Newsgroups: comp.robotics
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From: hougen@peca.cs.umn.edu (Dean Hougen)
Subject: POLL: splitting comp.robotics?
Message-ID: <CwyyEK.GnA@news.cis.umn.edu>
Summary: Poll only, not formal vote.  Please respond.
Keywords: Second and final call.
Sender: news@news.cis.umn.edu (Usenet News Administration)
Nntp-Posting-Host: peca.cs.umn.edu
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, CSci dept.
Date: Sat, 1 Oct 1994 00:51:28 GMT
Lines: 120

This is the second posting of the following informal poll.  If you
have already responded to the poll, then you should have received a
message from me stating that your response was received and recorded.
If you have not received such a message, please attempt to contact me
again.  Also, all new respondents to the poll will get similar 
messages.

-----------------------------the poll-----------------------------

This is a poll to determine group opinions on the proposed splitting
(or "branching", as the case may be) of comp.robotics.  NOTE: This
is a *poll* only, not an official vote under the group creation 
guidelines.  (By "branching" I mean adding new sub-groups while
retaining the original group, as opposed to removing the original
group if new ones are created.  For the rest of the post I will use
the term split to refer to both possibilities.)

It seems to me that the discussion is dying out and what remains is
getting repetitive, so its probably time to take the next logical
step which, as I see it, is to take a poll.  If the results of the
poll are that a majority of those responding want a split, I'll move
on to the next step in the group creation process.  If the results
are that a majority of those responding do not want a split, I'll
drop the matter.  What anyone else does as a result of this poll is
up to the individual.

The first major point of contention is whether or not to change the
present situation.  Those who believe that a change should occur
have proposed two major division possibilities: (c.r.theory and
c.r.practical) or (c.r.research and c.r.homebrew).  There was also
some talk of the creation of c.r.industrial, primarily along with
the c.r.research and c.r.homebrew proposal.  An industrial group
might also go with c.r.theory and c.r.practical and that possibility
is allowed for by this poll.  Finally, the question of whether or
not the original comp.robotics should be retained or eliminated has
come up and is included in the poll.


The poll:


To split or not to split?

I.    The group should be split.

II.   The group should not be split.

III.  Don't care.


The new sub-groups:

A.  The group should be split into:
    comp.robotics.theory
    comp.robotics.practical
        
B.  The group should be split into:
    comp.robotics.research
    comp.robotics.homebrew

C.  The group should be split some other way.

D.  Don't care

   
Create comp.robotics.industrial?:

i.    Create comp.robotics.industrial
   
ii.   Don't create comp.robotics.industrial

iii.  Don't care


The original group:

1.  Retain comp.robotics

2.  Remove comp.robotics

3.  Don't care


Please respond to the poll by using the alpha-numeric designators for
each possible response.  At most one designator for each grouping
should be used.  If no designator for a grouping is given by a
respondent, a "don't care" response will be assumed for purposes of
response tabulation.  Invalid responses will not be used for purposes
of response tabulation, but will be reported (see below).  Comments
are welcome and will be reported (see below), but will not be used
for purpose of response tabulation.

Examples: A vote to "branch" by adding comp.robotics.research and
comp.robotics.homebrew while keeping comp.robotics itself would be
I.B.1 (for which response iii would be assumed).  A vote to keep the 
group just as it currently is would simply be II (for which "don't
care" responses would be assumed for all other responses).  Note:
People voting not to split, or indicating that they don't care if a
split happens or not, can still give preferences for the shape of the
changes, should any occur, by selecting designators from the other
groupings.  For example, II.A.2 would indicate the respondent did not
want any changes, but if they were to take place anyway he or she 
would prefer to see c.r.theory and c.r.practical created and c.robotics
removed.  A vote such as I.II would be invalid.

Responses to this poll will be collected for two weeks starting with
September 21 and continuing until October 5, after which results will
be tabulated and reported.  The 'From:' lines, together with their
respective votes and comments, of all respondents will also be posted.

NOTE:  Replying to this poll constitutes the granting of permission
to have your response posted on the net.

Please send all responses to hougen@cs.umn.edu.  Posted responses
will not be counted.  


Dean Hougen
--
"There's a circus coming to town."  - Talking Heads
