Subject: RFD: comp.lang.perl.modules
From: [email-masked] (Jon Orwant)
Date: 16 Jan 1996 00:53:21 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl.announce,comp.lang.perl.misc

REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION (RFD)
               unmoderated group comp.lang.perl.modules

Proposer: Jon Orwant <[email-masked]>

This is a formal request for discussion on the creation of
comp.lang.perl.modules, an unmoderated USENET newsgroup.

This is not a call for votes (CFV).  Please do not vote now.

RATIONALE: comp.lang.perl.modules

A Perl module is a chunk of code that users can load into
their Perl programs, similar to libraries in C.  There are several
dozen modules bundled with the standard Perl distribution, and
over a hundred available on the CPAN (Comprehensive Perl Archive
Network) or mentioned in Tim Bunce's Module Registry.

At the moment, all module questions end up in comp.lang.perl.misc,
where the heavy volume often dissuades module authors and other
would-be answerers from reading.  Skimming a newsgroup dedicated to
modules is a much more tractable task.

Questions about modules usually pertain to how the module works, and
not to the Perl language itself, which is why they should be separated
from the general Perl discussion in comp.lang.perl.misc.

A few modules are so big, and so widely used, that they merit their
own newsgroups: Tk (comp.lang.perl.tk) and perhaps the module sets
relating to the World Wide Web.  But most individual modules are short
and simple; few generate more than one or two questions per week, on
average, which is why they can be addressed collectively in a
newsgroup.

CHARTER: comp.lang.perl.modules

This newsgroup will serve as a forum for discussion about:

o       how to use existing perl modules (except Tk)
o       perl module development

END CHARTER.

PROCEDURE:

After a discussion period of 21 days, if there are no overwhelming
objections to the formation of the group, a CFV (Call For Votes) will
be posted to the same groups as this RFD.  The voting period will be
as outlined in the Guidelines (a minimum of 21 and not more than 31
days).  If the vote passes, then the group will be created.  A passing
vote requires a 2/3 majority, and at least 100 more "YES" votes than
"NO" votes.  Voting procedures will be documented in the CFV, and the
vote will be conducted by a neutral third party.  Further details on
the Guidelines and the process by which this newsgroup proposal is
being conducted are available in the news.newgroups FAQ archive (via
anonymous FTP to ftp://rtfm.mit.edu).

DISTRIBUTION:

This RFD has been posted in accordance with the Guidelines for Newsgroup
Creation. This RFD is being posted to the following relevant newsgroups:

news.announce.newgroups
news.groups
comp.lang.perl.misc
comp.lang.perl.announce
...and to the mailing list [email-masked]

Discussion will take place in news.groups ONLY.  Please post follow-ups
to news.groups only.