From: eah@xenitec.on.ca (Ed Hew)
Subject: Re: Committee Discussion Archives
Organization: XeniTec Consulting, Kitchener, Ontario, CANADA
Date: Sat, 09 Jan 1993 14:49:16 GMT

In article <395@unbc.edu> lyndon@unbc.edu (Lyndon Nerenberg) writes:
> eah@xenitec.on.ca (Ed Hew) writes:
>> sl@wimsey.bc.ca (Stuart Lynne) writes:
>> >Wouldn't it be nice if we could see the CA Domain Committee's archives?
>
>> Speaking strictly for myself, I get the distinct impression that
>> no one on the committee is violently opposed to public perusal of
>> CA Domain Committee discussions, although there has been substantial
>> comment that making this available should be done in such a manner
>> as to not preclude performance of the daily duties and necessary
>> operation of the committee.  For example, we don't want to do anything
>> that might delay approval of applications.
>
>Oh for Christs sake! You wonder why I seriously doubt the sanity of
>this group of people?

Actually, yes, I do wonder this.
In article <384@unbc.edu> lyndon@unbc.edu (Lyndon Nerenberg) you wrote:
:I'm also aware
:that there are applications currently being held up for questionable reasons
:by some of the incumbent members. 	[...]

You don't want delays, but you question why we should want to minimize
them?

>The committee meets as a mailing list. Hundreds of internet mailing
>lists maintain automatic archives. so what is the problem!?!?! Surely
>*someone* on that esteemed group can figure out how to set it up?

I've proposed a number of varying mechanisms to the committee to
accomodate making committee archives publicly available.  There
is no technical problem, merely concern about operational issues.
Should my recommendations to the committee be successfuly, I hope
that you'll be able to see the process for yourself.

>Is there an archive of the mailing list anywhere? If yes, just put
>the file up for anonymous FTP and we'll take it from there.

I understand that there is, although I don't have them.   The most
likely initial form of archive availability would be using this method,
provided that can.domain discussions don't convince anyone to nix the
plan.

>Next, add a line to the committee mailing list alias that appends each
>message to a file that sits in an anonymous FTP directory somewhere.
>Write an incredibly complex five line shell script that cron can run
>once a month to rotate the file. You now have publically accessable
>mailing list archives.

The mechanism already exists.  It's now merely a question of when
and where these will be made available, subject to concept reversals.

>If you're *really* daring, add another line to
>the mailing list alias that gateways each message into can.domain.bozo
>so UUCP sites can read them.

I have proposed doing precisely that, although my choice of newsgroup
name would be more appropriate.  I must note that comments using
phraseology such as you seem to favour go a long way to preclude the
agreement of the 20+ people on the committee to allow me to do it.
Until the committee _as_a_whole_ feels that direct real-time gateing
of committee discussions will perform a positive function instead of
simply generate incessant antagonistic bickering, it won't happen.
I personally feel that it _can_ be positive, but I read things here
that instill some doubts.  I'd like to continue thinking that this
is merely as a result of the frustration that lack of information
causes, and would like to continue working towards alleviating this
deficiency.

                --ed            (Ed Hew)
--
        Canadian UUCP Map Coordinator           <path@cs.toronto.edu>
   ==>  UUCP liason to .CA Domain Registry	<registry@cs.toronto.edu>
        XeniTec Consulting Services             <edhew@xenitec.on.ca>
Newsgroups: can.domain