Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!rutgers!cbmvax!snark!eric
From: eric@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond)
Newsgroups: comp.society.folklore
Subject: Welcome to comp.society.folklore
Message-ID: <1b6tHV#6BZJnQ4ZG6Wq2vh3kP2wYTWn=eric@snark.thyrsus.com>
Date: 15 Apr 91 12:02:38 GMT
Lines: 40
Approved: eric@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond)

This group, comp.society.folklore, will be a moderated forum for the
discussion of computer folklore, facetiae, slang, anecdotes, and
satire.  The Jargon File on-line versions will be posted here.

I expect the range of postings to include:

	* The Jargon File; also proposed entries, criticism, and commentary.

	* Discussion of present and past hacker culture.

	* Pointers to retrocomputing software (TECO, INTERCAL, 029,
	  the JCL shell, etc).  Small sources of this kind will also be
	  accepted for posting, primarily so they'll be in the archives.

	* Reminiscences about ancient machines and software.

	* `Great Hacks of the Past' stories.

	* Selected items of computer-related humor, esp. those of
          historical or technical interest.

	* Oral history of computing; great untold stories by the
	  people who were there.

Attempts to prosecute holy wars will be ruthlessly flushed unless they
are written with sufficient grace and style to be funny in themselves.

I will try to select postings to create an ambience that encourages
both serious contributions and humorous (but respectful) comment.  I
hope to collect a cadre of regulars around the group that is seriously
interested in preserving our oral history.  I hope a few of these
regulars will agree to co-moderate with me to improve the quality
of the group's filtering for their technical cultures.

Postings will be archived and the archive made available for FTP.  I
will maintain a parallel computer-folklore list for people without
USENET access which will be gated to and from the newsgroup.  As I
have a direct connect to uunet, service should be quite reliable.
-- 
      Eric S. Raymond = eric@snark.thyrsus.com  (the moderator)