From: mrc@Ikkoku-Kan.Panda.COM (Mark Crispin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: new newsgroup discussion
Date: 10 Nov 92 16:49:52 GMT
Article-I.D.: Ikkoku-K.MS-C.721414192.1103527590.mrc
Organization: University of Washington
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Mime-Version: 1.0

The responses I've received to my call for a new newsgroup have been very
positive.  There seems to be a definite groundswell to take back what was once
a useful facility.  I'd like to solicit some opinions on what would be the
best way to accomplish this.  I can see several possibilities:
 1) Do nothing.
 2) Mailing list.  This would be an e-mail exploder address that you send mail
    to instead of post.
    Advantages: easier to control.  Abusive people can be expelled.
    Disadvantages: individual copies for each recipient.  Not as widely
     distributed.
    2a) moderated.  Incoming messages go to a mailbox, where a moderator
	examines them before redistributing them to a secret list.
	Advantages: flame control.
	Disadvantage: lots of work for the moderator.  Delays.  Possible
	 questions about the moderator's performance.
    2b) unmoderated.  Messages are distributed immediately.  Abuses are
	to only when they happen.
	Advantages: not as extreme as a moderated mailing list.
	Disadvantages: proper flame control still requires a lot of work on
	 the part of the mailing list owner.
 3) Moderated newsgroup.
    Advantages: less maintenance than a mailing list.
    Disadvantages: lots of work for some person to be moderator.
 4) Newsgroup restructuring/partition.  Split s.c.j. into various parts, and
    perhaps have some of them be moderated.  Here's a strawman of a possible
    split:
    soc.culture.japan.history		postings related to Japanese history:
					modern, imperialist, early Meiji, Edo
					jidai, sengoku jidai, etc.  The 50
					YEARS AGO TODAY postings would go here

    soc.culture.japan.popular		Japanese popular culture, including
					j-pop, manga, anime, TV, karaoke, etc.
					Note that there are newsgroups
					dedicated to some of these

    soc.culture.japan.traditional	Japanese traditional culture

    soc.culture.japan.sports		sumo, baseball, etc.

    soc.culture.japan.politics		current Japanese politics

    soc.culture.japan.religion		matters related to religion (or lack
					thereof) in Japan

    soc.culture.japan.technology	matters related to technology in Japan

    soc.culture.japan.advocacy		this is what I call `The Japan Times
					newsgroup.'  JT tends to be filled
					with letters of the form ``Japan would
					be a lot better if they would...'  It
					seems to be a popular exercise in
					Japan for gaijin to blow off steam in
					this manner.  Annoyed because you
					can't use the ATM after 7PM?  Write a
					letter to the Japan Times, where it'll
					get printed to a mass audience and
					ignored.

    soc.culture.japan.bash		this is for that ever-popular item,
					particularly for those from Red China
					and Taiwan, the bashing of Japan.
					Since they are psychologically unable
					to keep their obscenity-laden filth on
					soc.culture.china/taiwan where it
					belongs, we'd give them a special
					newsgroup for that purpose.

    soc.culture.japan.asano		this is reserved for all paranoid,
					racist, and historically inaccurate
					ranting

    There is intentionally not a soc.culture.japan.misc.

Well, what do you think?