SCI newsgroups dealing specifically with the earth >sciences and this one would fill that gap. ... > [35 lines deleted] > ... Don't bother suggesting new names for the newsgroup, >that stage has passed. It will be named SCI.GEO or it will not be created >(at least through my efforts). I sent my "official" vote directly, but decided also to post this follow-up in case anyone feels the way I do, and may wish to vote similarly. ==========================copy of my "vote" and reason below================== I hereby vote "NO" on sci.geo, strictly because of the name. Since your recent posting took the hard line "Don't bother suggesting new names... It will be named SCI.GEO or it will not be created", I am forced to vote "No", because GEO is also the first 3 letters of a major discipline, GEOgraphy, which is primarliy concerned with the Social Sciences, and the links between humans and environments. And let's not forget an even older discipline, GEOmetry, a branch of mathematiccs. Since GEOgraphy itself might easily deserve a newsgroup, to say nothing of GEOmetry, I feel that establish- ment of a group, un-negotiably named SCI.GEO, yet restricted to Earth Sciences, would lead to confusion and ambiguity, and should not be done. I would have voted "YES" for SCI.GEOLOGY, or SCI.EARTH_SCIENCE, and will do so, if this attempt fails, and if you try again with a more appropriate name. David Mark Professor Department of GEOgraphy SUNY at Buffalo dmark@cs.buffalo.edu
steve@revolver.gatech.edu (Poppa Smurf) (05/22/89)
In article <5983@cs.Buffalo.EDU+ dmark@sunybcs.UUCP (David Mark) writes:
+
+I hereby vote "NO" on sci.geo, strictly because of the name.
+
+Since your recent posting took the hard line "Don't bother suggesting new
+names... It will be named SCI.GEO or it will not be created", I am forced to
+vote "No", because GEO is also the first 3 letters of a major discipline,
+GEOgraphy, which is primarliy concerned with the Social Sciences, and the
+links between humans and environments. And let's not forget an even older
+discipline, GEOmetry, a branch of mathematiccs. Since GEOgraphy itself might
+I would have voted "YES" for SCI.GEOLOGY, or SCI.EARTH_SCIENCE, and will do so,
+if this attempt fails, and if you try again with a more appropriate name.
+
+David Mark
+Professor
+Department of GEOgraphy
+SUNY at Buffalo
+
+dmark@cs.buffalo.edu
===========================================
I agree, and I see no "Earthly" reason why you can't simply name it sci.geology.I hope it's not simply ego involvement in having come up with the original name.If you name it sci.geology then I vote "YES."
Steve Fischer (School of Geosciences)
Georgia Techss6349@leah.Albany.Edu (Steven H Schimmrich) (05/22/89)
In article <8291@pyr.gatech.EDU> steve@revolver.gatech.edu (Poppa Smurf) writes: > I agree, and I see no "Earthly" reason why you can't simply name it > sci.geology.I hope it's not simply ego involvement in having come up > with the original name.If you name it sci.geology then I vote "YES." > > Steve Fischer (School of Geosciences) > Georgia Tech The original name I suggested (article <1775@leah.Albany.Edu>) was SCI.EARTH. As I said before -- I could care less what it's called. I just want to see the newsgroup come into existence (and if you're in the school of geosciences, I can't see why you should possibly oppose it for such a minor detail as whether it's GEO or GEOLOGY!). SCI.GEO was what most everyone wanted during the discussion period (some of whom are NOT geologists, but people interested in other areas of the earth sciences such as oceanography, meteorology, etc.). Now it's time to vote, it can't be named SCI.GEOLOGY (except if the voting goes against SCI.GEO and someone else takes the thankless job of doing this). As I've said before -- there does not exist a single name which would please everyone. The group is what is important, not its name. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- | Steven H. Schimmrich | Internet : ss6349@leah.albany.edu | | Department of Geological Sciences | "The Rock Men are very primitive | | State University of New York at Albany | Flash, they have no science." | | Albany, New York 12222 (518) 442-4470 | Dr. Zarkhov. | -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --