Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!kuhub.cc.ukans.edu!sloane
From: sloane@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: news.groups
Subject: Proposal for changes to the newsgroup creation guidlines.
Message-ID: <14718.2538b6f4@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>
Date: 15 Oct 89 21:57:23 GMT
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services
Lines: 108

Hi All,

I would like to propose a change to the voting guidelines currently being
used in the group creation process.  As we have seen several times, chosing
the name for a proposed group can be difficult.  The following procedure,
which I first proposed in <14035.2530882d@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>, will help
alleviate naming problems in the group creation process. I propose that we
amend the group creation guidelines as follows.

===================== START OF PROPOSED REVISIONS =========================
The Vote

1) AFTER the discussion period, if it has been determined that a new
   group is really desired, a charter is agreed upon, and it has been
   determined whether the group will be moderated and if so who will
   moderate it, a call for votes may be posted to news.announce.newgroups
   and any other groups or mailing lists that the original call for
   discussion might have been posted to. ... [no further changes.]

2) [no changes]

3) [no changes]

4) [no changes]

5) Votes should be cast for or against any name for the proposed group that the
   voter deems appropriate.  Multiple votes from the same voter are allowed as
   as long each vote is for a unique name for the group.  Acceptable votes
   will consist of a newsgroup name and an indication of whether or not the
   voter is for or against that particular name.  Newsgroup names may use the
   character "*" as a wildcard to indicate portions of the name which do not
   matter to the voter. For example, "* YES" would indicate that the voter
   favors creation of the group no matter what the name. Unambiguous statements
   of "wildcard" group names are allowed, for example, "any group in the sci
   hierarchy should be created" would be the same as "sci.* yes."

6) [no changes]

7) Counting the votes may be done as follows.  First, translate all
   unambiguous votes to a format like:

      group.name_or_wildcard yes_or_no voter_name <voter.address>

   Then sort the list by group name, eliminating any duplicates.

   Finally, construct a table of all specific group names in the vote list.
   Following the group name in this table, put the number of specific votes
   for and against that name, counting any matching wildcards.  For example:

      group.name1 yes voter1 <voter1.address>
      group.*     yes voter2 <voter2.address>
      *           no  voter3 <voter3.address>

   would count as 2 YES and 1 NO votes for group.name1. Wildcard votes that
   include other names specified by the *same* voter, for example:

      group.*    yes voter <voter.address>
      group.name yes voter <voter.address>

   should be considered as duplicates and not counted as multiple votes for
   group.name.  The example:

      group.*     yes voter <address>
      group.name1 no  voter <address>

   is not ambiguous, and would count as a NO vote for group.name1, and as
   a YES vote for any other group.* possibility.
 
   The final table of votes will be something like:

                          YES                   NO
      group.name1  number_of_yes_votes   number_of_no_votes.
      group.name2  number_of_yes_votes   number_of_no_votes.
      ...

   This table will be used to decide whether or not the group should be
   created and what name should be used.


The Result

1) At the completion of the 30 day voting period, the vote taker must post
   the vote table constructed above, the list of voters and their votes to
   news.announce.newgroups and any other groups or mailing lists to which the
   original call for votes was posted.

2) [no change]

3) AFTER the waiting period, and if there were no serious objections that might
   invalidate the vote, then the result of the vote may me analyzed.  Any
   specific group name which received fewer then 100 more YES than NO votes
   will not be considered for creation.  If no name receives 100 more YES than
   NO votes, then no group should be created.

   If only one specific name receives 100 more YES than NO votes, then the
   group will be created using that name.  If more than one specific name
   receives 100 more YES than NO votes, then the name with the highest
   percentage of YES votes will be created.
   [no further changes.]
=============================== END OF PROPOSED REVISIONS =====================

Please keep in mind that this is just a proposal. I welcome any comment
anyone has to make.
-- 
USmail: Bob Sloane, University of Kansas Computer Center, Lawrence, KS, 66045
E-mail: sloane@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu, sloane@ukanvax.bitnet, AT&T: (913)864-0444 
 "The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed 
             entirely of lost airline luggage." -- Mark Russell