Nan:2008-05-13-comp.lang.c++-lcc

From: The Big-8 Management Board <board@big-8.org>
Newsgroups: news.announce.newgroups,comp.lang.c++,news.groups.proposals
Subject: RFD: comp.lang.c++.misc (LAST CALL FOR COMMENTS)
Followup-To: news.groups.proposals
Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 22:01:23 -0700
Message-ID: <nan.20080513050123$0b6e@killfile.org>

                      REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION (RFD)
                           comp.lang.c++.misc

This is a formal Request For Discussion (RFD) for the creation of the
unmoderated Usenet newsgroup, comp.lang.c++.misc.


PROCEDURE:

The B8MB plans to begin voting on this proposal after five days.  Please
offer any final discussion or comments before the end of this waiting
period.  Voting may take up to one week (7 days); a result will be posted
following the end of the voting period.

All discussion of this proposal should be posted to news.groups.proposals.

The full group creation procedure is documented here:

  http://www.big-8.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=policies:proposals



NEWSGROUPS LINE: comp.lang.c++.misc

comp.lang.c++.misc	Development in C++, libraries, cross and single targets


SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION:

Several cycles of name discussion repeated.  Since most groups in the
comp.lang hierarchy have a wider topic spread than comp.lang.c++, the
name ending in .misc was chosen specifically to cover topics that would
have been on topic in another group.

Several regular posters from comp.lang.c++ checked in pointing to
various resources on and off UseNet that address issues that would be
on topic on other groups in the comp.lang hierarchy.  These posts
reflected the frustrations of why comp.lang.c++.cross-platform was
roposed in the first place.

Some typo corrections were suggested.


RATIONALE: comp.lang.c++.misc

There is already a newsgroup called "comp.lang.c++", but its discussion
is restricted to elements of Standard C++ (e.g. how the language
works, and how you work with the language's standard libraries). More
development oriented discussions such as working with wireless internet
or interfacing a specific device with USB are quite out of place there,
so a group such as comp.lang.c++.misc is needed.

The purpose of the newsgroup would be for people to discuss and inquire
about developing in C++ whether for a single platform or for multiple
platforms.  Topics would include libraries and C++ programming techniques
in general.

Tomas O hEilidhe <toe@lavabit.com> proposed comp.lang.c++.cross-platform
in article <nan.20071205185618$5999@killfile.org> but the subsequent
discussion suggested a more general group would see more use.  This
proposal builds on his work.

Prososed alternate names included comp.programming.c++ (the
comp.programming tree deals with social issues in programming so few
would look in that hierarchy), comp.programming.c++.portable (like
cross-platform it was viewed too narrow in focus and there was debate
between the .platform and .cross-platform supporters over semantics),
comp.lang.c++.development or asking for a recharter of comp.lang.c++
to include development issues (no need to alter a currently successful
group).  In the end comp.lang.c++.misc was chosen as a compromise among
the suggested choices.

TRAFFIC ANALYSIS:

Regularly, there are postings to comp.lang.c++ asking what's the best
library to use for things like User Graphical Interfaces. Also, there
are people asking how to interface with a COM port, or how to eject a CD
drive using code. Such posts are deemed by the majority at comp.lang.c++
to be off-topic because the C++ Standard does not deal with such things
as COM ports and CD drives. These inquiries would find a much warmer
home at comp.lang.c++.misc.


CHARTER:

comp.lang.c++.misc is an unmoderated newsgroup which will serve as a
forum for discussing C++ related issues not a part of the language
standard.  This includes development, libraries and single-platform or
cross-platform C++ programming techniques. Topics that may be discussed
include:

  - Idiom for acheiving specific tasks.
  - Discussion of portability issues in C++.
  - Inquiries as to whether a particular library exists, or a list
    of suitable libraries for a given task.
  - Discussions of whether a particular library is any good, or if
    it should be avoided in favour of a different library.
  - Cross-platform programming techniques in general.
  - Particular libraries, how to work with them and how they
    work internally.

Posting of advertising and/or promotional material of any kind to
comp.lang.c++.misc is explicitly prohibited.  Posting of binaries is
not permitted, with the exception of small binary components in
otherwise non-binary postings, such as PGP signatures or X-Face
headers.  Posts must be readable as plain text. HTML, RTF and
similarly formatted messages are prohibited.





DISTRIBUTION:

This document has been posted to the following newsgroups:

  news.announce.newgroups (moderated)
  news.groups.proposals (moderated)
  comp.lang.c++


PROPONENT:

Gary L. Burnore <gburnore@databasix.com>



CHANGE HISTORY:

2008-03-31     1st RFD
2008-05-01     2nd RFD
2008-05-12     3rd RFD/LCC