Nan:2007-04-18-rec.games.frp.moderated-rfd
From Usenet Big-8 Management Board
From: Tim Skirvin <tskirvin@killfile.org>
Subject: RFD: remove rec.games.frp.moderated moderated
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc, news.announce.newgroups,
news.groups.proposals, rec.games.frp.moderated
Followup-To: news.groups.proposals
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 09:51:52 -0500
Organization: http://www.big-8.org/
REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION (RFD)
remove rec.games.frp.moderated
This is a formal Request For Discussion (RFD) to remove the moderated
newsgroup rec.games.frp.moderated.
RATIONALE: remove rec.games.frp.moderated
rec.games.frp.moderated has been inactive for several years, with no
approved user posts or submissions since August 2003. Notices have been
posted monthly since September 2004, looking for a replacement moderator;
nobody has volunteered. The group can reasonably be considered dead, and
should either find a new moderator that can try to revive it, or it should
be removed.
HISTORY:
rec.games.frp.moderated was created in May 2000, in response to ongoing
flamewars in the rec.games.frp.* hierarchy. The group enjoyed regular
traffic for slightly less than a year, during which the flamewars in the
hierarchy also died down; by July 2001, the traffic had fallen to nothing.
As noted by Rick Pikul in June 2003:
The trolls that were causing the problem in rgf.misc have engaged
in a concentrated plot to kill rgf.mod.
They are doing this by, mostly, behaving themselves.
<MPG.194dd4e29b7065cb9899d3@news-west.look.ca>
Since September 2004, I (Tim) have posted a "DEAD GROUP" notice to the group
monthly:
rec.games.frp.moderated is a dead group. It has gotten less than
five relevant posts in the last 18 months; it's not even been worth
sorting through the spam, and not a single person has complained. As
such, as of 17 Sep 2004, I proclaim this group dead and buried.
I will hold this namespace open to anyone that actually wishes to
use it. Otherwise, if you're still reading this, thanks for stopping by,
but you may want to check out the rest of the rec.games.frp.* hierarchy,
which works a lot better than this.
I have not received a valid submission since I began posting this notice.
CHARTER:
rec.games.frp.moderated is a moderated newsgroup for discussion of
human-moderated "tabletop" or "pen & paper" role-playing games.
"Computer role-playing games", which involve play against the software
itself without a human moderator, are covered in the
rec.games.computer hierarchy. The purpose of rec.games.frp.moderated
includes discussion of role-play gaming in general and the discussion
of those specific role-playing systems and topics that do not have
their own newsgroup.
Typical examples of appropriate topics:
1. Discussion of a recently released or revised tabletop role-
playing game.
2. Discussion of a popular or obscure tabletop role-playing
game (e.g. Star Wars, Tales From the Floating Vagabond).
3. Discussion of a specific role-playing setting or scenario
(e.g. Forgotten Realms, the Complete Masks of Nyarlathotep).
4. Discussion of techniques used to enhance the role-playing
experience (e.g. how to encourage cooperation among rivals,
dealing with problematic players).
Typical examples of inappropriate topics:
1. Discussion of computer adventure games where the interaction
or conflict is not moderated by human beings, but by scripted
activities or algorithms (e.g. Torment, Baldur's Gate).
2. Discussion of real-world controversies (e.g. religion, economics,
law), unless the discussion centers materially on their
applicability to a role-playing game or setting.
3. Announcements of non-relevant Web pages or services.
Typical examples of articles that may be rejected regardless of
their topic:
1. Articles which aren't primarily text in a human-readable standard
alphabet (e.g. large binaries, HTML). Appending a digital
signature (e.g. a PGP signature) is acceptable, but posting
encryption keys in their entirety is not.
2. Harassing or personally abusive articles (i.e. articles intended
not to further the discussion, but merely to denigrate or vilify
another person).
3. "Spam" (e.g. excessively cross-posted articles, articles posted
as separate copies to many newsgroups, duplicate/rapidly
reposted messages, chain letters).
4. Articles containing excessive quoted content, or significantly
more quoted than new content.
5. Articles that don't comply with the relevant RFCs (e.g. articles
with no subject, articles that contain security exploits). "Spam-
blockers" are a special case, and are addressed in the
Administrative Statement.
Topics pertaining exclusively to specific role-playing systems or
topics should be discussed in newsgroups devoted to those
specific systems or topics, if such newsgroups exist. Discussions
which merely include or expand to include a specific game system or
topic are on-topic in rec.games.frp.moderated.
Cultural meta-discussions are welcome on rec.games.frp.moderated as
long as they are materially relevant to role-play gaming.
Moderation policies:
The newsgroup will be moderated by a moderation team consisting of
three or more moderators (an odd number is preferred, but not
required). One or more of the moderators will be tasked with the
technical administration of the moderation software. The technical
moderator(s) will inform the moderation team of any substantive
changes to the moderation software.
The moderators have their own opinions on many aspects of gaming. They
will participate in the newsgroup as individuals. They will not
moderate their own posts, and when they speak as moderators they will
clearly indicate so. They undertake to distinguish their personal
views from what the charter and moderation policy state, and to
evaluate articles based on the latter rather than the former.
New or replacement moderators will be selected from among
rec.games.frp.moderated volunteers at the discretion of the moderation
team. In addition to a familiarity with the general subject of the
newsgroup, the ideal attributes moderators should have are:
1. Patience.
2. A sense of humor.
3. Good manners.
4. Impartiality.
5. A love for role-playing, gaming, and creativity in general.
6. A reluctance to exclude users and/or topics.
7. The ability to operate the moderation software.
Moderators may be removed by a 2/3 majority of the moderation team, or
may resign of their own volition at any time. If a moderator wants to
retire from the moderation team, they should make a public statement
at least one month prior to retirement so that a replacement moderator
might be found.
A list of trusted users whose articles no longer require human
moderation may be implemented by the moderation team, for those users
who have demonstrated consistent adherence to the Charter. If a
trusted user later attempts to post articles that do not adhere to the
Charter, they may be removed from the trusted list.
Specific users and/or article topics may be flagged for moderator
attention if deemed necessary by the moderation team. Continued
egregious Charter violations may result in an exclusion list of users
and/or article topics being implemented by the moderation team.
The purpose of a trusted list and an exclusion list, if such are
implemented, will not be to penalize or reward any individual. If they
are implemented, their purpose will be to keep moderation and the
effort it requires as minimal as possible while preserving a useful
environment.
The moderators may append footnotes to posted articles, and may modify
article headers as required by the relevant RFCs and the Charter.
Other than appending a footer or modifying headers, the moderators
will not modify the content of a posted article.
Unapproved or accidently approved articles may be cancelled at the
discretion of the moderation team.
Subscribers to rec.games.frp.moderated can appeal the rejection of the
articles they submit by sending e-mail to the moderation team. The
appeal must clearly explain why the author deems the moderation team
decision to reject the article to be in disagreement with the Charter.
The same e-mail address is to be used for questions and complaints
regarding the moderation policy. Further details will be available in
the Administrative Statement.
The current moderation procedures and policies will be described in an
Administrative Statement (AdminFAQ), which will be maintained by the
moderation team. The Charter and AdminFAQ will each be posted to the
group whenever it changes, and at least once per month.
Additionally, first-time posters may be e-mailed a copy of the
newsgroup FAQ.
PROCEDURE:
The full group removal procedure is documented here:
http://www.big-8.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=policies:rmgroup
Those who wish to comment on this request to remove this newsgroup should
subscribe to news.groups.proposals and participate in the relevant threads
in that newsgroup.
To this end, the followup header of this RFD has been set to
news.groups.proposals.
All discussion of active proposals should be posted to news.groups.proposals.
If desired by the readership of closely affected groups, the discussion
may be crossposted to those groups, but care must be taken to ensure that
all discussion appears in news.groups.proposals as well.
DISTRIBUTION:
This document has been posted to the following newsgroups:
news.announce.newgroups
news.groups.proposals
rec.games.frp.moderated
rec.games.frp.misc
PROPONENT:
Tim Skirvin <tskirvin@killfile.org> - Technical Moderator, RGFM
CHANGE HISTORY:
2007-04-18 1st RFD
