[ruby-talk:01533] Re: Ruby: PLEASE use comp.lang.misc for allRuby programming/technical questions/discussions!!!!

From: Yasushi Shoji <[e-mail]>

> From: Clemens Hintze <[e-mail]>
> Subject: [ruby-talk:01524] Re: Ruby: PLEASE use comp.lang.misc for all
Ruby programming/technical questions/discussions!!!!
> Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2000 00:43:44 +0100 (CET)
>
> > it is only for creating traffic on comp.lang.misc, so that those who
> > are against comp.lang.ruby due to lack of traffic are convinced.
> >
> > If we can prove that there is some traffic, they cannot deny creation
> > of comp.lang.ruby!
> >
> > After we have this group, I also would suppose to establish a gateway
> > you mentioned above. We do not plan to kill this list. Only switching
> > to comp.lang.misc for for a few weeks! :-)
>
> I just don't know how the newsgroup gateway works internally but
> wouldn't it be easier to tell them that we want to gateway newsgroup
> and mailing list.  we already have enough traffic on ML.  And more
> importantly, using gateway won't cut the community in half!

Well, Dave Thomas has posted recent traffic statistics for the Ruby ML to
news.groups. (Thanks!).

However, just mirroring a mail list on a newsgroup is not generally regarded
as sufficient grounds for allowing the establishment of a newsgroup in the
comp.lang hierarchy (which is part of what is known as the big 8 family of
newsgroups). The purpose of the RFD process is to make and publicly defend a
case that a such a newsgroup is worthwhile in its own right in the sense
that it is worthwhile to effect broadcast it around the world to all the
news servers that carry the big 8. Even though the comp.lang.ruby RFD has
been occasionally discussed in this ML for more than 2 months, it was only
_after_ I stuck my neck out and got the comp.lang.ruby RFD through the first
stage of the formal approval process that people here started to indicate
that some substantial fraction of the group apparently couldn't or didn't
want to use a newsgroup.

I think this is unfortunate, because newsgroups (over time) can help greatly
increase the number of prospective users for emerging languages beyond the
comparatively much smaller group of hard core fans. In this part of the
world anyway, it seems to be generally much easier to get friends and
coworkers to look at newsgroups than to sign up for mail lists, and it
likewise seems generally easier to get approval to use things that have
their own newsgroups. These are all very important factors if you want Ruby
to ever attract and develop the resources to produce even a fraction of the
number, quality, and range of modules and documentation that have made Perl
so popular and productive.

Regards,
Conrad