Path: mccuts!nessie!uknet!gdt!aber!ccs From: ccs@aber.ac.uk (Christopher Samuel) Newsgroups: alt.config,news.groups,news.answers Subject: Creating a new "alt" group -- guidelines Summary: RTFSL Keywords: group creation alt Message-ID: Date: 4 Jan 93 13:54:49 GMT Expires: Mon, 1 Feb 1993 13:54:36 GMT Sender: ccs@aber.ac.uk (Christopher "Jd" Samuel) Followup-To: alt.config Organization: University of Wales - Aberystwyth - Prifysgol Cymru Lines: 125 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Xref: mccuts alt.config:9055 news.groups:35425 news.answers:4549 Supersedes: X-Original-Poster: markw@gvlf8.gvl.unisys.com (Mark H. Weber) Archive-name: alt-config-guide Version: 1.4 Last-modified: Mon Dec 7 17:06:05 GMT 1992 Guidelines for the creation of an "alt" group. There are no rules or guidelines for creation of "alt" groups, However there does appear to be an established procedure which follows. First a quick bit of common-sense on choosing the name: When choosing a name for a group please note the only commandment: Thou shalt not choose a group name which may cause network harm or harm to a local machine. Examples: alt.fan.enya.puke.puke.pukeSender: [preceding line to Sender had deleted; also the trailing : can cause problems in some news systems] alt.verylonggroupnamethathasadirectorylongerthanmost\ machinessupportsotherehaha.very.funny alt.[insert300charactershere].very.long.group.name.\ that.is.too.big.for.newsrc alt.*.this.name.has.bad.characters.in.it alt..double.dot.group.name [ An extra pointer, please don't use the '.' as a word seperator; ] [ although it causes no real problem it won't win you many friends ] [ when you take the name to alt.config ] Now the Guidelines: ------------------- 1) Propose a new alt group in alt.config. The proposal should include a charter or purpose for the new group, and some demonstration of the need for the group. It is best to make it clear in your subject line that you are proposing a new group. Be prepared to explain why an existing group cannot be used for this purpose, and why the group should be in "alt" rather than in one of the mainstream hierarchies (like "rec", "sci", etc.). Avoiding the complexity of the mainstream group creation procedure is not a very good reason, groups should not be created in "alt" just because it's easier. Many sites do not get any alt groups, so if you are proposing a serious group, it is worth the effort to try to get it into a mainstream hierarchy. 2) See what the alt.net.opinion of the new group is. Wait a few days for replies to trickle in from the far corners of the net. If the consensus (however you determine that) is that the group should be created, then proceed to step 3. (these first two steps are often ignored, which usually leads to unpleasantness in step 4 below) 3) Post a "newgroup" control message. If you don't know how to do this, check with your news administrator. If you ARE your news administrator, and you can't figure it out from the documentation you have (or don't have any documentation) send me mail and I will help you. NOTE that many sites do NOT automatically honor "newgroup" and "rmgroup" control messages, the news software at these sites will send mail to the news administrator, who will evaluate your request and decide whether or not to create the group. It may take a couple of days for the control message to propagate and be acted upon, so don't expect instant availability of the new group, particularly if you post the control message on a Friday night. NB: It is good manners to put a description of the new newsgroup into the newgroup message, along with a one-line description suitable for inclusion into the newsgroups file. 4) Let the individual site news administrators decide whether to honor your "newgroup" message. Most admins prefer that the message come from a verifiable account, messages which are obviously forged, or have not been discussed in alt.config and contain no explanation will probably not be honored by many sites. Persons opposed to the group, or admins who feel that the newgroup message was a forgery may send out "rmgroup" messages to try to sabotage the group. It may take several iterations of this process to firmly establish the new group. It has been humorously suggested that only alt groups which get 100 more "newgroup" than "rmgroup" messages should be established. However, these "rmgroup wars" are annoying to news administrators, and reduce the overall acceptance (and distribution) of the "alt" hierarchy. This is the reason that steps 1 and 2 above are important. This may sound like a lot of rigamarole, and it is. The purpose is to discourage creation of alt groups that might be better off as mainstream groups, or that might be better off left uncreated. Don't take this all too seriously, though. The "alt" net is the last remaining refuge away from the control freaks, namespace purists and net.cops (like myself) that maintain and enforce the mainstream newsgroup guidelines. There is still some room for spontaneity out here on the "alt" frontier. Successful groups have been created without following these suggestions. Almost any non-forged, serious newgroup message will at least be considered by most news admins. Some groups have been created just on a whim. The concept behind the group better be good (or a least entertaining), though! [ If you want more information on mainstream group creation see the post "How to Create a New Newsgroup" posted to news.answers, news.admin and news.groups. ] -- Christopher Samuel, c/o Computer Unit, UCW Aberystwyth, Aberystwyth, WALES RFC: ccs@aber.ac.uk UUCP: *!mcsun!uknet!aber!ccs JNT: ccs@uk.ac.aber "I don't like it, and I'm sorry I ever had anything to do with it." - Edwin Schrodinger on Quantum Theory