Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!uw-entropy!mica!charlie
From: charlie@mica.stat.washington.edu (Charlie Geyer)
Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions
Subject: Re: Info on newsgroup charters?
Message-ID: <2238@uw-entropy.ms.washington.edu>
Date: 8 Sep 89 00:09:51 GMT
References: <23376@louie.udel.EDU>
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Reply-To: charlie@mica.stat.washington.edu (Charlie Geyer)
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In article <23376@louie.udel.EDU> rsmith@udel.EDU (R. Timothy Smith) writes:

> How can I find out the original charter of an established newsgroup
> that's been around for quite a while (such that earlier postings
> have long since disappeared ...

Look at the article "List of Active Newsgroups" regularly posted in
news.announce.newusers.  It gives one-line descriptions of what the
groups are.  That's about as official as you can get.

Other than that, you have to read the group (if it's active).  An
unmoderated news group is what it is, whether this agrees with the
original charter or not.