Conference for Grex Newsletter

Sep 30 20:15 UTC 1995

The editors of the newsletter have a request, which we believe is essential
to the performance of our duties as editors and, really, creators, of the 
brand new Grex newsletter.  As expressed in another item:

#10 of 14: by The Editor in *Chief*!  (nephi) on Fri, Sep 29, 1995 (04:03):
 
 We, the Editors of Grex's Newsletter, have decided that we need a conference
 of our own for us to organize our most important thoughts.  We decided that
 a new conference wouldn't do at all.  We want the conference named Grexnews.
 We, in all our wisdom, have noted that the current Fair Witness has not
 bothered to come to Grex in over a month and a half.  In his absence, the
 above mentioned conference has died from a lack of participation.  We require
 that the Fair Witness of the above mentioned conference be removed from his
 position so that the rightful heirs may take their throne.  Each of the
 Editors must be given title of Fair Witness of the Grexnews conference, along
 with the full powers and privileges of the position of Fair Witness.  The
 people to be so named shall be nephi, hross, lilmo, and mta.  
 
 Progress on this most important Newsletter cannot begin until our requirement
 is met.  
 
                                The Editors have spoken.
 
#11 of 14: by Dave Lovelace (davel) on Fri, Sep 29, 1995 (07:51):
 Wow.  The newsletter hasn't had its first issue, & already we have
 hostile takeover attempts!
 
 nephi, could you move discussion of this to an item of its own, since
 this isn't a request for a *new* conference?  Thanks.
 
#12 of 14: by Rane Curl (rcurl) on Fri, Sep 29, 1995 (10:33):
 To be fair to the editorial board - grexnews wasn't set up to serve
 as a grex newsletter discussion conference, but there is no reason
 why it shouldn't be used that way, since it exists. It also seems
 entirely appropriate for the editors to the the fws, at the very least
 so everyone can see who are the editors, by reading the header. Now,
 I might have gone about it differently, like asking the current fw...
 but that's difficult when he's absent. All this said .. it would be
 healthy to do what davel says, and address it first in an item here.
 
#13 of 14: by Selena Barwens (selena) on Fri, Sep 29, 1995 (11:10):
        Well, as it is a dead cf, it almost *is* asking for a new one..
 
#14 of 14: by M. D. Otley (lilmo) on Sat, Sep 30, 1995 (16:08):
 Um, well, *I* wouldn't have put it so strongly.  I, at least, am amenable
to creation of a new cf.

We would like to begin this project as soon as possible, so if there is any
controversy about taking over grexnews, could we at least get a temporary cf
of our own (to be made permanent or folded into grexnews later) so that we
can get started without interfering with others' conferencing?

response 2 of 9:

Oct 2 01:04 UTC 1995

Picky little questions to ask, to avoid setting precedents we'll regret later:
- Isn't a month or two's inactivity a bit short as time for evicting a FW?
- Has anyone made any attempt to contact Andy, to learn whether his absence
  is deliberate or likely to be prolonged, or (for that matter) whether
  he would object to co-FWs and a change of emphasis?
- How does a FW's inactivity kill the conference?  Are others somehow *unable*
  to post items discussing the topics you want in the cf?

I have no personal objection whatsoever to the proposed changes, you
understand.  I'm concerned about setting precedents allowing takeover of
a cf with no attempt to clear it with the existing FW.  OTOH, I'm also
somewhat ill at ease with our present policy, in which (by default) FWs
remain on the books for years after they're gone in some cases.  So I'd
like to see both some *general* discussion of policy on this and also
some attempt to contact the present FW.  (Or should I say "the absent FW"?)

response 4 of 9:

Oct 2 04:22 UTC 1995

Again, if ppl are uncomfortable making these changes to grexnews for ANY
reason, then give us a new conf, and if we decide later that grexnews is the
perfect place for it, we can always have one conf absorb the other.

I'd like to get this started while I am still excited about it.  (Even tho' I
am swamped with organizing something here, by the time a newsletter actually
happens, it will probably will be over.)  If I don't get into something when
I am excited, I will grumble my way through it.

response 6 of 9:

Oct 2 12:38 UTC 1995

I think it would be a lot cleaner to just start a new conference for
organizing the newsletter, rather than co-opting the grexnews conference,
which had its own, separate, reason for existing.

response 8 of 9:

Oct 2 16:51 UTC 1995

Ok, just mail cfadm with your request.
You might also think about ASCII graphics for the welcome screen too.