usenet@mcdchg.UUCP (Newprod Moderator) (10/08/87)
Here's the current set of guidelines for the comp.newprod newsgroup. The purpose of this newsgroup is to announce the existence of new products and services. I'm very firm on guideline A, pretty firm on B&C (I have allowed announcements of new versions of previously announced products.). I'm pretty lax on D and E, usually letting someone who wants to look bad, look bad and allowing announcements that need more space, have it. Those who wish to construct an announcement should look at the suggestions that I have included below which point out common mistakes that people tend to make. The suggestions are based on my own experience and on feedback from comp.newprod readers. Guidelines: ---------- A) There must be a name and address (electronic and postal) for receiving more information. (A phone number is suggested.) B) Announcements should happen no more than once. C) Certain "events" happen more than once, like UniForum, seminars, and training courses. Announcements of this nature may repeat if there is real value to the community in doing so. D) Announcements should ideally fit within about 15 screen lines. E) Announcements that look like advertising hype to the moderator may be returned to the submitter for re-write. I may (or may not) edit a submission to remove extraneous whitespace, shorten an unnecessary signature, or correct a glaring spelling error, but don't count on it. Conflict-of-Interest Policy: My position on Motorola products is that I will not *generate* an announcement for any products and that Motorola products must meet the same guidelines as other products. ---------- Dos & Don'ts on constructing an announcement: ---------- 1) Do Keep it as short as possible. 2) Don't Right-justify it. 3) Don't Quote your own management on how nifty your product is. 4) Don't Quote a mutual admiration society on how nifty your product is. 5) Don't Use phrases like "very unique", "for immediate release", or "at a fraction of what you would otherwise pay". 6) Don't Go into corporate history, customer list, or distribution methods. 7) Do Ensure that you don't mis-use the word "insure". 8) Do Keep it technical. 9) Do Let those who are interested ask for details. 10) Do Run it through a spelling checker. 11) Do Use the "Keywords" and "Summary" headers to advantage. 12) Do Include a domain-style "From" address so I don't have to guess. 13) Do Keep it as short as possible! ---------- I am open to suggestions on further modifications to the guidelines and the suggestions. -- Ron Heiby usenet@mcdchg.UUCP Moderator: comp.newprod & comp.unix