Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!execu!sequoia!dewey From: dewey@sequoia.UUCP (Dewey Henize) Newsgroups: comp.os.misc Subject: Re: A call for votes! Summary: This isn't even close to how you do it... Message-ID: <453@sequoia.UUCP> Date: 15 Apr 89 14:42:24 GMT References: <480@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US> Reply-To: dewey@sequoia.UUCP (Dewey Henize) Distribution: usa Organization: Home for Recalcitrant Hackers Lines: 86 In article <480@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US> violence@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US (Violence) writes: >CALL FOR VOTES >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >I would like to see the addition of 'comp.os.primos' to the USENET community. >PRIMOS is a major operating system and deserves more than a mere post or two ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >in comp.os.misc. I will be polling votes for the next 4 weeks. Every week ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >I will tally up all current votes (for/against) and present them to the net >community. If you are for this new conference then press 'r' now and tell >me so! > >I understand that there is a PRIMOS distribution list. Has anyone any info >regarding this? Thank you. > >Violence/TVH First, you haven't shown anything resembling a need for the 'conference' (it's called a 'newsgroup' usually). As a matter of fact, you present a wonderful case for why it SHOULD NOT be a newsgroup with your own statement about 'a mere post or two in comp.os.misc.' The point of newsgroups is to separate out specific topics that have regularly shown enough interest to justify their own namespace, not just because you would LIKE to see more postings. This is especially true in the comp groups. You seem to be making the case that PRIMOS should have its own place to get posts based on your perception that its an important operating system, and not based at all on any indication of activity ON USENET regarding it. This is backwards, if there is expressed need shown by number of postings in a subject, THEN is when you try to get a newsgroup - you don't try to get a newsgroup (especially a comp newsgroup) for something no one shows any real interest it. Second, you don't start collecting votes out of the blue. Although there are always minor variances, the procedure is basically to first call for discussion by posting to groups where there has appeared to be an interested group and to redirect followups and further discussion to news.groups. Granted, when you start out with no groups that show a significant amount of interest it's gonna be hard, but that should show something in itself :-). After a minimum discussion of two weeks in news.groups, a call for votes is appropriate, with the votes for and against being collected by someone at a reasonably well connected site. Currently it takes a count of 100 MORE yes votes than no votes for a group. Personal Opinion: PRIMOS is of, at best, peripheral interest to the vast majority of net.folks. It only runs on Prime machines, which are not exactly the most widely used machines around, and it would seem that that trend is increasing. Prime machines themselves are not compatable with much or anything else, and often with each other (at the software level). It would seem that Prime is fairly aware of this, given their recent diversification into more widely accepted areas, like 386 Unix boxes and CADD systems. How much of the net community uses PRIMOS though is probably pretty low. In the last couple years I don't recall seeing anyone discuss putting anything like rn or notes or news on a PRIME running PRIMOS - although with the diversity of folks we have, there's bound to be someone that attempted it somewhere out of shear perversity. We've had several PRIME machines where I work. Right now, one of the things I'm really looking forward to is our scheduled deinstall of the last one. If it doesn't hang at least once a week we know no one has logged it. Disks seem to get clobbered about that often on average too. Trying to teach a new user anything like an underlying structure or philosophy of the system so that they can use it effectively is a real exercise in frustration. And wow, such an impressive array of supported and effective word processing tools! If you gather from the above I don't think much of PRIME, you're pretty much on the right track. If you also gather that I don't think there's a real audience for a group specifically for PRIMOS on Usenet, you are also correct. However, if you think those two opinions are inextricably linked, you are incorrect. Why don't you try FIRST to get on the distribution list, if such a critter exists, instead of starting first with the suggestion that several thousand sites start carrying a group that's shown basically no need to exist? Dewey Henize -- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- | There is nothing in the above message that can't be explained by sunspots. | | execu!dewey Dewey Henize | | Can you say standard disclaimer? I knew you could. Somehow... | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-