chip@tct.uucp (Chip Salzenberg) (06/30/90)
[ Document created: $Date: 90/06/27 14:45:23 $ ] This article is a call for discussion on a reorganization of the comp.unix.* hierarchy. This reorganization will add various "obvious" missing groups and rename several groups which have misleading names. PLEASE EXAMINE THE ENTIRE PROPOSAL BEFORE COMMENTING ON IT. All discussion regarding this proposal will take place in news.groups ONLY. If you post articles elsewhere, I might read them, but I might not. Comments intended for me personally should be sent by E-Mail to <chip@tct.uucp> or <uunet!pdn!tct!chip>. +----------+ | PROPOSAL | +----------+ Create: comp.unix.admin Unix system administration. comp.unix.msdos MS-DOS running under Unix by whatever means. comp.unix.large Unix in the large: mainframes, large networks. comp.unix.misc Discussion of miscellaneous Unix topics. comp.unix.shell Unix shell programming. comp.unix.users Unix from a user's perspective. comp.unix.xenix.sco Xenix versions from the Santa Cruz Operation. [*] [*] NOTE: If comp.unix.xenix.sco passes, then comp.unix.xenix will be renamed to comp.unix.xenix.misc, since its charter will have changed to cover only non-SCO versions of Xenix. I didn't want to make two changes based on one vote, but in this case I think it's necessary. Experience teaches that parent groups frequently draw inappropriate crossposting from their children. Peer groups are better insulated from each other. Rename: comp.unix.microport --> comp.unix.sysv286 Unix System V (not Xenix) on the '286. comp.unix.i386 --> comp.unix.sysv386 Unix System V (not Xenix) on the '386. comp.unix.questions --> comp.unix.newusers Questions from, answers for new users of Unix. For completeness, here is a list of Unix groups for which NO change is proposed: comp.unix Discussion of UNIX* features and bugs. (Moderated) comp.unix.aix IBM's version of UNIX. comp.unix.aux The version of UNIX for Apple Macintosh II computers. comp.unix.cray Cray computers and their operating systems. comp.unix.ultrix Discussion about DEC's Ultrix. comp.unix.wizards Discussion of esoteric and obscure Unix issues. +---------------+ | VOTING METHOD | +---------------+ I will collect votes on my machine, "tct", which is two Trailblazer hops away from uunet. A valid vote will include a "yes", "no" or "abstain" for EACH proposed change. Each proposed newsgroup creation or renaming will stand on its own. Why? First, it fits better with the spirit of the current guidelines. Second, I don't want the whole proposal going down the tubes because of one unpopular change. I will use a Perl script to tabulate well-formed votes. I will examine each vote rejected by the Perl script. If it is complete and its meaning is obvious, I will fix it. Otherwise, I will reply to the voter with a form message that explains how to cast a valid vote. +----------+ | SCHEDULE | +----------+ 1. Discussion: The official discussion period will last 21 days, starting from the time this article appears in news.announce.newgroups. If Eliot holds to his normal schedule, that will be from July 2 to July 22. NOTE: This proposal has already been discussed for quite some time in news.groups. However, in accord with the guidelines, we still need a discussion period of record. 2. Voting: Assuming that the discussion does not cause me to retract this proposal, I will issue a Call For Votes soon after the discussion ends, perhaps around July 25. The vote will run for 21 days from the time the Call For Votes appears in news.announce.newgroups. I will post a second Call For Votes, and possibly a list of unreachable return addresses, during the voting period. When the vote is over, I will post the final results. 3. Waiting Period: I will observe the normal waiting period of five days from the time that the final results appear in news.announce.newgroups. During this time, people may report lost votes and/or impugn the fairness of the vote taker. :-) 4. Consummation: After the waiting period, I will issue the appropriate control messages to create all new groups and/or new names for renamed groups. About one week later, I will re-issue the creation control messages, and also issue removal control messages for old names of renamed groups. If all goes as planned, whatever parts of the reorganization that pass will take effect by the end of August. -- Chip Salzenberg at ComDev/TCT <chip@tct.uucp>, <uunet!ateng!tct!chip>