comp.lang.dylan: starting over

[meehan@src.dec.com]

The process of creating the comp.lang.dylan newsgroup to replace 
the info-dylan mailing list had been moving right along -- lots of 
votes came in over the weekend -- but alas, we have to start over 
from the beginning.

The Usenet guidelines for creating newsgroups specify that the Request 
For Discussion (RFD) and the Call For Votes (CFV) be posted to 
news.announce.newgroups.  I did that (in addition to sending copies 
to info-dylan, comp.lang.lisp, etc.), but it seems that on our local 
system, news.announce.newgroups was not installed as a "moderated" 
group.  The effect of this single incorrect bit (!) was that my messages 
got into the local copy of the newsgroup without going through the 
moderator, David Lawrence (tale@uunet.uu.net). The RFD and CFV were 
therefore never approved, and the whole discussion and vote is invalid. 

The problem is not simply that the proposal lacked someone's approval. 
The real issue is that because it wasn't approved, it didn't go 
out over the net to all the usenet sites, so the only people who 
ever participated in the discussion and vote were the folks who saw 
the message via info-dylan, comp.lang.lisp, etc.

In other words, we were arguably preaching to the converted, and 
it was not a fair election. 

My apologies to all who sent in comments and votes.  At least it 
makes for a good story about the importance of a single bit.

Now we start over.  I've *mailed* a new copy of the RFD to David 
Lawrence and asked him to post it to news.announce.newgroups and 
cross-post it to comp.lang.lisp, etc.  If all goes will, it should 
show up soon, and you'll have 3 weeks in which to *discuss* the proposal, 
which you do by posting messages to news.groups. Then, in 3 weeks, 
I'll issue a new Call For Votes, and then you can vote (again).  
With luck, we'll be done by New Year's. 

--Jim Meehan