Creating a new "alt" group -- guidelines

 Xref: ruuinf alt.config:13114 news.groups:60750 news.answers:7430

Newsgroups: alt.config,news.groups,alt.answers,news.answers

Path: ruuinf!sun4nl!mcsun!uknet!gdt!aber!ccs

From: ccs@aber.ac.uk (Christopher Samuel)

Subject: Creating a new "alt" group -- guidelines

Message-ID: <alt-config_735227353@aber.ac.uk>

Followup-To: alt.config

Summary: RTFSL

Keywords: group creation alt

Sender: ccs@aber.ac.uk (Christopher "Jd" Samuel)

Supersedes: <alt-config_733662787@aber.ac.uk>

Organization: University of Wales - Aberystwyth - Prifysgol Cymru

Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1993 13:49:24 GMT

Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu

Expires: Mon, 17 May 1993 13:49:13 GMT

Lines: 150

Archive-name: alt-config-guide

Version: 1.5

Last-modified: Mon Apr  5 12:00:39 GMT 1993

Original-poster: markw@gvlf8.gvl.unisys.com (Mark H. Weber)

[This posting supercedes <alt-config_733662787@aber.ac.uk>]

/*

 * Many FAQs, including this one, are available on the archive site

 * pit-manager.mit.edu (alias rtfm.mit.edu) [18.172.1.27] in the

 * directory pub/usenet/news.answers.  The name under which a FAQ

 * is archived appears in the Archive-name line at the top of the

 * article. 

 *

 * This FAQ is archived as "alt-config-guide".

 *

 * There's a mail server on that machine.  For help send an e-mail

 * message to mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu containing "help" as

 * the body of your message. 

 */

/*

 * If you want information on mainstream group creation see the

 * postings "How to Create a New Newsgroup" posted to news.answers,

 * news.admin and news.groups. They are archived as:

 *

 * pit-manager.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/creating-newsgroups/*

 */



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.

     1) Choose the name for the group you are going to propose.  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:

a) alt.verylonggroupnamethathasadirectorylongerthanmostmachines\

supportsotherehaha.very.funny

b) alt.[insert300charactershere].very.long.group.name.that.is.\

too.big.for.newsrc

c) alt.*.this.name.has.bad.characters.in.it

d) alt..double.dot.group.name

If you are proposing a serious group, which may one day in the

future migrate to a mainstream hierarchy, then you can name it

with the same name that it may end up with there.  For instance

"sci.astro.fits" started life as "alt.sci.astro.fits".

An extra point, 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. 

     2) 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. 

     3) 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

 */

 

     4) 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. 

/*

 * 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.  INN at least

 * will automatically add the newsgroups description if a line of

 * the form used by David 'tale' Lawrence is used, ie:

 *

 * A line with "For your newsgroups file:" followed by the entry. 

 */

     5) 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. 

/* Here ends the lesson.

 *

 * 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!

 */

-- 

 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

It's an ill wind that blows no minds | PGP 2.1 public key available on request