CALL FOR DISCUSSION: comp.lang.c.dos and comp.lang.c.unix
This is a call for discussion for comp.lang.c.dos and comp.lang.c.unix.
Proposed charters, to be included in monthly postings:
comp.lang.c.dos is for discussions of the C language that only make
sense under DOS---or is it for discussions of DOS that only make sense
under the C language? Do not crosspost between comp.lang.c.dos and
comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer; your article almost certainly belongs in
the second group alone. Do not crosspost between comp.lang.c.dos and
comp.lang.c; if you don't have enough experience to figure out whether
your C question is DOS-specific, stick to comp.lang.c.dos anyway.
Lots of DOS wizards read comp.lang.c.dos.
comp.lang.c.unix is for discussions of the C language that only make
sense under UNIX---or is it for discussions of UNIX that only make
sense under the C language? Do not crosspost between comp.lang.c.unix
and comp.unix.questions; your article almost certainly belongs in
the second group alone. Do not crosspost between comp.lang.c.unix and
comp.lang.c; if you don't have enough experience to figure out whether
your C question is UNIX-specific, stick to comp.lang.c.unix anyway.
Lots of UNIX wizards read comp.lang.c.unix.
There's absolutely no symmetry between these groups; I'm just proposing
them together for the fun of it. :-) Seriously, if this gets around to
a vote, both votes should probably be run at once.
I think these subgroups will do better than comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer
or comp.unix.questions at drawing traffic off comp.lang.c, which is one
of the most popular and high-volume groups, for several reasons. Most
importantly, Joe Novice Shmoe will notice the subgroups almost every
time he reads comp.lang.c, at least under most popular newsreaders.
Furthermore, the IBM and UNIX groups are just as huge as comp.lang.c
without any extra traffic. Finally, comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer.c is a
truly awful name.
comp.lang.c is unaffected by this proposal.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, comp.lang.c.dos and comp.lang.c.unix
will be created on... oops, jumping the gun a bit. :-)
Followups to news.groups.
---Dan