meehan@src.dec.com (Jim Meehan) (06/18/91)
************************************************** CALL FOR VOTES * CALL FOR VOTES * CALL FOR VOTES ************************************************** This is the FIRST call for votes for the creation of the newsgroup comp.lang.lisp.mcl. Please read all of this article carefully prior to voting. The proposed group is as follows: NAME: comp.lang.lisp.mcl STATUS: unmoderated CHARTER: The purpose of this newsgroup will be to provide a forum for talking about any and all aspects of Macintosh Common Lisp (MCL). MCL is, specifically, the software product from Apple, an implementation of Common Lisp for the Macintosh. This is NOT intended as a forum for discussion of other implementations of Common Lisp for the Mac. VOTING PROCEDURE: Mail your vote to: meehan@src.dec.com Do *not* post your vote to the net. The wording must be explicit and unambiguous. I would prefer that your message use one of the following Subject lines: comp.lang.lisp.mcl: YES comp.lang.lisp.mcl: NO DEADLINE: Mail your vote on or before Monday, July 8, 1991. Votes received after that date will not be counted. COMMENTS: The protocol for creating a newsgroup requires that there be 100 more YES votes than NO votes, and that at least 2/3 of the valid votes be YES votes. During the discussion, which started on June 4th (see news.groups), two concerns were raised by several people. First, discussions of MCL currently take place via a mailing list, info-mcl@cambridge.apple.com [to which this Call For Votes is also being mailed]. The list is maintained by the Apple/Cambridge office. Some members of that mailing list are unable (or prefer not) to receive news, and they expressed concern about losing access to MCL discussions, the implication being that the mailing list and the newsgroup were mutually exclusive. In fact, both can exist, and this proposal says nothing about shutting down the mailing list. (Nor, indeed, could it). Practically speaking, however, no one wants two separate forums for this discussion. Fortunately, several of the responses to the RFD pointed out various ways to "link" the mailing list and the newsgroup, and the Apple office fully intends to do so, so that no one will be cut off from the discussion simply because they don't receive the news. Since the size of the mailing list has grown dramatically, they are indeed hoping that there will be a newsgroup and that most of people now on the list will not need to remain on it. The second concern was for the name of the group. I received several good suggestions for placing the proposed group in the comp.sys.mac... hierarchy. However, there was no agreement on exactly what the full name should be. Many readers of the comp.sys.mac... groups found the name "mcl" to be confusing, or at least not informative, and they suggested "lisp" as an alternative suffix. But others pointed out that "lisp" would invite discussion of other implementations of Lisp for the Mac, and that is NOT the purpose of this newsgroup. A very long name, such as comp.sys.mac.programmer.lisp.mcl, would probably be specific enough for all concerned, but the length was a problem for some. In the end, I stuck with the original name, which I felt had fewer problems than the alternatives.