chuq@Apple.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) (03/03/90)
New Issues:
o I've removed comp.sys.mac.virus from the ballot. After getting a lot of
mail and having many discussions, I've been convinced that this is an
issue that has to be dealt with separately from the rest of the proposal.
While there has been a fair amount of support for c.s.m.virus (in fact,
significantly more than any other proposal added after the initial call
for discussion), there is also a lot of fairly strong disagreement with
it, especially from the people involved in doing anti-virus work (John
Norstad, Werner Uhrig and Joel Levin all came out strongly against its
existence, among others). I'd originally gotten about 12 requests
requesting it be put on the ballot. Going through my archives, I find that
three of those have been rescinded and I now have about as many request to
not create the group.
This has put me in the fascinating position of arguing something I don't
want. I have always been against c.s.m.virus, since it duplicates the
function of comp.virus.
The bottom line is this: c.s.m.virus is a controversial issue,
controversial enough that I no longer feel it should be included in a mass
vote proposal, because there is no way we can successfully resolve all of
the competing requirements by the time the call for votes comes out. The
advantage of the mass vote is that we can take a series of proposals and
deal with them all at once, but the responsibility is on us to keep those
proposals fairly clearcut, since to some degree we're reducing our
ability to hash out the issues involved. It's obvious that c.s.m.virus
doesn't fit this requirement.
So c.s.m.virus is off the ballot. I would rather err on the side of the
status quo than creating the wrong groups, and comp.virus gives us a place
for this material until we can decide whether or not a mac-specific group
is necessary. From all of my discussions, I'm convinced it isn't, but if
someone is interested, they can bring it up as a separate discussion once
all this is done.
Surveys under way: please make sure that you send in your responses by
March 5 if you want them counted.
(1) Please send me e-mail with your preferred name for what is currently
comp.sys.mac.os. Rank the following by preference:
c.s.m.os
c.s.m.sysf
c.s.m.sysfold
c.s.m.system
If you feel that a name is not appropriate, rank it with 'NA'. If you
have no preferences, don't rank the work. Here's how I'll count this:
the name ranked 1 will get 5 points, 2nd three, third two and fourth 1.
Names not mentioned (no preference) will get zero. Names marked 'NA'
will get minus 2 (-2). Example: a person wants sysf or system, doesn't
care about os and hates sysfold. His vote would be:
(1) sysf
(2) system
(NA) sysfold
I'll use the name with the largest point total at the end. One vote per
person, and the survey will continue until March 5.
(2) Please send me e-mail on the appropriate name for c.s.m.wanted. Rank
the following by preference:
c.s.m.wanted
c.s.m.help
c.s.m.request
same rules as the c.s.m.os survey apply.
(3) [[[[cancelled]]]]
(4) Should we create a comp.sys.mac.apps sub-hierarchy, or should we place
things subsidiary to comp.sys.mac?
(either c.s.m.apps.games, c.s.m.apps.misc, c.s.m.apps.comm for the
former, or c.s.m.misc, c.s.m.games, c.s.m.comm for the latter)
please vote 'apps' or 'no apps'.
Survey status:
Final name of c.s.m.os. [[survey ends March 5.]]
155 c.s.m.system
107 c.s.m.os
-18 c.s.m.sysfold
-39 c.s.m.sysf
Final name of c.s.m.wanted. [[survey ends March 5.]]
131 c.s.m.wanted
94 c.s.m.request
25 c.s.m.help
12 c.s.m.questions [write-in]
Whether comp.sys.mac.virus should be moderated or unmoderated.
[[cancelled]]
Whether there should be a comp.sys.mac.apps hierarchy. [[survey ends March 5.]]
3 comp.sys.mac.apps
8 no comp.sys.mac.apps
Whether or not to allow variation from the guidelines for the 'multiple
votes in a single proposal' for the reorganization: Yes, 173, no, 4.
[[proposal considered passed]]
Whether to use comp.sys.mac.apps or comp.sys.mac.appl: apps 22, appl 10.
[[recommendation 'apps']]
---===---===---===---===---===
new changes to text of proposal.
---===---===---===---===---===
proposal 8 deleted.
---===---===---===---===---===
proposed text of call for votes proposal. (hint: you don't need to read this
unless you haven't seen it before or want to check on changes noted changes,
and we really aren't voting on these yet, so don't send in votes)
---===---===---===---===---===
Please vote on each proposal separately. You may vote 'yes', 'no' or
'abstain/no preference' (or whatever terms you want for these as long as
they're non-ambiguous),
Proposal 1: rename comp.sys.mac to comp.sys.mac.misc. This will be in
multiple stages: the creation of comp.sys.mac.misc, followed a few
weeks later by the rmgroup of comp.sys.mac and the addition of a usenet
alias to the new group to forward misdirected messages. This will bring
c.s.m into the same standardized naming as other hierarchies, and it
should also discourage some of the cross-posting between c.s.m and
sub-groups that happens when people think they should put it in the
parent group just in case.
Proposal 2: Creation of comp.sys.mac.os. This will be for discussion of
Macintosh system software -- the system, finder, multifinder, CDEVs, INITs
and other Apple and third party Operating System software and its
extensions.
Proposal 3: Creation of comp.sys.mac.apps.misc. This will be for
discussion of Macintosh applications. It is designed as the beginning of a
sub-hierarchy of groups, hence the creation of c.s.m.a.misc instead of
c.s.m.apps.
Proposal 4: renaming comp.sys.mac.hypercard to comp.sys.mac.apps.hypercard.
To standardize naming in the new scheme.
Proposal 5: creation of comp.sys.mac.wanted. A place for the "I'm missing
part five of..." or "I need a program that does..." or "Where can I get a
good price on..." messages. There was some discussion of creating a sister
group c.s.m.forsale, but for sale messages really should be encouraged to go
into a regional group and not a net-wide group.
Proposal 6: Creation of group comp.sys.mac.apps.games. A group for the
discussion of macintosh-based computer games.
Proposal 7: Creation of group comp.sys.mac.apps.comm. A group for the
discussion of telecommunication and networking software and programs: Red
Ryder, Microphone, Appleshare, etc.
Proposal 8: Deleted
Proposal 9: Creation of group comp.sys.mac.announce, to be created
moderated. Moderator to be appointed at some future time. Designed to be a
low-volume, high-content group for distribution of information, regular
postings (like the "where to find...", and "introduction to comp.sys.mac"
documents, postings like virus alerts and other forms of information
(product announcements? press releases?) to be determined.
No changes: comp.sys.mac.programmer, comp.sys.mac.digest, comp.sys.mac.hardware
--
Chuq Von Rospach <+> chuq@apple.com <+> [This is myself speaking]
All spirits are enslaved which serve things evil -- Shelley