leah@smith.chi.il.us (L.A.Z. Smith) (05/24/91)
This is the second call for votes regarding the proposed newsgroup,
misc.writing. Voting has been underway since April 28 and will continue
through May 28.
HOW TO VOTE
^^^^^^^^^^^
MAIL your votes to one of the following addresses:
YES votes -- yes@smith.uucp
yes@smith.chi.il.us
yes%smith@ast.dsd.northrop.com
NO votes -- no@smith.uucp
no@smith.chi.il.us
no%smith@ast.dsd.northrop.com
To be counted, votes must REACH smith by 11:59 p.m. CDT, Tuesday,
May 28, 1991.
Please include in the body of your message your name and your correct
e-mail address. You may include other messages, but there's no
guarantee anyone will pay attention to them.
Do NOT post your votes. They will not be counted. Do NOT try to vote
by hitting the 'r' key, unless you change the 'To:' line.
(Additional notes on mailing votes: We recommend that voters at
uucp sites use the .uucp address. Those at Internet sites should
route via .northrop.com. The .chi.il.us address is a little flaky
outside this domain due to problems at gargoyle.
(If -- and ONLY if -- all else fails, you may send votes in care of
smithr@ast.dsd.northrop.com; include "misc.writing -- YES" or
"misc.writing -- NO" in the subject line. Votes sent this route will
take longer to process.)
We are not able to do individual acknowledgments. A first mass
acknowledgment of the voters so far is at the end of this message. If
you think you voted and your name is not listed, please try again,
paying careful attention to the addressing and voting information
above.
Following is the charter for the proposed group, as discussed for the
requisite month in news.groups, and some supporting material.
Please vote.
MISC.WRITING CHARTER
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Misc.writing is a forum for discussion of writing in all its forms --
scholarly, technical, journalistic, artistic and mere day-to-day
communication. It is a venue for professional writers, would-be
professionals and all those who write to communicate.
Misc.writing is primarily about writing in English. As such, it
includes consideration of linguistics, grammar and style as they relate
to composition. It is not, however, limited to discussion of writing
for print -- topics may include a variety of other media and means of
communication.
In addition to discussion about the process of writing, misc.writing
also addresses writing as a trade, including (but not limited to)
reviews of books about writing; notices of workshops and writers' group
meetings; and information about marketing and publishing. Tools for
writing may be a topic, as well.
Questions about how to write, writing problems and how to improve one's
writing are welcome, but long excerpts of written works should not be
posted. However, the group may serve as a meeting place for those who
wish to exchange works to critique via e-mail.
Although the group is general in nature, misc.writing welcomes
discussions about specific forms of writing; contributors are encouraged
to identify their topic by including explicit tags such as "TECHNICAL:"
or "JOURNALISM:" in subject lines.
Such guidelines shall be enforced by peer pressure only.
Misc.writing is an unmoderated newsgroup.
========================================================================
WHY ANOTHER NEW GROUP?
Almost everyone writes -- if not books and articles, then memos to
colleagues or letters to mother. Writing is critical to most
professionals' jobs, whether it be the major part of their work or
simply the documentation of it.
At present, there is no group for general discussion of writing.
Related discussions therefore tend to be all over the net, with sci.lang
and rec.arts.books taking the brunt of them. The latter, as its
regulars should agree, is already large enough without this traffic.
Two groups on the alt.net, alt.prose and alt.prose.d exist, but they are
devoted to fiction and were, according to one of the founders, "created
primarily to allow writers to have their works of fiction (or
non-fiction, but the emphasis has always been on the former) read and
critiqued (in the .d group) by their fellow writers."
Posting of written works will be discouraged in misc.writing, where the
emphasis will be discussions of the process and business of writing.
While everyone who writes in any capacity is welcome, the primary focus
is on those who do it for a living -- on this network, that means mainly
journalists and technical writers.
Various groups in the comp hierarchy discuss aspects of technical
communication, but do not adequately provide a forum for the many
technical writers on the net.
The creation of misc.writing may be the beginning of a hierarchy. If
traffic justifies it, further groups could be proposed, along the lines of:
misc.writing
misc.writing.technical
misc.writing.journalism
misc.writing.educational
misc.writing.fiction
misc.writing.grammar
misc.writing.biff, etc.
However, we will begin with the initial group, misc.writing, and
see how it goes.
WHY MISC?
Because there is no other good fit. The rec.arts hierarchy is out
because of the professional leaning of the proposed group. It's
difficult to make a case for writing as a science, and "sci.writing"
would in any case have the effect of misleading people into thinking it
was for writing about science.
Almost everyone writes, for one reason or another, and a common ground
for discussion of the process and its peculiarities is greatly needed on
the net. Even the best of professionals can benefit from others' tips,
and those for whom writing is a necessary chore can find help from those
who do it constantly.
And if misc.writing turns out to be a means for improving the general
quality of writing on the net, all the better. Let's consider it.
WHAT NEXT?
Please vote. MAIL your votes as directed at the beginning of this
article. No posted votes will be counted. Do not mail votes to the
address below.
The discussion period for this group has ended. If you have comments
about misc.writing, you may as well save them for after the group has
been created -- if it is.
MASS ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF VOTERS
If your name does not appear in the list below, we don't have your vote.
Please follow the voting and addressing instructions carefully.
Jeff Abbott, Jeff.Abbott@hub.dsg.ti.com
Dell Adams, dadams@eagle.wesleyan.edu
Ad Aerts, aerts@media03.UUCP
Carl Alexander, cjeff@ghoti.lcs.mit.edu
Lynn Alford, groper.jcu.edu.au!cplma
Steve Anderson, prodnet.la.locus.com!stevea
Patrick M. Benson, pbenson@cac.washington.edu
Cindy Bentson, bentson@sumax.seattleu.edu
Tony Bible, bible@iastate.edu
Greg Black, gjb@void.oz.au
Earl Boebert, sctc.com!boebert
Carol Botteron, botteron@bu-it.bu.edu
Daniel F. Boyd, consp04@bingsuns.cc.binghamton.edu
Coni Britten, conib@peri.gvg.tek.com
Predrag Bundalo, syspredrag@iitvax
Peter Burton, dcs.qmw.ac.uk!peter
Mark Cappel, mark@east.sunworld.com
Ed Casas, edc@augean.ua.oz.au
Kenneth Chang, kchang@ncsa.uiuc.edu
Melinda Chen, mchen@csrd.uiuc.edu
Roy Chester, roy@mlacus
Joe Chew, JTCHEW@lbl.gov
David Claytor, dlc@ais.org
Stessa Cohen, stessa@ropes.OPCR.ICL.COM
Steve Coltrin, spcoltri@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu
Kim DeVaughn, kim@lust.pswd.amdahl.com
Kelly DeYoe, kdeyoe@tjhsst.vak12ed.edu
Kenneth Demster, dcrtg2.dcrt.dla.mil!aad4262
Kent Paul Dolan, xanthian@Zorch.SF-Bay.ORG
Chris Dollin, kers@hplb.hpl.hp.com
Scott Duncan, duncan@ctt.bellcore.com
Dick Dunn, rcd@ico.isc.com
Andrew Eichstaedt, AEichsta@Athena.MIT.Edu.
Dell H. Ellison, ellisond@maize
Herbert B. Enderton, hbe@math.ucla.edu
Lynda Felder, lsf@calmasd.prime.com
Andrzej Filinski, andrzej@cs.cmu.edu
Leonore Findsen, fax0357@uoft02.utoledo.edu
Dan Flak, flak%mcgp@nwnexus
Stewart Fleming, sfleming@cs.hw.ac.uk
Richard Flood, bellcore.bellcore.com!pyuxf!rhf
Mary Ellen Foley, mef@netcom.com
Peter Franks, pete@indep1.mcs.com
Charles Geyer, geyer@galton.uchicago.edu
Margaret D. Gibbs, gibbsm@ll.mit.edu
Thomas Gillen, tom@math.ufl.edu
Anne Louise Gockel, cs.cornell.edu!alg
Osvaldo Gold, osvaldo@sos.com
Ron Graham, venus.lerc.nasa.gov!ECAXRON
Dorian Gray, 8718288@ul.ie
Kate Gregory, gregory@csri.toronto.edu
Andrew Hackard, andy@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Larry Hammer, LNH@albert.physics.arizona.edu
Michael Hand, e343mh@tamuts.tamu.edu
Carson Harding, harding@acs.ucalgary.ca
Robert Craig Harman, phoenix.princeton.edu!rcharman
Lonnie D. Harvel, ldh@eedsp.gatech.edu
Brian Hayes, hayes@concert.net
Dennis Heffernan, dfrancis@tronsbox.xei.com
Michael Ho, ho@hoss.unl.edu
Grant Hogarth, cgh@frame.com
Charlotte Hollister, hollist@bbn.com
Will Hyde, why@kpc.com
Jim Inscore, jinscore@next.com
Linda Jacobson, linda@frcs.UUCP
Munish K. Jain, mcs213k.cs.umr.edu!mjain
Cal Jewell, jewell@Data-IO.COM
Helen Kastner, helen@maspar.com
Timothy Klein, timk@meaddata.com
Lisa Klopfer, cs.unc.edu!klopfer
Shantanu Kothavale, skothavale@twg.com
Barbara J. Kratz, psuvm.psu.edu!BJK111
Mike Kretzer, tanith@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
Richard Kretzer, max@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
Steve Lamont, network.ucsd.edu!slamont
Terry Laskodi, terryl@sail.labs.tek.com
Mary Soon Lee, mary@ai.mit.edu
Joel B. Levin, levin@bbn.com
Jonathan Levine, jono@netcom.com
Kristin J. Levine, kristin.levine@mac.dartmouth.edu
Bruce Lilly, blilly!balilly!bruce@sonyd1.Broadcast.Sony.COM
Hong Lip Lim, lim@cs.su.oz.au
Nigel Ling, pucc.PRINCETON.EDU!mapd1%syma.sussex.ac.uk
John Locke, jxxl@taurus.cs.nps.navy.mil
Bob London, blondon@teknowledge.com
John Machin, sjm@rand.mel.cocam.oz.au
Audrey C. Mack, wiggy@audrey.b23b.ingr.com
Tom Maddox, tmaddox@milton.u.washington.edu
Laurie Mann, lmann%jjmhome@m2c.m2c.org
Michele Marques, michele@apex.yorku.ca
Barney McCartney, barney@emx.utexas.edu
Ellen McDonald, hpcvxemm.cv.hp.com!ellen
Mark McGlothlin, mcgloth@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Don McMinds, dlm@hpcvlx.cv.hp.com
Jan Mikkelsen, janm@dramba.neis.oz.au
David Neal Miller, miller.3@osu.edu
Ethan Miller, elm@cs.berkeley.edu
Gary Miller, gmiller@NeXT.com
Ken Mohnkern, kem@cs.cmu.edu
Andrew Moore, awm@ai.mit.edu
Miriam Nadel, nadel@aerospace.aero.org
Erik Naggum, enag@ifi.uio.no
Jay W. Noh, jnoh@ddsw1.mcs.com
Cyndi Norman, cnorman@ucsd.edu
Steffan O'Sullivan, sos@oz.plymouth.edu
Ruth Onn, ruth@ee.cornell.edu
John Oughton, john@ldc.uucp
Mike Palmer, palmer@hsi.com
Diane Patterson, diane@apple.com
Henry Polard, MasPar.COM!henry
Jeff Porten, sjporte@asc.upenn.edu
Lutz Prechelt, prechelt@ira.uka.de
Josh Putnam, Josh_Putnam@happym.wa.com
Raven, ast!ocf.berkeley.edu!bfwong
George V. Reilly, gvr@cs.brown.edu
Robert Reimann, rmr@sgi.com
Ehud Reiter, e.reiter@edinburgh.ac.uk
Carl Rigney, cdr@amd.com
David Ritchie, ritchie@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com
Jenny Robertson, jennyr@informix.com
Jim Roche, roche@cs.rochester.edu
Daniel M. Romanchik, danr@irie.ais.org
Michael Sean Rooney, oxy.edu!rooney
Audrey Rosen, a_rosen@casbah.acns.nwu.edu
Michael Rothstein, rothstei@cs.kent.edu
Doug Rudoff, mdisea!rudoff
Nicholas Russon, nrusson@sco.COM
SCHMOLECHNER, JOLECHNER@vaxsar.vassar.edu
SIGAR, ifi.uio.no!sigar
Brian Salter-Duke, B_DUKE@DARWIN.NTU.EDU.AU
Linden Salter-Duke, SALTER_DUKE@darwin.ntu.edu.au
Curt Sampson, curt@cynic.wimsey.bc.ca
N. V. Sastry, Sastry.Nanduri@ec.bull.fr
Sue Scheck, gdsnet.grumman.com!sue
John R. Schwab, fsjrs@oz.lerc.nasa.gov
Ellen Keyne Seebacher, elle@midway.uchicago.edu
Larry Setlow, ast!cpac.washington.edu!pjt
Dorai Sitaram, tone.rice.edu!dorai
Darrell Skinner, skinner@poly.polytechnique.fr
James F. Small, small@seas.ucla.edu
Cameron Smith, cameron@midd.cc.middlebury.edu
Jim Smith, jos@vitelloni.cray.com
Stephen R. Smoot, smoot@cs.berkeley.edu
Catherine Smotherman, birdy@prc.unisys.com
Dan Stegner, dans@clmqt.marquette.Mi.US
Ilana Stern, bierstadt.scd.ucar.edu!ilana
Richard Stevens, rstevens@noao.edu
Charleen Bunjiovianna Stoner, charleen@ads.com
Scott Stratmoen, scott%freedm@ast.dsd.northrop.com
Steve Summit, scs@adam.mit.edu
Andrew Trapp, act31797@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
Douglas Tucker, dhtucker@digi.lonestar.org
Ash Nallawalla VK3CIT, ash@mlacus
Rodrigo Vanegas, cs.brown.edu!cs012148
Maurizio Vitale, Maurizio.Vitale@dist.dist.unige.it
Tom Wachtel, wachtel@canon.co.uk
Kathy Walrath, kathy_walrath@next.com
Craig E. Ward, cew@venera.isi.edu
Karen Ward, wardk@cse.ogi.edu
Barbara Watson, bw@mips.com
Mark H. Weber, mhw@Schuylkill.Canal.Org
James Weiss, ukelele!jweiss
Richard White, rpwhite@gemini.cs.navy.mil
Anthony Williams, ast!runx.oz.au!tonyw
Gregory G. Woodbury, ggw@cds.duke.edu
Brian Yamauchi, yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu
--
L.A.Z. Smith leah@smith.uucp leah@smith.chi.il.us
Wheeling, Illinois leah%smith@ast.dsd.northrop.com
(If all else fails, send mail c/o smithr@ast.dsd.northrop.com)