From: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu (Robert Jacobson)
Subject: ADMIN: (1) The new newsgroup and (2) 4 days of quiet!
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: WORLDESIGN, Seattle
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 05:30:44 GMT



First, Mark De Loura is off to SIGGRAPH (where he will be coordinating
a major get together of sci.virtual-worlds denizens:  look for postings
on bulletin boards or send Mark mail NOW, before he leaves for Chicago!).
And I am off to the annual Payne Pig Roast in Ridgefield, Washington,
one of the Seven Human Wonders of the Western World (SW-4).  If you have
to ask, you're not in the In Crowd.  Sorry.  So the newsgroup will go
untended for the weekend.  Take some time off and be happy.

Second, following is a preview of the notice that has been posted to
news.announce.newsgroup as a Request for Discussion.  Feel free to leave
your comments here, too.  We want to move fast on this while Mark still
has time free from graduate studies.  We hope you like it.  :-)

SCI.VIRTUAL-WORLDS.APPS
-----------------------

This is a Request for Discussion concerning a proposed newsgroup,

                    sci.virtual-worlds.apps

for the discussion of pending and actual applications of virtual
worlds technology in industrial, commercial, educational, and
entertainment settings.

Calling for the creation of this newsgroup are the founders and
current moderators of sci.virtual-worlds, Bob Jacobson and Mark De
Loura.

For over 18 months we have presided over the increasingly complex and
useful dialogues that have taken place on sci.v-w.  It's our opinion
that the conversations there are now varied enough to merit the
spinning off of a second newsgroup dedicated to actual applications of
the technology.  According to surveys, nearly 2% of USENET's millions
of readers tune in at least occasionally.  This diverse population
of interest can support more than one newsgroup.

In the past, mailing lists have formed to handle such specific topics
as software requirements for headsets and gloves, but we foresee a
larger need: the chance to publicly announce and discuss applications
of virtual worlds technology.  This will provide a kickstart to our
industry and help us to keep directed toward serving the public and
the market, rather than becoming inward-turned, all research and self-
preoccupation.

sci.virtual-worlds will continue to be sponsored by the HIT Lab.  It's
our belief that s.v-w should continue as a general forum for our
community, perhaps one more focused on cutting edge research and
philosophical issues.  These are still very important.  However, this
will be the prerogative of the new moderators and the participants.

sci.virtual-worlds.apps will be a place to take these discussions one
step farther, into the domain of serious applications.

We will have a two-week open period of debate and comment on this
proposal, in sci.virtual-worlds, on the WELL, and in the traditional
forum of news.announce.newgroups.  Then we will call for a formal
vote.  If there is a net positive vote of 100 participants, we will
create sci.virtual-worlds.apps and announce its formation to you.

Thank you for considering this proposal.  We believe it is necessary
for a newsgroup to exist in which to advance the state of our art
through the discussion of applications and their economic, commercial,
and social implication.  We welcome your comments and support.


Bob Jacobson                    Mark De Loura
Moderator                       Co-Moderator
cyberoid@u.washington.edu       madsax@u.washington.edu
        or                              or
bluefire@well.sf.ca.us          deloura@cs.unc.edu
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds