Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!uunet!aplcen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!xanth!talos!kjones
From: kjones@talos.uucp (Kyle Jones)
Newsgroups: gnu.config
Subject: Re: Purpose
Message-ID: <1989Nov16.142657.11437@talos.uucp>
Date: 16 Nov 89 14:26:57 GMT
References: <8911150658.AA00254@sugar-bombs.ai.mit.edu>
Reply-To: kjones@talos.uu.net
Distribution: gnu
Lines: 40

rms@AI.MIT.EDU writes:
 > The principal purpose of info-gnu-emacs (a.k.a. gnu.emacs) is to
 > convey announcements and polls on behalf of the GNU project to the
 > users of GNU Emacs.
 > [...]
 > In other words, not for discussions and not for asking for help.

I think the name gnu.emacs is very mislading to the typical USENET
reader.  I know that gnu.* != USENET, but the difference is not readily
apparent to newcomers (slag? :-)).  The typical reader sees comp.emacs,
and assumes gnu.emacs is the saem type of forum.  This is a reasonable
assumption, even though it is incorrect.

Therefore I suggest:

  1. Put the announcement groups under gnu.announce, e.g.
     gnu.announce.emacs, gnu.announce.gcc.

  2. If it is acceptable to have discussions in the *.bug groups (I'm
     still not sure), then I suggest removing the .bug trailer, i.e.
     gnu.emacs.bug becomes gnu.emacs, gnu.gcc.bug becomes gnu.gcc and so
     on.

     If discussions in the .bug groups are not acceptable, then leave
     the <thing>.bug groups alone, but allow discussions in the <thing>
     group.  <thing> would be a freestanding newsgroup, unassociated
     with a mailing list.

The result would be (if discssion is not allowed in .bug groups)

    gnu.announce.emacs  <-->  info-gnu-emacs
    gnu.emacs
    gnu.emacs.bug       <-->  bug-gnu-emacs
    etc.

And (if discsion is allowed in .bug groups)

    gnu.announce.emacs  <-->  info-gnu-emacs
    gnu.emacs           <-->  bug-gnu-emacs
    etc.