REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION (RFD)
unmoderated group rec.autos.simulators.nascar
unmoderated group rec.autos.simulators.f1
unmoderated group rec.autos.simulators.indy
This is a formal Request For Discussion (RFD) for the creation of
world-wide unmoderated Usenet newsgroups. This is not a Call for
Votes (CFV); you cannot vote at this time. Procedural details are
below.
Newsgroups lines:
rec.autos.simulators.f1 Formula One sims and leagues.
rec.autos.simulators.indy IndyCar sims and leagues.
rec.autos.simulators.nascar NASCAR Racing sims and leagues.
RATIONALE: all groups
There are many automotive simulators on the market, but among racing
simulators, as is the case in actual racing series, there are three
natural divisions -- NASCAR, IndyCar, and Formula One. Of these three
divisions, each generates a large amount of specialized traffic
involving fantasy leagues, car setup information, simulator utilities,
and the like.
Straw polls have indicated that these three areas are diverging at a
rapid rate. Several calls have been made to segregate these groups to
allow increased flow of information both from users and support
representatives from the respective software companies.
Reorganizing the rec.autos.simulators group into separate newsgroups
will both alleviate traffic to the main group and simultaneously
provide less confusing and more easily accessible traffic for each of
these divisions.
RATIONALE: rec.autos.simulators.nascar
This group will provide an area dedicated to a burgeoning
NASCAR-related simulation market, specifically Sierra On-Line's NASCAR
Racing series of simulators.
As Sierra On-Line's racing simulations have gained popularity, the
demand for company and third-party support via USENET has grown
considerably. Efforts made by Sierra to address concerns regarding
the NASCAR and NASCAR II simulators, as well as third-party and user
suggestions, have been hampered by cross-traffic involving other
Sierra products. As such, misunderstandings involving distinct
products and their customer support representatives have led to
several online confrontations.
Additionally, NASCAR (the National Association for Stock Car Auto
Racing) has elected to officially sanction Sierra's NASCAR Racing II
simulator as a racing series, in concert with Sierra's multiplayer
racing facility for NASCAR Racing I and II. This project has been in
beta-testing for three months and generates a high amount of traffic
within the rec.autos.simulators group.
The formation of rec.autos.simulators.nascar will allow unrestricted
discussion relating to the NASCAR Racing simulators for PC and game
machine platforms (Playstation, etc.), the NASCAR Racing League (NRL),
and multiplayer racing concerns. It will also allow new users to the
rec.autos.simulators.* hierarchy to easily access information
regarding these products. A straw poll in rec.autos.simulators has
generated wide popular support for the creation of this group.
RATIONALE: rec.autos.simulators.f1
This group will be a channel for the Formula One World Series line of
simulators, including MicroProse/Spectrum Holobyte's Grand Prix II and
Visiware's Starting Grid simulations.
In the coming months, the market for Formula One simulators will
explode with the release of Grand Prix II for the PC, as well as new
products slated for both PC and Playstation platforms. This group
will help to clarify product information and support for these
simulators as well as provide an area for people annoyed at the high
volume of NASCAR- and IndyCar-related postings.
RATIONALE: comp.databases.oracle.tools
This group will address the topic of IndyCar simulations from Sierra
and other companies. It will provide a forum of specialized interest
which currently comprises a high amount of rec.autos.simulators
traffic, as well as assuage annoyance regarding NASCAR- and F1-related
postings.
CHARTER: rec.autos.simulators.nascar
Rec.autos.simulators.nascar is a group dedicated to the discussion of
NASCAR-related simulators, as well as discussion and support for the
NASCAR Racing League, co-sponsored by NASCAR and Sierra On-Line. This
group provides a forum for topics not included in other subgroups in
the rec.autos.simulators hierarchy.
This news group is not intended for discussion regarding the NASCAR
touring series, nor is it intended as a marketplace for software or
other NASCAR-related memorabilia. It is intended solely to give
simulation users and software companies a chance to exchange ideas,
give support, and report problems or news.
Participants are expected to be courteous and contribute meaningful
information for the benefit of both company representatives and
software users alike.
END CHARTER.
CHARTER: rec.autos.simulators.f1
Rec.autos.simulators.f1 is a group dedicated to the discussion of
Formula One-related simulators. This group provides a forum for
topics not included in other subgroups in the rec.autos.simulators
hierarchy.
This news group is not intended for discussion regarding the FIA
Formula One World Series, nor is it intended as a marketplace for
software or other Formula One-related memorabilia. It is intended
solely to give simulation users and software companies a chance to
exchange ideas, give support, and report problems or news.
Participants are expected to be courteous and contribute meaningful
information for the benefit of both company representatives and
software users alike.
END CHARTER.
CHARTER: rec.autos.simulators.indy
Rec.autos.simulators.indy is a group dedicated to the discussion of
IndyCar-related simulators. This group provides a forum for topics
not included in other subgroups in the rec.autos.simulators hierarchy.
This news group is not intended for discussion regarding the CART/PPG
Series or the Indy Racing League, nor is it intended as a marketplace
for software or other IndyCar-related memorabilia. It is intended
solely to give simulation users and software companies a chance to
exchange ideas, give support, and report problems or news.
Participants are expected to be courteous and contribute meaningful
information for the benefit of both company representatives and
software users alike.
END CHARTER.
CHARTER: all groups
Cross-posting articles to multiple rec.autos.simulators.*
newsgroups should be avoided. If there is any question as to where a
specific article should be posted, it should be posted in
rec.autos.simulators as a topic of general interest, or in
rec.autos.simulators.misc (should this group be created). While some
news servers deliver a cross-posted article to the reader only once,
many others deliver the article an additional time for each group the
reader accesses.
END CHARTER.
PROCEDURE:
This is a request for discussion, not a call for votes. In this
phase of the process, any potential problems with the proposed
newsgroups should raised and resolved. The discussion period will
continue for a minimum of 21 days (starting from when the first RFD
for this proposal is posted to news.announce.newgroups), after which
a Call For Votes (CFV) will be posted by a neutral vote taker.
Please do not attempt to vote until this happens.
All discussion of this proposal should be posted to news.groups.
This RFD attempts to comply fully with Usenet news group creation
guidelines outlined in "How to Create a New Usenet News group" and
"How to Format and Submit a New Group Proposal". Please refer to
these documents (available in news.announce.newgroups) if you have
questions about the process.
DISTRIBUTION:
This RFD has been posted to the following newsgroups:
news.announce.newgroups, news.groups, and rec.autos.simulators.
--
Come on people, If you support adding groups don't just post here.
You have to post to the thread in news.groups for it to count or this
is going to go away. It's easy, just look at the one I sent:
Frankly, while I know this will tick some folks off. (oh well) I for
one have to give this a big YES!!!
I fully understand that the # of gp2 posts will taper off but
personaly the only sims I'm interested in are Nascar, Indy and once in
a while Need for speed. I for one have no problem with subscribing to
2 or 3 or more groups to find what I'm interested in. Actualy it would
make Life far easier than trying to wade through r.a.s everyday having
to hit I for ignore 1-200 times just to find the articles I want to
read every time a new driving sim/game is announced, let alone hits
the street.
If I want Nascar specific I go to nascar for Indy goto indy etc.
If I want general pop over to r.a.s
It seems easy enough to me. As far as cross posting goes or people
with a general question about say using a T2 with multiple sims then
let them take the whole 10 seconds to type in the one or two extra
group names and post to the appropriate groups to get a reply just
like the other re.* groups work.
Ron R II
***********************************************
** Keep the shiny side up & the hammer down **
*** Ron "Cougar" Riekens II ***
**** Owner - Driver ****
**** Medallion Motorsports/*** Photography ****
*** NASS ARCA Series #96 Pontiac ***
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