[net.columbia] L5 survey question results

eder@ssc-vax.UUCP (Dani Eder) (12/02/83)

                                                 1  December 1983

     The responses have tapered off, so I thought it time to report on
my query about space activists on the net.  I have recieved 23 reponses
so far.  What follows is a summary and some quotes from what was sent.

Said they were interested in a chapter: 10
Said would join L5 if an electronic chapter existed: 1
Previously L5 Member: 1
Speed of electronic chapter an advantage: 1

Member of Planetary Society: 1
Member of World Space Foundation: 1
Member of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1
     
     " I think an "l5 net chapter" should be aimed more at 
       informing people on the net about the l5 society rather 
       than actually doing anything. I also urge caution in terms
       of the type of material placed on the net."
     
     ". . . we should immediately start looking for an Arpa gateway 
       to the SPACE digest, or try to find someone on Arpanet to 
       moderate an L5 digest to which we could gateway.  Many of
       the most interesting participants in net.space are actually 
       submitting to the SPACE digest, and I think many of them would 
       be interested in the new group."
     
     " As a member of L5, BIS, NSI, SSI, WSF, and PS, I think the 
       first thing all these space groups should do is stop 
       proliferating and GET TOGETHER!"

     " In light of the tremendous proliferation of newsgroups , it 
       would probably be a good idea to have a clearly defined set 
       of objectives for the new one."

     " Please ask yourself , and your L5 contact these questions :

       1. What will be discussed on net.L5 ?
       2. Can the above topics be discussed in net.space (which is 
         none too active itself , and only recently escaped the axe ) ?"

     " . . .and could you give a description of L-5." 

     If I can draw some conclusions from the above, then it seems there
is interest in an "electronic chapter", but that a new newsgroup should
not be created at this time.  Therefore I propose the following:

     1) To form an "electronic chapter" of the L5 Society.  The purposes
     of the chapter to be rapid dissemination of information about space
     development, increased communication among L5 members widely
     dispersed, and informing Usenet in general about space development,
     the L5 Society, and other space activist organizations.

     2) The chapter operate by posting general interest items to the
     existing net.space and use a mailing list otherwise.

     I am personally not that adept in using Usenet.  I can post stuff,
but don't know how to generate and maintain mailing lists yet.  If
someone else is interested in being the chapter 'Secretary', you are
welcome to it.  My own interests are in the technology of space
development and in answering questions.  If you 'yay','nay', or comment
on the two propositions above, I will post the results in a week or when
the comments have fallen to <1/day, whichever comes later.

                                            Dani Eder
                                            Boeing Aerospace
                                            ssc-vax!eder