From: gst@spdcc.com (Gary S. Trujillo)
Newsgroups: alt.native,alt.config
Subject: NEW PROPOSAL for "alt.native" split
Date: 13 Sep 92 19:40:49 GMT
Expires: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 00:00:00 GMT
Reply-To: gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us (Gary S. Trujillo)
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting

I have recently been lobbying for the creation of a series of newsgroups
to provide channels for distributing NativeNet mailing list materials.
After a bit of reflection, taking into account various comments which have
been offered so far, I'd like to revise my proposal as follows:

I agree with Brian Brunner that it would be best to work toward making
alt.native into a mainstream newsgroup - perhaps something like "soc.native."
I just don't know if the votes are there, however.  There is a mechanism
which was referred to in the guidelines for creating new newsgroups in the
"alt." hierarchy for creating mainstream newsgroups on a trial basis.  I'm
uncertain whether that idea represents an appropriate route given that we
already have a functioning alt.native newsgroup.  I know of at least one
"alt." newsgroup (alt.bbs.waffle) that has "gone mainstream" (comp.bbs.waffle),
so I know it can be done.

My more important goal right now, though, is to create a separate newsgroup
for carrying the many urgent action bulletins and other informational kinds
of postings to the NATIVE-L mailing list via Usenet, and to do it in a way
that permits as many sites to be reached as possible (which is not a goal
that can be easily achieved via the "alt." hierarchy), and so that the link
is fully bidirectional (so that articles posted to the new newsgroup will
get sent back to the NATIVE-L moderator for distribution to the mailng list.

For the time being, I'd be satisfied to merely create a new newsgroup under
alt.native (I can accept Brian's suggestion which I render as "alt.native.d")
for now.  I can create such a newsgroup myself, with or without anyone's
approval, but I want to try to get as much consensus as possible beforehand,
so that it will not be as likely that systems administrators will block the
creation of the new newsgroup at their sites.  In fact, I've been advised to
send out a new control message to create "alt.native," since when Paul
Shields originally created the newsgroup a couple of years ago, he did so
without conducting any discussion in alt.config - so alt.native itself may
not have propagated to all the sites at which it might have been created.

Therefore, rather than conducting a formal vote, my intention is to merely
issue a "newgroup" control message in a few days for a newsgroup to be
called "alt.native.d" - and after another week or two, having given notice
to users of alt.native that they should move discussion-oriented topics to
the new newsgroup, I would change my gateway software so that the present
link between the NATCHAT mailing list and alt.native is severed, and a new
link established between NATCHAT and alt.native.  At the same time, or at
some later time (depending on how well people cooperate with moving dis-
cussion-oriented postings to alt.native.d), I would create a link between
the NATIVE-L list and alt.native.

Therefore, I am withdrawing the suggestion that the other mailing lists
(NAT-1492, NAT-EDU, and nn.lang) be linked with Usenet at the present time.
The volume of postings to these lists is small enough that it would be
easier to invite interested parties to merely subscribe to these lists.

So - let's say I'll wait until Friday, 18 September, before issuing newgroup
control messages for alt.native and alt.native.d.  If anyone has strong ob-
jections, and can muster a significant number of supporters for that point
of view, and can come up with an alternate suggestion, I'll hold off, or I'll
conduct a vote.

Meanwhile, I'm still looking for a volunteer to come forward to offer to
conduct a vote for a mainstream "soc.native" newsgroup.  I see this idea as
independent of the alt.native/alt.native.d split, since it would take on the
order of a couple of months to achieve, given the requirements of having a
discussion period and a vote, with a large number of people voting, etc.
If we do succeed it getting a mainstream group through, we could move
alt.native and alt.native.d.

If there is anyone (Brian?) who feels strongly that we should just work on
creating the mainstream newsgroup, and forget the split for now, and can
get some support for the idea, I'll be willing to consider holding off on
issuing the newgroup messages on that basis as well.

I'd like to encourage some discussion on this subject.

Thanks.

Gary
-- 
    Gary S. Trujillo                             gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us
Somerville, Massachusetts               {wjh12,bu.edu,spdcc,ima,cdp}!gnosys!gst
Newsgroups: alt.native