mailing list -> UseNet newsgroup

[meehan@Pa.dec.com (Jim Meehan)]

For the benefit of those of you on the mailing list who haven't heard
about this yet, I'm proposing that there be a UseNet newsgroup named
comp.lang.lisp.mcl to replace the info-mcl mailing list.  The protocol
for creating a newsgroup has two parts, a Request For Discussion (RFD),
and after a couple of weeks, a Call For Votes.  The discussion takes
place on news.groups (NOT on info-mcl).

If you don't have access to UseNet, I believe there are still ways
for you to see the newsgroup messages, but I'm no expert in this area;
perhaps someone who is would like to explain how that would work.  If
you want to contribute to the discussion, either post a message to
news.groups (with the subject "Re: RFD: comp.lang.lisp.mcl") or mail
it to me and I'll forward it for you.

Here's the RFD that was sent out over UseNet:

Request For Discussion (RFD) on creation of comp.lang.lisp.mcl
==============================================================
                                                                      
Author: Jim Meehan (meehan@src.dec.com)                      
Date:   June 3, 1991
                                                                   
Proposed newsgroup:                                               
-------------------                                              
                                                                
   Name      :  comp.lang.lisp.mcl
   Charter   :  A forum to discuss Macintosh Common Lisp
   Moderated :  No                                                   
                                                                    
Proposal:                                                          
---------                                                         

The purpose of the newsgroup is to provide a forum for talking about
Apple's Macintosh Common Lisp (MCL), earlier versions of which were
called Coral Common Lisp (CCL) and Macintosh Allegro Common Lisp (MACL).

There is currently a mailing list, info-macl@cambridge.apple.com,
maintained by the Apple/Cambridge office for this purpose, but the
large quantity of mail and the types of discussions make it clear that a
newsgroup might be a more appropriate mechanism.

comp.lang.lisp has become something of a Babel of messages about the
language Common Lisp, bug-reports for specific implementations,
questions from rank novices, inquiries about freeware, complaints about
machine-specific bootstrapping hassles, comparisons of vendors, and
lots more.  The info-macl mailing list has at least spared
comp.lang.lisp readers from the nitty gritty detail of the Mac
implementation, but given the different priority with which some of
us treat mail vs. news, not to mention the increasing number of requests
from people who feel so swamped that they wish to be removed from the
mailing list, we think that a newsgroup would be better.

I would like to be able to issue the official call for votes by June
15th, so please add your voice to this discussion, if you're interested,
as soon as possible.  Note that the discussion happens on news.groups,
so post your comments there.  If you don't have post-access to
news.groups, send your comments to me and I will forward them.

If the votes for the newsgroup are not in favor, the mailing list will
still be maintained.  Apple/Cambridge has volunteered to handle whatever
administrative tasks would be required by USENET, but this would be
an unmoderated group.