Re: VOTING: rec.arts.ascii ( MODERATED )

In article <Col...@equinox.gen.nz>
 Col...@equinox.gen.nz (Colin Douthwaite) writes:
}===================================================================

}             VOTING:    rec.arts.ascii ( MODERATED )

}===================================================================

}The first CFV ( Call For Votes ) has just been issued for the 
}proposed newsgroup :

}                 rec.arts.ascii ( MODERATED )

}It is essential to be very clear on _exactly what_ you are being 
}asked to vote for.  
}
}You are _NOT_ simply being asked to vote for ascii-art to be moved 
}into the Internet mainstream newsgroups.  
}
}At present ascii-art is being carried by the newsgroup alt.ascii-art 
}which is free and open, _not_ a moderated group. Some postings are 
}also being made in the newsgroup alt.binaries.pictures.ascii. 
}
}What you _ARE_ being asked to vote for is a new MODERATED mainstream 
}newsgroup, rec.arts.ascii ( moderated ).        ^^^^^^^^^ 
}
}EFFECT on the future of ASCII-ART
}
(deleted a lot of drivel on moderated newsgroups rules... )
}
}Also, a _mainstream_ group, either moderated _or_ unmoderated, has no 
}provision for all the ascii-art postings which require a binary 
}format, like vt animations containing escape codes; executable 
}programs; ansi pictures and animations; and large files and 
}collections which call for compression and archive format - which 
}changes them to binary files.  
}
Absolutely untrue: the objections to binary files in most of the
picture groups are due to size, not content, since they are uuencoded
anyway; the average uuencoded post in alt.ascii-art,  is about 60k,
much smaller than anything in the binaries groups (that is **uuencoded**
size; raw size would probably be about 40K)

}All this material will again have to be "dumped" somewhere in the alt. 
}hierarchy. It will not be acceptable in the mainstream group.
}
yeah, right?!? :-)
}
}
}STATUS of the newsgroup ALT.ASCII-ART
}
}In just a few months, since its first appearance in September 1993, 
}the existing newsgroup, ALT.ASCII-ART, has achieved a Site 
}propagation level of 44% and an estimated current readership of 
}84,000. 
Shows how popular ascii art can become.
}        It has a high signal-to-noise ratio and it is growing 
}rapidly. It is a free, open and unmoderated newsgroup.
}
Unfortunately, untrue: unfortunately, the perception of signal-to-noise
ratio is very subjective; imho, it is quite low...

}Unfortunately not all users of ALT.ASCII-ART are content with the 
}existing newsgroup and wish to have ASCII-ART moderated to exclude  
}postings they prefer not to see. These users are the proponents for 
}the new newsgroup rec.arts.ascii ( MODERATED ).  
}
Yes, that is true, they would rather not see the umpteenth repeatition
of the umpteenth request for a cute .sig; the umpteenth request for
an ftp site, the umpteenth request for roses, flowers, starships,
etc., etc.. followed by the umpteenth instance of the same (by now
boring) repeats of pix which everybody has seen before except for the
person who started the thread in the first place.
Instead, the moderator would answer those requests
directly by sending them a canned file (probably the Faq or a subfile).
The rationale for this philosophy is that the signal to noise ratio in
alt.ascii-art is very low, and moderation would do lots to improve it!
Besides, let's face it; it looks like most of usenet will be moderated
in the next few years...
}
}THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU VOTE !
}
I agree: do you ****really**** want to see another request for
a cute .sig???????? How about another three-page rose???

(deletia...)
}  CFV> After this CFV appears on news.announce.newgroups, it will 
}  CFV> be sent to the Figlet mailing list maintained by Ian Chai, 
}  CFV> and to Bob Allison's list of users and fans of ASCII art.  
}
}This is a legitimate tactic to gain votes from users with a vested 
}interest in having unwanted material excluded from the newsgroup 
}before they receive news. The ultimate danger is that these mailing 
}list users will exert undue influence on Moderators of a moderated 
}newsgroup to exclude certain postings sent to the newsgroup.
}
Natch! You are being paranoid, just as I was: the people doing
the moderation are some of the ***most*** active people in alt.ascii-art,
who have repeatedly posted samples of their art: they definitely will
approve any post with merit.
}
}-------------- Extract from the CFV ( Call For Votes ) ------------- 
}
}HOW TO VOTE
}
}Send MAIL to:   vot...@dogwood.com
}Just Replying should work if you are not reading this on a mailing list.  
}
}Your mail message should contain one of the following statements:
}      I vote YES on rec.arts.ascii
}      I vote NO on rec.arts.ascii
}
}You may also ABSTAIN in place of YES/NO - this will not affect the 
}outcome.  Anything else may be rejected by the automatic vote 
}counting program.  The votetaker will respond to your received 
(deletia.......)

}Votes must be received by 23:59:59 UTC, 30 May 1994.

}Bye,

Since my ascii art is very bad, here is a sample from the proposed moderator:

From bob...@gagme.wwa.com  Fri May 13 09:12:06 1994
       ___    _    ____    _    ___
      /   \__/ \__/    \__/ \__/   \      "Hey Rocky!
      |          _|@ @ __          |      Watch me pull some intelligence
       \________/ |    | \________/       out of the InterNet!"
               __/    _/                  "But that trick never works."
              /) (o _/                    "This time for sure."
              \____/                      bob...@gagme.wwa.com

I must admit, I was sceptical also, but the comments above helped
turn me around. I voted YES and ask you to vote YES for rec.arts.ascii also.

-- 
Michael Rothstein (Kent State U)| Any similarity between Kent State's opinions
(rot...@mcs.kent.edu)		| and my opinions is strictly coincidential.
  The problem with some lawyers is that they don't know the difference between
	"legal" and "ethical". And, they're the ones who make the laws.

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