144 lines
6.4 KiB
Plaintext
144 lines
6.4 KiB
Plaintext
Path: mccuts!nessie!uknet!gdt!aber!ccs
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From: ccs@aber.ac.uk (Christopher Samuel)
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Newsgroups: alt.config,news.groups,news.answers
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Subject: Creating a new "alt" group -- guidelines
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Summary: RTFSL
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Keywords: group creation alt
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Message-ID: <alt-config_726155676@aber.ac.uk>
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Date: 4 Jan 93 13:54:49 GMT
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Expires: Mon, 1 Feb 1993 13:54:36 GMT
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Sender: ccs@aber.ac.uk (Christopher "Jd" Samuel)
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Followup-To: alt.config
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Organization: University of Wales - Aberystwyth - Prifysgol Cymru
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Lines: 125
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Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu
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Xref: mccuts alt.config:9055 news.groups:35425 news.answers:4549
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Supersedes: <alt-config_723684470@aber.ac.uk>
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X-Original-Poster: markw@gvlf8.gvl.unisys.com (Mark H. Weber)
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Archive-name: alt-config-guide
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Version: 1.4
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Last-modified: Mon Dec 7 17:06:05 GMT 1992
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Guidelines for the creation of an "alt" group.
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There are no rules or guidelines for creation of "alt" groups, However
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there does appear to be an established procedure which follows. First a
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quick bit of common-sense on choosing the name:
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When choosing a name for a group please note the only commandment: Thou
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shalt not choose a group name which may cause network harm or harm to a
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local machine.
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Examples:
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alt.fan.enya.puke.puke.pukeSender:
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[preceding line to Sender had <CR> deleted; also the
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trailing : can cause problems in some news systems]
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alt.verylonggroupnamethathasadirectorylongerthanmost\
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machinessupportsotherehaha.very.funny
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alt.[insert300charactershere].very.long.group.name.\
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that.is.too.big.for.newsrc
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alt.*.this.name.has.bad.characters.in.it
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alt..double.dot.group.name
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[ An extra pointer, please don't use the '.' as a word seperator; ]
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[ although it causes no real problem it won't win you many friends ]
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[ when you take the name to alt.config ]
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Now the Guidelines:
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-------------------
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1) Propose a new alt group in alt.config. The proposal
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should include a charter or purpose for the new group, and
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some demonstration of the need for the group. It is best to
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make it clear in your subject line that you are proposing a
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new group. Be prepared to explain why an existing group cannot
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be used for this purpose, and why the group should be in "alt"
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rather than in one of the mainstream hierarchies (like
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"rec", "sci", etc.). Avoiding the complexity of the
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mainstream group creation procedure is not a very good
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reason, groups should not be created in "alt" just because
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it's easier. Many sites do not get any alt groups, so if
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you are proposing a serious group, it is worth the effort to
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try to get it into a mainstream hierarchy.
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2) See what the alt.net.opinion of the new group is. Wait a
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few days for replies to trickle in from the far corners of
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the net. If the consensus (however you determine that) is
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that the group should be created, then proceed to step 3.
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(these first two steps are often ignored, which usually
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leads to unpleasantness in step 4 below)
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3) Post a "newgroup" control message. If you don't know
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how to do this, check with your news administrator. If you
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ARE your news administrator, and you can't figure it out
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from the documentation you have (or don't have any
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documentation) send me mail and I will help you. NOTE that
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many sites do NOT automatically honor "newgroup" and
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"rmgroup" control messages, the news software at these sites
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will send mail to the news administrator, who will evaluate
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your request and decide whether or not to create the group.
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It may take a couple of days for the control message to
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propagate and be acted upon, so don't expect instant
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availability of the new group, particularly if you post the
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control message on a Friday night.
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NB: It is good manners to put a description of the new
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newsgroup into the newgroup message, along with a
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one-line description suitable for inclusion into the
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newsgroups file.
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4) Let the individual site news administrators decide
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whether to honor your "newgroup" message. Most admins
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prefer that the message come from a verifiable account,
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messages which are obviously forged, or have not been
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discussed in alt.config and contain no explanation will
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probably not be honored by many sites. Persons opposed to
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the group, or admins who feel that the newgroup message was
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a forgery may send out "rmgroup" messages to try to sabotage
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the group. It may take several iterations of this process
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to firmly establish the new group. It has been humorously
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suggested that only alt groups which get 100 more "newgroup"
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than "rmgroup" messages should be established. However,
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these "rmgroup wars" are annoying to news administrators,
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and reduce the overall acceptance (and distribution) of the
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"alt" hierarchy. This is the reason that steps 1 and 2
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above are important.
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This may sound like a lot of rigamarole, and it is. The purpose is to
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discourage creation of alt groups that might be better off as mainstream
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groups, or that might be better off left uncreated.
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Don't take this all too seriously, though. The "alt" net is the last
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remaining refuge away from the control freaks, namespace purists and
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net.cops (like myself) that maintain and enforce the mainstream
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newsgroup guidelines.
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There is still some room for spontaneity out here on the "alt" frontier.
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Successful groups have been created without following these suggestions.
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Almost any non-forged, serious newgroup message will at least be
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considered by most news admins. Some groups have been created just on a
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whim. The concept behind the group better be good (or a least
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entertaining), though!
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[ If you want more information on mainstream group creation see the post
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"How to Create a New Newsgroup" posted to news.answers, news.admin and
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news.groups. ]
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--
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Christopher Samuel, c/o Computer Unit, UCW Aberystwyth, Aberystwyth, WALES
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RFC: ccs@aber.ac.uk UUCP: *!mcsun!uknet!aber!ccs JNT: ccs@uk.ac.aber
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"I don't like it, and I'm sorry I ever had anything to do with it."
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- Edwin Schrodinger on Quantum Theory
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