Usenet Group Mentors
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We intend to find volunteers experienced in the ways of Usenet
to help people proposing new newsgroups to
- select sane names within the Usenet namespace and
- write their own RFD (Request for Discussion) better
One purpose is to extend the idea of what group-advice does,
except to pair a Usenet-experienced volunteer with a newsgroup proponent.
First, read the documents
How to Write a Good Newsgroup Proposal and
How to Format and Submit a New Group
Proposal.
You may also send mail to the mail list at group-mentors@acpub.duke.edu.
(Current proposals were once listed on the
Group-Mentors Work in Progress page.)
The qualifications to join the Usenet Group Mentors is similar to UVV.
In order to help others with the process, you need to be familiar with it.
- Familiarity with the group creation process.
- Understanding of some namespace issues on Usenet.
- Familiarity with voting disasters and why they are Bad.
- Capable of being simultaneously firm and diplomatic.
- Responsible.
(This list has just been added and is still
subject to review & change.)
- Mentors act as assistants to the proponent.
(Therefore, the mentor cannot be the vote-taker.)
- The mentor will review and approve the RFD and then submit it
to the news.announce.newgroups moderator.
- When a group proponent contacts the group-mentors mail list for
assistance, the only responses which they should see are along the lines
of "I'll take it".
Other comments should be sent to the person who volunteers to handle that
subject.
- Mentors are advised not to vote at all on the proposal they assist.
However, if you're thinking of voting "no",
you definitely should just abstain so you won't lead the proponent
to believe that your support was anything less than genuine.
- If a mentor is also a UVV member,
the responsibility to hold confidential anything from the UVV mail list
takes precedence.
This is because the vote-taker needs to be able to ask for advice in
a confidential forum if voting has already started.
- Mentors should try to determine in the course of working with the
proponent if he/she is interested and capable of volunteering for service
in UVV and/or the Usenet Group Mentors.
This is probably the best way to find new recruits.
To join the Usenet Group Mentors mail list, you must meet the qualifications
listed above.
(If you're close, that's OK.
We need the volunteers so make a case for yourself when you ask to join!)
Send mail to group-mentors-request@acpub.duke.edu.
You can also view the
group-mentors@acpub.duke.edu list
membership
on the Web server.
In particular, see the article on
Questions about Volunteering for Usenet Group Mentors.
Usenet Group Mentors was founded in November 1994 by Ian Kluft.
The contact mail list is
group-mentors@acpub.duke.edu.
Last modified July 29, 1996