🚀 go-pugleaf

Sounds good to me. Count me in!
(although given my reputation it won't do you much good. :-)

-BER

Michael Malak wrote:

> Crossposted: dc.biking,dc.driving,dc.general,dc.config
>
> OK, it's been nearly a year since my failed attempt to get
> dc.urban-planning approved.  So let's try again -- those who have been
> concerned with cross-posts to dc.driving and dc.biking should not let
> the discussion in dc.config die this time.  This is your chance to
> change the situation.
>
>                      REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION (RFD)
>                  unmoderated group dc.urban-planning
>
> This is a formal Request For Discussion (RFD) for the creation of a
> regional unmoderated Usenet newsgroup dc.urban-planning. This is not
> a Call for Votes (CFV); you cannot vote at this time.
> Procedural details are below.
>
> Newsgroup line:
> dc.urban-planning Discussion of transportation and land-use in DC area
>
> RATIONALE: dc.urban-planning
>
> Interest in traffic congestion, road building, alternative forms of
> transportation, smart growth, New Urbanism, etc. has been building.
> With traffic congestion expected to worsen over the coming years
> and decades, interest is not expected to wane anytime soon.
>
> Discussions regarding urban planning issues have been cross-posted
> variously to some combination of the local newsgroups dc.general,
> dc.driving, and dc.biking and to the international newsgroups
> misc.transport.road, misc.transport.urban-transit,
> alt.planning.transport, and alt.planning.  The cross-posting has
> overwhelmed some of the lighter volume, narrower topic, regional
> newsgroups, especially dc.biking, with discussion highly tangential
> to their charters.
>
> Yet, the cross-posting is arguable the most appropriate method
> given the current newsgroup structure.  No single newsgroup in the
> dc.* hierarchy covers general transportation issues, including
> automobile, subway, bicycling, and walking.  Subway issues, on the
> rare occasion that they are posted to a single dc.* newsgroup, are
> posted to dc.general.  Pedestrian issues are posted to dc.biking as a
> somewhat off-topic post.  "Smart Growth" newsletters and public works
> meeting notices are also posted to dc.biking.  No single newsgroup
> (besides the catch-all dc.general) is appropriate for discussion of
> balancing various transportation modes and related urban planning
> issues.
>
> Statistics for selected, notorious cross-posted threads that included
> dc.biking are posted below.  These are particular threads, and do not
> include smaller cross-posted threads or threads that are not cross-
> posted but would be more appropriate for the proposed
> dc.urban-planning newsgroup.  The Usenet statistics were gathered
> using "Power" keyword searches from the Deja search engine at
> http://www.deja.com/home_ps.shtml
>
>   Month     Cross-posted thread               Posts  All    %
>   ========  ================================  ===== ==== ====
>   Mar 2000  ENDGRIDLOCK.ORG                     171  511  33%
>   Nov 1999  wash post talks about dc.driving    185  401  46%
>   May 1999  Wilson Bridge                       304  682  45%
>
> Each of these threads would be entirely on-topic for
> dc.urban-planning, but were only partially relevant for dc.biking.
> In fact, some posters have complained on dc.biking about the
> cross-posts.
>
> As mentioned above, the problem is not just cross-posts but
> also off-topic posts.  For example, the following threads
> posted in the first quarter of 2000 to dc.biking relate more to
> general transportation and enviornmental issues than bicycling
> in the DC area:
>
>   Subject keywords        Posts
>   ======================  =====
>   "Smarter Property Tax"      6
>   "Cell Tower"               28
>   "Jones Bridge"              4
>   "Tea Party"                11
>   "Purple Line"              28
>   "Potomac Yards"             7
>                              --
>   Total                      78
>
>   Total Q1 2000 posts:     1184
>
> The idea behind the proposed name dc.urban-planning is that the
> newsgroup is to be a cross between misc.transport.urban-transit and
> alt.planning.urban, but localized to the Washington, DC area.
>
> The goal is to benefit two groups of people: those who believe
> there have been off-topic posts in dc.driving and dc.biking, and
> those who wish to have their own newsgroup to discuss the issues
> described below.
>
> CHARTER: dc.urban-planning
>
> The proposed newsgroup is intended to be a public forum for the
> discussion of transportation and land use in the metropolitan
> Washington, DC area.  Topics considered appropriate for posting
> to the group might include (but are not limited to):
>
>   * Transportation related topics
>     - Mode choice (cars, bicycles, pedestrian, rail, etc.)
>     - Infrastructure proposals (roads, bridges, bicycle paths,
>       crosswalks, rail, etc.)
>     - Safety of transportation modes, safety devices, and
>       relative safety of different transportation facilities
>
>   * Land use related topics
>     - Zoning
>     - Development density and limitations
>     - Urban growth boundaries
>     - "Smart growth"
>     - Impact of proposed major projects such as National Harbor
>     - Environmental issues related to development
>     - Architectural issues
>     - Monument/Washington Mall issues
>     - Parks and preservation of open space
>
>   * Economic and social topics
>     - Gentrification
>     - Urban renewal
>     - Emminent domain, condemnation, and eviction
>     - Impact of changes in retail
>     - Changes in real estate
>     - Impact of major employers moving in, out, or around
>
> One time postings of commercial product announcements or postings of
> a commercial nature that are replies to another posted inquiry will
> be considered appropriate. However, as in most other Usenet groups,
> repeated or in-discriminant posting of commercial advertisements will
> be prohibited.  Postings using MIME, HTML formats are discouraged
> since many Usenet readers do not use web browsers.
>
> 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 be 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 dc.config).  If discussions show wide support
> for the new group, and if accepted by the local populace, the new
> newsgroup dc.urban-planning will be created.  If, however, the
> discussion dies quickly or is not supported by the populace, the
> new newsgroup will not be created.
>
> All discussion of this proposal should be posted to dc.config.
>
> DISTRIBUTION:
>
> This RFD has been posted to the following newsgroups:
>
>   dc.biking
>   dc.config
>   dc.driving
>   dc.general
>
> Proponent: Michael Malak <malak@claygency.com>
>
> --
> Michael Malak
> malak@claygency.com
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.