Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!uunet!bionet!GENBANK.BIO.NET!kristoff From: kristoff@GENBANK.BIO.NET (Dave Kristofferson) Newsgroups: bionet.molbio.bio-matrix Subject: (none) Message-ID: Date: 6 Aug 90 23:06:12 GMT Sender: kristoff@genbank.BIO.NET Lines: 24 Regarding your question about what model exists for scientific discussions on newsgroups: Computer scientists routinely carry on discussions of issues of professional interest on USENET. While the USENET comp groups have their share of methods style questions, one is also likely to find discussions of items of professional interest. My model for bboard use stems from watching what goes on at meetings. For example, at the recent BIO-MATRIX meeting our sessions went all day and into the evening. It took a bit of endurance to sit through it all. There never was enough time to answer everyone's questions. After posting summaries of the talks further discussion could occur on the newsgroup without forcing people to stay conscious through half a dozen talks late in the evening. In fact, I would think that the potential is there to have more carefully considered comments since people can take more time to reflect and compose their remarks. Our hope at the meeting was to start an electronic journal for the MATRIX group. Dan Davison is looking into posting the meeting abstracts. Hope that this gives a better idea of how the newsgroups could be used. Dave Kristofferson