🚀 go-pugleaf

		     SECOND CALL FOR INPUT (of 2)
	 sorehand@ucsfvm.ucsf.edu mailing list gateway group

Votes must be received by 23:59:59 UTC, 14 Sep 1994.

This will also be sent to the mailing list sorehand@ucsfvm.ucsf.edu

This vote is being conducted by a neutral third party.  For voting
questions only contact rdippold@qualcomm.com.  For questions about the
proposed group contact Mark Bixby <markb@cccd.edu>


THE BACKGROUND:

The listserv mailing list sorehand@ucsfvm.ucsf.edu is home to
discussions regarding Repetitive Strain Injury (i.e. Carpal Tunnel)
prevention & treatment, ergonmics, alternative keyboards & pointing
devices, insurance issues, workman's comp issues, and the like.
Sorehand presently has 500+ subscribers generating about 20+ messages
per day.

THE ISSUES:

Many sorehand subscribers feel that traffic levels are becoming too
high to conveniently participate with mail readers, and would like to
see the _addition_ of a newsgroup gateway to permit participation via
Subject:-threaded newsreaders.  The original sorehand mailing list
would continue to operate for as long as the responsible people at
UCSF are willing to host it.  Some sorehanders oppose the creation of
a gateway because of the potential for increased traffic, but as the
overall size of the Net increases, so will sorehand traffic as new
people discover the mailing list.

If such a newsgroup gateway is to be established, under which
newsgroup should it go?  Several choices are available, but they each
have their own pros & cons.

A new newsgroup bit.listserv.sorehand would be the simplest & least
controversial gateway to create, but there are sites that don't carry
the bit.* hierarchy and so propagation might be limited.  It would be
hard to say if propagation would be greater than or less then
alt.med.rsi.

The existing newsgroup sci.med.occupational is a logical candidate for
a gateway, but it covers a broader range of topics than sorehand.
Some sorehanders don't want to be burdened with these new topics, and
some s.m.o subscribers don't want to be burdened with sorehand's much
higher traffic rate.  Widest possible propagation would be assured by
gating to this "Big 7" hierarchy group.

A new newsgroup alt.med.rsi could be created relatively easily to act
as the gateway, but many sites refuse to carry the alt.* hierarchy,
and so propagation might be limited.  It would be hard to say if
propagation would be greater than or less than bit.listserv.sorehand.
Some alt.* community participants will probably oppose this idea due
to the existence of sci.med.occupational, feeling that any RSI
discussions probably belong there.

A new newsgroup sci.med.rsi could be created to act as the gateway.  This would
be assured of widest possible distribution, but is the most complicated to
create, requiring the full formal RFD/CFV newsgroup creation process.  Some
Usenet participants will probably oppose this idea due to the existence of
sci.med.occupational, feeling that any RSI discussions probably belong there.

THE PROPOSALS:

Vote (below) for the following in order of preference:

1) Do not establish any newsgroup gateway for sorehand.

2) Establish a bidirectional gateway to/from the new newsgroup
bit.listserv.sorehand.

3) Establish a bidirectional gateway to/from the existing newsgroup
sci.med.occupational.

4) Establish a bidirectional gateway to/from the new newsgroup alt.med.rsi.  If
this proposal wins, a discussion will be started in alt.config to ask the alt.*
community if they approve of the newsgroup name and focus.  Alt.med.rsi would
then be created if there were no significant opposition voiced in alt.config.

5) Establish a bidirectional gateway to/from the new newsgroup sci.med.rsi.  If
this proposal wins, the formal RFD/CFV Usenet newsgroup creation process will
be initiated, requiring a formal vote by all interested members of the Usenet
community.  Sci.med.rsi would then only be created if the vote were
affirmative.


HOW TO VOTE

Erase everything above the top "-=-=-=-" line and erase everything
below the bottom "-=-=-=-" line.  Do not erase anything between these
lines and do not change the names.  Give your name on the line that
asks for it.

Send your MAIL to:   voting@qualcomm.com
If you received this voting announcement via the sorehand listserv and
you attempt to "Reply" with your vote, please note that most mailers
will by default address the reply to the list subscribers.  This is
the wrong address, and such votes will not be counted.

-=-=-=-=-=- Don't Delete Anything Between These Lines =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Sorehand List Poll Ballot    <SHLG-0001> (Don't remove this marker)

Give your real name here:

In the brackets next to your preferred choice, place a 1.  Place a 2
in the brackets next to your next choice.  Continue till you use 5 for
your last choice.  You may leave choices you consider unacceptable
blank.  Start with 1, don't skip any numbers, don't repeat.

[1-5]  Group
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[   ]  No newsgroup gateway for sorehand
[   ]  Gateway to and from new group bit.listserv.sorehand
[   ]  Gateway to and from existing group sci.med.occupational
[   ]  Gateway to and from new group alt.med.rsi
[   ]  Gateway to and from new group sci.med.rsi
-=-=-=-=-=- Don't Delete Anything Between These Lines =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Anything else may be rejected by the automatic vote counting program.  The
votetaker will respond to your received ballots with a personal acknowledge-
ment by mail - if you do not receive one within several days, try again.
It's your responsibility to make sure your vote is registered correctly.

Only one vote per person, no more than one vote per account.  Addresses and
votes of all voters will be published in the final voting results list.