Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!apple!limbo!taylor
From: taylor (Dave Taylor)
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Re: Changing moderators/unmoderating "comp.society"
Message-ID: <2006@limbo.Intuitive.Com>
Date: 11 May 91 09:16:46 GMT
Sender: taylor@limbo.Intuitive.Com
Organization: Intuitive Systems, Mountain View, California  +1 (415) 966-1151
Lines: 63
Approved: taylor@Limbo.Intuitive.Com

Thom Gillespie suggests:

> Even if someone does 'step forward', why don't we have a vote on the
> moderator.

I think that's an excellent idea and I strongly support it.  In fact,
let's phrase it this way; if you're interested in possibly taking over
as moderator/coordinator of comp.society, please submit a position 
statement for inclusion in the group.

>> Note: moderation is more than simply checking the articles on Usenet.
>> There's also a popular digest version of the group -- The Computers &
>> Society Digest -- that would have to either be carried along, disbanded,
>> or otherwise dealt with...
> 
> Dave can you elaborate a little more on what you do.  How much time it
> takes?  What are the headaches?  How much experience does someone need?

The basic sequence of events is that all articles received are
screened for appropriateness -- and returned if I don't believe
it's apropos for comp.society -- then submitted to the netnews
system directly, with a chance to edit the text first.  At that
point I fix typographic errors, format things consistently, cut
down on the quoting of previous articles, remove signatures, and
similar editorial fine tuning.

Once posted, a copy is also saved in a mail folder.

Every few weeks (usually when I've accumulated 500+ lines of
information in the mail folder) I then run the mailbox through
a set of filters and shell scripts, which then generates a
standard ARPANet-style Digest version of that accumulated set
of messages.  That is mailed, automatically, to a variety of
redistribution points, including a major server on BITNET that
sends it out to a few hundred subscribers.  There are also a 
number of individual subscribers -- people that don't have access 
to Usenet -- but the entire mailing list is about 60 entries total.

That's the basic sequence of events, with the additional work
required for upkeep, maintenance, and similar.  The tools are
very stable and haven't been modified in at least two years.
They are available (indeed, they've been previously posted to
comp.soources.unix about three years ago as a moderation and
digestification package) and would be sent to whomever was 
chosen as the new group coordinator.

More subtle involvement includes scanning relevant professional
journals for articles of possible interest to the readership and
then working with the authors/publications to obtain written
permission to redistribute the information directly.  (I've worked
with Academic Computing, among others, in this regard).

Total time involved, once things settle down, is probably about an
hour or two a week, depending on traffic levels and acceptance
criteria.

		Hoping to have someone appear out of the woodwork,

						-- Dave Taylor
Intuitive Systems
Mountain View, California

taylor@limbo.intuitive.com    or   {uunet!}{decwrl,apple}!limbo!taylor