XPost: rec.arts.manga, rec.arts.anime.music, rec.arts.anime   
   XPost: uk.media.animation.anime   
   From: robu-san@excite.com   
      
   [As this is a discussion of the rec.arts.anime sub-hierarchy more so than   
   about anime or manga, Followup-To: set to rec.arts.anime.fandom, as trying to   
   follow discussion in 10 separate newsgroup is nightmarish.]   
      
   As you may (or may not) have noticed, the moderated anime and manga   
   information newsgroup rec.arts.anime.info has mostly been dead (quiet) for the   
   better part of three years, other than a day or two of posts every few months   
   or more. This has been the result of quite prolonged poor health of the   
   original/current moderator Steve Pearl, who has, in the past, done a great   
   service for the anime and manga community and the r.a.a. newsgroups.   
      
   This year's posting dates have been: Apr 18, Apr 24, Apr 26, May 6, May 7, May   
   12, Jun 11, and Aug 10. 11 days in 2002, and similar wide gaps in 2000 and   
   2001. As evidenced in rec.arts.anime.misc, it's not from a lack of valid   
   posts.   
      
   Earlier in the year, a few of the r.a.a. FAQ maintainers discussed this   
   privately, and felt that rec.arts.anime.info's long gaps of inactivity was a   
   disservice to the anime and manga fandom and perhaps it was past time for   
   Steve Pearl to handover or at least share the moderation duties for   
   r.a.a.info. We attempted to contact him on the subject by both e-mail and   
   postal mail but, have received no reply.   
      
   Relatively recently, administration of the Big 8 hierarchies, including rec.*,   
   changed hands and with it supervision of the global Usenet moderation database   
   and the ultimate authority of moderation in the Big 8 newsgroups. Prior to the   
   changeover, the moderator of record was the only person who could appoint a   
   replacement but, with numerous moderators disappearing without a trace leaving   
   dozens of dead moderated newsgroups, the new Big 8 administration has decided   
   to appoint new moderators themselves in an effort to revive some of the dead   
   moderated newsgroups. (Some of them, also, basically have dead topics, as   
   well.)   
      
   In light of this recent change of policy, we considered requesting r.a.a.info   
   be declared dead and handed over to new moderators. Unfortunately, Steve Pearl   
   then made a few posts, while we discussing the possible hi-jacking, and before   
   we could make the request.   
      
   ==============================   
      
   Q: This leaves us in a grey area: Do we ask the Big 8 admin for the newsgroup   
   moderation, basically hi-jacking it like we did for the r.a.a. FAQS or do we   
   let Steve Pearl continue to do his best, when he is able?   
      
   A: (You decide...)   
      
   ==============================   
      
   There are currently two proposals for new moderation of rec.arts.anime.info:   
   1) The first one was for rec.arts.anime.creative's moderation team, lead by   
   Brian Edmonds, robo-moderated it with basically any post being approved,   
   including some spam that slips by filters, or...   
   2) I countered by offering to hand-moderate it and go out and promote it to   
   bring back a lot of the lost on-topic postings with r.a.a.c. keeping an eye   
   the newsgroup to make sure I don't suddenly disappear or get a real nasty flu   
   or have an accident that takes me away for a short time.   
      
   The official topic of rec.arts.anime.info as pulled from the Charter in the   
   control.newgroup message and RFD/CFV:   
   ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/usenet/control/rec/rec.arts.anime.info.gz   
      
   "The following kinds of postings will be allowed:   
           - FAQs (natch)   
           - Lists (voice actor list, CD list, subbed/dubbed anime list, etc...)   
           - Informational postings ("How to take care of your cels", etc...)   
           - Summary reviews of magazines like Animedia,   
             Animage, NewType, Advance Comics, etc.   
           - Anime Reviews   
           - Industry, con, and club announcements   
           - Any significant anime-related news ("Mamoru does DIRTY PAIR movie!")   
      
           Any follow-ups to postings in rec.arts.anime.info will   
           be sent to rec.arts.anime (see below)."   
      
   (Obviously, Followup-To: was reset to rec.arts.anime.misc.) Moderator   
   discretion allowed manga-related posts, as well.   
      
   Of those topics, ...   
      
   - FAQs, well we already know all the FAQ people as well as the Informational   
   postings people, so, getting them to post to a central location for all anime   
   and manga FAQs should be easy.   
   - Lists, well Mr. Pope's infamous edit lists that make Cartoon Network cry   
   would qualify.   
   - Magazine Reviews: They do qualify but, lately they have been being posted   
   whole to news:alt.binaries.pictures.anime.   
   - Industry, con, and club announcements: Lately, a few websites have been   
   taking up the slack here but, it would be nice to have the press releases and   
   con announcements here directly from the anime and manga companies.   
      
   Obviously, the topics have scattered here and there, and some of us would like   
   to see them return to a central location where we already come to and can tell   
   when there are new announcements.   
      
   -Rob   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)