346 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
346 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
Newsgroups: biz.config,news.groups,news.answers
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Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!hookup!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!psgrain!xenitec!edhew
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From: edhew@xenitec.on.ca (Ed Hew)
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Subject: Biz.* Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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Expires: Sat, 30 Apr 1994 23:59:59 GMT
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Reply-To: edhew@xenitec.on.ca (Ed Hew)
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Organization: XeniTec Consulting Services, Kitchener, ON, Canada
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Date: Tue, 22 Mar 1994 05:37:26 GMT
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Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu
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Message-ID: <1994Mar22.053726.28740@xenitec.on.ca>
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Followup-To: poster
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Summary: Answers to frequently asked questions about biz.* (periodic posting)
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Supercedes: <1994Feb26.013438.25868@xenitec.on.ca>
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Keywords: biz, faq
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Lines: 328
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Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu biz.config:65 news.groups:42057 news.answers:16725
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Archive-name: biz-config-faq
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X-Posting-Frequency: monthly
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X-Version: 1.00b
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X-First-Draft: Wed Jun 30 22:54:05 EDT 1993
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X-Revised: Mon Mar 07 13:34:12 EST 1994
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The "biz" FAQ
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This posting provides an introduction to the biz.* newsgroups, and
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answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about biz.*.
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This article is repeated periodically for the benefit of new readers.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Subject: Table of contents.
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Subject: What is the biz hierarchy, anyways?
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Subject: Who created biz?
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Subject: What groups already exist on biz?
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Subject: How can I receive a feed of the biz groups?
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Subject: What is the group creation process on biz?
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Subject: What is the charter of biz.config?
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Subject: What types of groups would be more suitable for biz than USENET?
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Subject: What is considered good net.etiquette on biz.*?
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Subject: Are the biz groups archived anywhere?
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Subject: Are the biz groups available as a mailing list?
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Subject: What about gopher, wais, mosaic (and the like) servers for biz?
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Subject: Contributions to biz.config FAQ.
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------------------------------
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Subject: What is the biz hierarchy, anyways?
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"Biz" is a hierarchy of newsgroups that are carried and propagated
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by sites interested in the world of business products around them --
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in particular, computer products and services. This includes product
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announcements, announcements of fixes and enhancements, product
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reviews, and postings of demo software.
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While not supporting the electronic equivalent of a newspaper ad, the
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"biz" hierarchy is specifically intended to carry traffic of a commercial,
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factual, and often technical nature. Thus, some sites that operate under
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restrictions against carrying such traffic may not be able to carry the
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hierarchy.
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------------------------------
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Subject: Who created biz?
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Karl Denninger (karl@MCS.COM) formed biz in the late '80s in response to a
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rather large net.discussion over the proper place (if indeed there was any
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at the time) for people to post things that were blatently commercial. To
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quote Karl, "I believe it was 87 or 88, but I don't have an exact date".
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The result was the creation of biz.*; "ddsw1", the forefather of the
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current MCSNet machines (with pieces and parts still in use) was the first
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"hub" of distribution. MCS maintained "free on request" access to anyone
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who would poll for a couple of years. A few people did, and the groups
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got picked up by a reasonably large percentage of the net.
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There are many sites which do not carry the groups for reasons of AUP-fear
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or local politics, or just because they don't want to pay for commercial
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traffic. Volume is typically low and the information content is reasonably
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good.
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Subsequent to it's inception, various biz sub-hierarchies have appeared
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where content is actually quite strictly regulated and which explicitly
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exclude commercial ads (as differentiated from informational postings).
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------------------------------
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Subject: What groups already exist on biz?
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A number of groups have been created under several sub-classifications.
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The original intention of the sub-classifications may have been to
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encourage creation of subgroups under (for instance) biz.comp.software.*
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and biz.comp.hardware.*. The second-level tag has since become more
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generalized, such as "jobs", or a specific manufacturer's name. As the
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hierarchy continues to evolve, there is some inconsistency.
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The valid "biz" newsgroup list, as of Feb 25, 1994:
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biz.americast AmeriCast announcements.
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biz.americast.samples Samples of AmeriCast. (Moderated)
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biz.books.technical Technical bookstore & publisher advertising & info.
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biz.clarinet Announcements about ClariNet.
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biz.clarinet.sample Samples of ClariNet newsgroups for the outside world.
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biz.comp.hardware Generic commercial hardware postings.
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biz.comp.services Generic commercial service postings.
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biz.comp.software Generic commercial software postings.
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biz.comp.telebit Support of the Telebit modem.
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biz.comp.telebit.netblazer The Telebit Netblazer.
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biz.config Biz Usenet configuration and administration.
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biz.dec DEC equipment & software.
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biz.dec.decathena DECathena discussions.
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biz.dec.decnews The DECNews newsletter. (Moderated)
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biz.dec.ip IP networking on DEC machines.
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biz.dec.workstations DEC workstation discussions & info.
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biz.digex.announce Announcements from Digex. (Moderated)
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biz.jobs.offered Position announcements.
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biz.misc Miscellaneous postings of a commercial nature.
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biz.next.newprod New product announcements for the NeXT.
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biz.oreilly.announce New product announcements from O'Reilly and Associates (Moderated)
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biz.pagesat For discussion of the Pagesat Satellite Usenet Newsfeed.
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biz.sco.announce SCO and related product announcements. (Moderated)
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biz.sco.binaries Binary packages for SCO Xenix, UNIX, or ODT. (Moderated)
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biz.sco.general Q&A, discussions and comments on SCO products.
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biz.sco.magazine To discuss SCO Magazine and its contents.
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biz.sco.opendesktop ODT environment and applications tech info, q&a.
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biz.sco.sources Source code ported to an SCO operating environment. (Moderated)
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biz.sco.wserver SCO widget server questions, answers and discussion.
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biz.stolen Postings about stolen merchandise.
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biz.tadpole.sparcbook Discussions on the Sparcbook portable computer.
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biz.test Biz newsgroup test messages.
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biz.univel.misc Discussions and comments on Univel products.
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biz.zeos.announce Zeos Product Announcements. (Moderated)
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biz.zeos.general Zeos technical support and general information.
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------------------------------
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Subject: How can I receive a feed of the biz groups?
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NNTP feeds of "biz" may be obtained from, among others:
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hookup.net <newsadm@hookup.net> (Murray S. Kucherawy)
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news.mcs.com <info.mcs.com> (Karl Denninger)
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openage.com <paul@openage.com> (Paul Fischer)
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rain.psg.com <randy@psg.com> (Randy Bush)
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s.ms.uky.edu <usenet@ms.uky.edu> (Kenneth Herron)
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uunet.uu.net <help@uunet.uu.net> (UUNET Customer Liaison)
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xenitec.on.ca <edhew@xenitec.on.ca> (Ed Hew)
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UUCP feeds of "biz" may be obtained from, among others:
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excelsior.com <tim@excelsior.com> (Tim Tyhurst)
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news.mcs.com <info.mcs.com> (Karl Denninger)
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uunet.uu.net <help@uunet.uu.net> (UUNET Customer Liaison)
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xenitec.on.ca <edhew@xenitec.on.ca> (Ed Hew)
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Propagation of the hierarchy isn't as widespread as the mainstream
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USENET, but it is growing. The news admins listed above have made and
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continue to make a concerted effort to enhance global biz propagation
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and to reduce its geographic fragmentation. An inquiry to the appropriate
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news admin is suggested, as feed availability may vary from time to time
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and from host to host. Note that commercial service providers and others
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may charge a fee for service and connectivity -- again, ask.
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Those having difficulty getting biz feeds, especially outside of North
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America, are encouraged to write to either the undersigned or the
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contacts listed above, so that we can help you get a feed.
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------------------------------
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Subject: What is the group creation process on biz?
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The group creation process on biz is much looser than the "standard"
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hierarchy. To some extent this reflects that fact that biz is an
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ongoing experiment-in-process. Basically, one states one's intention
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to start a new group on biz.config, e.g., "I intend to start biz.foo
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in a week or so, barring serious objections." On occasion, objections
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are made that should be taken under advisement, generally for naming
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reasons (i.e. consistency with existing groups either in biz or USENET),
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unnecessary duplication with other groups, and so forth.
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Many folks choose to cross-post these discussions to USENET group
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news.groups to get a wider audience; however, one might suggest that
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on such postings, the Followup-to line be set to biz.config _only_.
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Note that some biz sub-hierarchies are managed, and that creation of new
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newsgroups within them requires the agreement of the respective responsible
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party (eg, biz.sco.*). Check the FAQ for the sub-hierarchy, locate and
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contact that individual, and ask them to follow the biz creation process.
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Q&A:
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>Uh, I don't pretend to be a USENET know-it-all, but don't you need to
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>make this an RFD, then hold a CFV, then a final ACK, then do the
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>newgroup? Or is the biz. hierarchy like alt. in that anyone can
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>create a new newsgroup?
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Neither. The biz hierarchy has its own peculiar set of rules, which
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have evolved from necessity and common sense over the years.
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In theory, anyone can issue a newgroup message on a whim. However, that
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doesn't necessarily mean that it will be either widely honored, or that
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the new newsgroup will actually be propagated to any useful degree!
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In practice, creation of new 'biz' newsgroups is normally handled as follows:
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1. private discussion between interested parties to the resolution
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that the new newsgroup has a likelihood of success.
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2. you contact the key hostmasters who handle the vast majority of
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biz propagation to ensure that the suggested newsgroup will be
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indeed be propagated, particularly those who control the NNTP
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links that bring disparate chunks of geographic biz propagation
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together.
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3. publicly post the suggested charter to biz.config (you may optionally
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crosspost to news.groups if you're brave). Indicate your intention
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to create, barring strenuous or widespread objections. Convert those
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who post opposition to a position of tacit agreement at minimum;
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if you can't do that, consider going back to step 1.
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4. Wait about two weeks, and, if the newsgroup is not within a
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sub-hierarchy under the auspices of a given individual, issue
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the newgroup control message, otherwise ask the party responsible
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to do so for you. Ask one or more biz backbone hosts admins to
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support your newgroup with their own newgroup messages.
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5. Send email to the maintainer of this FAQ to ensure that your new
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biz newsgroup is listed!
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------------------------------
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Subject: What is the charter of biz.config?
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The charter of biz.config is to serve as the controlling newsgroup for
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discussion of new biz groups, connectivity, propagation, policy, and
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the like. Note that the canonical newsgroups entry is:
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biz.config Biz Usenet configuration and administration.
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Note the somewhat ambiguous use of "Usenet" in this description. In
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this FAQ, the usage USENET means the comp/misc/news/rec/sci/soc/talk
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hierarchies, aka "mainstream USENET". Many people, including whoever
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originally wrote the description line, use "Usenet" to loosely mean,
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"interconnected newsgroup hierarchies and/or distributions propagated
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via B News compatible mechanisms.", and now encompassing a multitude of
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NTAs (News Transport Agents) within the "greater internet". One goal
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of this FAQ is to clarify in people's minds the distinction between the
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transport mechanism and the sets of networks (plural) carried over them.
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To summarize, the description should probably just refer to the "Biz net."
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------------------------------
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Subject: What types of groups would be more suitable for biz than USENET?
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Any group that intends to include specifically commercial announcements
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from businesses, concerning their main products or focus, would more
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properly fit the charter of the biz newsgroups. Expert technical content
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from a specific vendor's staff is also most appropriate within biz, noting
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that some in the "mainstream USENET" frown upon anything that might be
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considered tainted by vendor participation even for the informational
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aspect provided. This has proven to free many who have the knowledge,
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to post valuable insight into the products they develop and work with.
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------------------------------
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Subject: What is considered good net.etiquette on biz.*?
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Here are some etiquette reminders that will help us all to make the
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hierarchy an ever-friendlier place:
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-- Please, before posting, ensure that you've read the basic USENET
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etiquette guide in news.announce.newusers. Ensure that you are
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also familiar with the newsgroup charter and acceptable content.
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-- Is your posting so blatantly an advertisement that it goes beyond
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the bounds of being "informational", and hence may cause many users
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or sites to restrict their participation in "biz"? If so, tone it
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down! Keep it factual. Edit out the hype. Product and service
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announcements are welcome within specific biz "announce" newsgroups
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(e.g., biz.sco.announce). Check the newsgroup charter, and the
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availability of a specific "announce" newsgroup before posting.
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-- "So, where do I place my blatant commercial ads?" From time to time,
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an "ads" hierarchy has been proposed. If you need such, create it!
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You may also find that certain biz newsgroups may tolerate private
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ads to some extent - check their charters and monitor their content.
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-- Remember that biz isn't the mainstream USENET. The rules of the
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comp/misc/news/rec/sci/soc/talk hierarchies do not necessarily apply
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here. However, those guidelines that are mostly net.common.sense
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should probably always be taken to heart.
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-- Remember that biz is a volunteer network. All the code, maintenance,
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and question-answering are maintained by folks who freely give their
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time to help the net. Please consider this and treat them accordingly.
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Be as precise as possible so that overworked knowledgeable people will
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not waste time trying to solve the wrong problem when trying to help you.
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------------------------------
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Subject: Are the biz groups archived anywhere?
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Selective biz newsgroup archives are maintained at various publicly
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accessible archive sites, not necessarily limited to:
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telly.on.ca <evan@telly.on.ca> (Evan Liebovitch)
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ftp.xenitec.on.ca <edhew@xenitec.on.ca> (Ed Hew)
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wimsey.com <sl@wimsey.com> (Stuart Lynn)
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------------------------------
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Subject: Are the biz groups available as a mailing list?
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Selectively, yes. Check the FAQs in respective biz newsgroups for
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further information. For example, many biz.sco.* newsgroups are
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historically bi-directionally gated to mailing lists.
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------------------------------
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Subject: What about gopher, wais, mosaic (and the like) servers for biz?
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A number of servers are under construction and will be listed as
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they become operational.
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Currently operational:
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WWW (mosaic) URL: http://www.xenitec.on.ca/
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------------------------------
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Subject: Contributions to biz.config FAQ.
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Many thanks to the following for their contributions:
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Karl Denninger <karl@mcs.com>
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Kenneth Herron <kherron@ms.uky.edu>
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David C Lawrence <tale@uunet.uu.net>
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Mark Linimon <linimon@nominil.lonesome.com>
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Murray S. Kucherawy <mskucher@nic.hookup.net>
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Catherine E. Stanton <cat@uunet.uu.net>
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Tim Tyhurst <tim@excelsior.com>
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This posting, like much of net.land, is maintained on a purely volunteer
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basis. I welcome reactions, additions, and corrections, via email.
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--
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Ed. A. Hew, <edhew@xenitec.on.ca> ....!uunet.ca!xenitec!eah
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XeniTec Consulting Services, Kitchener ON, Canada +1 519 570 9848
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