Everyone:
The following was clipped from the original call for votes. I am posting it in the hope that people will make an effort to post in the proper newsgroups. It explains the rationale for each group, and the charters of the groups. There are no moderators for these groups, so if you see postings by people who obviously don't understand the rationale, please send them a polite explanation and a link to this post.
This was voted in as of December 1996, so please remind any system administrators that don't carry the hierarchy.
Especially note that comp.databases.oracle has been renamed comp.databases.oracle.misc.
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RATIONALE: comp.databases.oracle.marketplace
This news group should provide a specific place for those interested in the Oracle-related job market, as well as any other Oracle- related products and services for sale or wanted. Creation of this group will provide relief to the many readers of the news group who are annoyed by the large number of commercial advertisement postings.
RATIONALE: comp.databases.oracle.misc (renames comp.databases.oracle)
This group will provide a forum for topics which do not fall within any more specific comp.databases.oracle subgroup. Renaming the group should better define the subjects of articles posted there. The .misc suffix will help people reading the news group understand that it is a catch-all for miscellaneous topics.
The straw poll indicated that many preferred to keep comp.databases.oracle, with no name change. However, a larger percentage preferred to rename the group. This has been a topic of heated discussions in other groups within the Usenet. It is the decision of the proponents to go with the majority, with the hope that this will not cause too much controversy here.
RATIONALE: comp.databases.oracle.server
This group will be a channel for database-administration-specific topics, a major area of Oracle discussions. The "server" suffix was chosen by a majority of respondents to a straw poll taken in comp.databases.oracle. It was felt that this name would be most understandable to everyone working with the Oracle database software, since the server is the most commonly used term for the computer system where the actual database data is maintained.
The suffix for this newsgroup has been a major problem in this reorganization. Both dba and admin have been suggested, as well as the proposed server. It has been pointed out that admin would be confused with computer administration, business administration, or administration of the comp.databases.oracle.* newsgroups.
It is felt that the dba suffix is less desirable than server because it is an acronym, usually discouraged in newsgroup names. Additionally, the dba suffix may discourage those who are not database administrators from participating in the group, as they may feel that it is an exclusive group for DBA's only.
RATIONALE: comp.databases.oracle.tools
This group will provide a forum to discuss the wide range of tools and applications available from or for Oracle, which is now a major area of interest and generates much news group traffic.
CHARTER: all groups
Cross-posting articles to multiple comp.databases.oracle.* newsgroups should be avoided. If there is any question as to which group should be used, post to comp.databases.oracle.misc (assuming it is created). While some news servers deliver a cross-posted article to the reader only once, many others deliver the article an additional time for each group the reader accesses.
END CHARTER.
CHARTER: comp.databases.oracle.marketplace
Comp.databases.oracle.marketplace is a news group provided for commercially oriented topics of interest to people using Oracle software. This group includes but is not limited to articles covering the following topics:
Posting jobs available to any other comp.databases.oracle newsgroups should be avoided.
END CHARTER.
CHARTER: comp.databases.oracle.misc
Comp.databases.oracle.misc is a news group where topics generally related to the use of software from Oracle Corporation may be posted. This group provides a forum for topics which do not fall within any of the more specific comp.databases.oracle subgroups.
This news group is not intended as a marketplace where employment advertisements or commercial announcements may be posted. These should be directed to comp.databases.oracle.marketplace (unless it is not created by the CFV).
END CHARTER.
CHARTER: comp.databases.oracle.server
Comp.databases.oracle.server is a newsgroup to discuss Oracle server and database administration subjects. Any topic which is especially of interest to those performing database or system administration duties is welcome in this group. Discussions of software and applications designed to aid in database administration should be carried in this group.
The following list is a sample of topics which are included in this news group:
END CHARTER.
CHARTER: comp.databases.oracle.tools
Comp.databases.oracle.tools is a news group provided for discussion of software applications and tools available from Oracle Corporation, or designed to work with Oracle applications. Developers of end-user applications will find this newsgroup most useful.
This group includes but is not limited to articles discussing applications and topics such as the following:
Due to the wide variety of applications which are discussed in this group, each article title should begin with the application it involves (examples: Forms4.5: Reports2.5: SQL/Plus: etc.) Do not use general titles such as "A simple question".
If the comp.databases.oracle.server newsgroup is created in this reorganization, then discussions of tools and applications designed for use by database administrators should be carried on in the .server newsgroup, and not the .tools group.
END CHARTER.
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