From: holst@mrl.arc.nasa.gov (Laura Holst)
Subject: Re: notice to all.... sub-groups
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Ames Res. Ctr. Mtn Vw CA 94035
Distribution: usa
Date: 28 Sep 1992 21:37 PST  

In article <3N6TRB6w165w@grafex.Cupertino.CA.US>, steveh@grafex.Cupertino.CA.US (Steve Harding KA6ETB) writes...
>satilley@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu writes:
> 
>> In article <-65nmrq.amyk@netcom.com>, amyk@netcom.com (Amy Kurtzman) writes:
> 
>> > Basically, I think you need a more sophisticated kill file. It sounds
>> > like you are killing each individual article and including each new
>> > subject heading with the kill. The r.a.t.s. FAQ on kill files shows
>> > how to make one that only requires one line per soap that you don't
>> > want to read about. The kill file doesn't need to take up half of your
>> > disk space! I am not an expert on kill files, so I can't quote the
>> > exact format here (and I'm not a Unix expert, so I don't know how to
>> > look at my kill file right now without losing this article). But I do
>> > think I have described your kill file problem and proposed the right
>> > solution.
>> > 
>> > The idea of including only the referenced soap (e.g., SB) is bad
>> > because then I would have to spend more than and hour and a half
>> > looking at each article to decide it if I want to read it. With topics
>> > in the subject line, I can scan them all at once using = and only pick
>> > the ones of interest.
>> > 
>> > The abbreviations have been standardized and usually only newcomers
>> > use the wrong ones until the error of their ways is pointed out.
> 
>> What about separating this group into the major networks: NBC, ABC, CBS.
>> That way, if someone watches only <one> networks, they only have to have that
>> one in their reading list.   And, then a kill file would only be the one or t
>> that you don't watch.
>> 
>> For example, this would be rec.arts.tv.soaps.nbc ,etc. You get my point./
>> 
>> Unfortunately, this would have been nice, unitl I started watching all 3 NBC
>> soaps and GL!!!!! But, it would still be easier than weeding through all thre
>> networks and the prime time  stuff.
> 
>I have to agree with Amy.  Learn how to use your kill file.  If your news
>reader does not have a kill file, then you are using a poor news reader.
>Check with your system administrator.
> 
>Secondly, the routine to go thru to create newsgroups is not trivial.  It takes
>at least three months.  As I recall, the steps are similar to below:
> 
>1.   A Request For Discussion (RFD) must be filed on news.groups.  The RFD
>     must include a charter for the proposed new groups.  The charter states
>     what kind of traffic will be allowed and whether or not the group will
>     be moderated.
> 
>2.   After a period of time (which I forget, but is at least a month), a
>     second RFD is posted.
> 
>     Discussion on the merits of the proposed new group takes place in the
>     newsgroup proposing the change (in this case /r/a/t/s), AND news.groups.
>     Readers of news.groups are merciless.  These are the high volume voters
>     (voters, you say?  But USENET is not a democracy...it is anarchy.  More
>     on this later).
> 
>3.   After the discussion period is over, a Call For Votes (CFV) is issued.
>     Now comes the hard part.  Someone has to collect and tally the votes.
>     Which means someone somewhere on the net has to create a script or write
>     a program to automatically collect the Yays and Nays.
> 
>     This is from memory, and therefore is suspect.  A CFV to pass has to have
>     at least 200 voters, and (this I am sure of) there must be 100 more Yays
>     than Nays.
> 
>     If it passes, the new newsgroups are created.  If it fails, then the
>     supporters must wait six months and go through the process again.
> 
>As I said, USENET is an anarchy.  But even in an anarchy, there must be some
>rules (read guidelines).  The above are the guidelines followed (as I said,
>to the best of my recollection) to create or modify newsgroups.
> 
>Hardly worth the effort, especially when judicious use of a kill file will
>solve the problem.  (BTW...I'd vote against it.)
> 
>steve
> 
>-- 
>play:steveh@grafex.Cupertino.CA.US 408.252.0578     work:harding@nas.nasa.gov
>              A prince trapped in the body of a dirty old man.


This probably isn't the proper newsgroup for this question, but...
I wonder how hard it was to start

ALT.TODD.GREEN.LIKES.IT.UP.THE.BUTT  ???????

God, if a group like that can be started, what would be so hard about
starting rec.arts.tv.soaps.abc ??
Or maybe I'm just net.stupid

--- Laura 'always wondered about that' Holst
    holst@merlin.arc.nasa.gov