This versions may not always be up to date. (Last Updated 2/18/95) For the most current versions check out the text version at ftp.clark.net:/pub/usenet-b/info/info-center-faq by fingering usenet-b@clark.net, or by sending mail to usenet-b@clark.net with a subject line of help. This FAQ can be found at http://www.clark.net/pub/usenet-b/www/info-center-faq.html
Please redistribute this FAQ in an any way you see fit.
To submit a description start the Subject line with either "D: " or "Desc:" and follow it by the newsgroups name (the space after the colon is important so please don't leave it out.) The body of the message should be the description. Once done, send the message to UseNet-b@clark.net. For example here would be a submission for rec.arts.startrek.current:
From: Kevin Atkinson < kevina@clark.net> To: UseNet-b@clark.net Subject: Desc: rec.arts.startrek.current Discussion of Star Trek television programs, movies and books aired or released for the first time within the past four months, information about future programs, movies and books, and speculation of same, if based on information still current (such as speculation of cliffhanger resolutions).The system will automatically chop off to the least number of white spaces present to the far left. For example:
......Discussion of Star Trek television programs, movies and books ..aired or released for the first time within the past four months,will become:
....Discussion of Star Trek television programs, movies and books aired or released for the first time within the past four months,The descriptions should be from 4 and 60 lines and in the present, not the future tense (as many charters are). The longer the description the better, as long as it is not repetitive or drawn out.
You can include comments for the person who approves you posts by including it after at least 3 "#". For example:
(Body of message) ### I think you should chose this description over the previous one because it is longer and explains what posts are not allowed.Please also use this method if you mailer automatically adds your signature at the end of the posts so that they don't have to be edited out.
You can send a location to where the archive is sent in a similar fashion except that the Subject line should begin with either "A: " or "Arch: ". Also, the first line (of the body) should contain the pointer to the ftp site in the "site:/path/" style or the e-mail address. Please then leave a blank line before you give the information on how it is archived or how to get a post if it is a mail server. Please also include the time range the archive covers.
Once a submission is send it will be proceed by a perl script (to see if there is already something there) and will be mailed to a reviewer for inspection. The reviewer will either accept, reject, or ask you to make changes to it before it gets accepted. You will be notified as soon as it gets accepted or rejected and you name will go down as an contributor.
I strongly encourage you to first check what's there before submitting by asking usenet-b what information is available for the group or by checking it against the list of newsgroups descriptions that I need (and/or have).
To ask the info center what information is available for the group send a message to usenet-b@clark.net with a subject line of "See: Newsgroup". For example to see what's there in news.answers you would send a line with a subject "See: news.answers". Upon receiving the request the server will mail you the raw database file of that group. For a description of the info in the raw database files send a message as above (with "See:" in the subject line) with "database-info" as the Newsgroup.
To get the list of newsgroups that lack descriptions send mail as above (with "See:" in the subject line) with "desc-still-needed" as the newsgroup; to see all the newsgroups that have a description use "desc- have" instead. If you would like to see a detailed breakdown of how many descriptions I need/have use "desc-status". These files are also available via ftp under ftp.clark.net:/pub/usenet-bible/info .
If you can think of any other way you can help me (like help me with my perl scripts) please let me know.
I am also aware of the collection at ftp.uu.net . However, these charters are not in any neat format that I can use with perl scripts like the postings to news.lists. This means that I have to go through them my-self somehow in order to make use of them. To aid with this I have set up a system to make it go faster. It works by sending me someone what processed charters on a requested bases which I then processed fully and send back. The charters should be done in 2-6 months.
I was not at first aware of Cameron Laird list of archived newsgroups however I now am and I plan on making use of this list as long as forwarding any information on where a group is archived to Cameron.
I was also somewhat aware of news.groups.reviews however I really didn't give it much thought. However, I am now planning on making use of this info. in near future.
I also what to add that if someone is going to print a book very similar to what I am posting my reaction is WHO CARES. You have to pay for there book while my list is going to be available free of charge.
The two sites mirroring my files are:
The WWW home pages are:
The 2nd site is where all action is and where the WWW version is at. You can expect many more WWW versions in the near future.
As for as the Usenet Info Center goes, it is available on the WWW, at the second site listed. A collection of these documents is available under the dir "starter" at my mirror sites.
People who submitted a good number of descriptions: Neil Pawson < Neil.Pawson@Smallworld.co.uk> Daniel Barrett < barrett@astro.cs.umass.edu> Mirroring my site: Mahesh Ramachandran < rr@eel.ufl.edu> (usenet.ufl.edu) Jonathan Magid < jem@bittyblue.oit.unc.edu> (sunsite.unc.edu) Giving me some sound advice: Robert E. Maas < rem@btr.btr.com> (desc-have, desc-still-needed) Jeff Dege < jdege@winternet.com> (Suggesting change of name) Steve Fenwick < scf@w0x0f.com> (Suggesting change of name) Jim Jewett < jimj@eecs.umich.edu> (making me aware of news.g'.reviews) Cameron Laird < claird@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM> (pointing out 'g'_arc'.h') All those people who corrected spelling and grammer errors The authors of the Post on news.lists: *.answers moderation team (List of Periodic Info' Postings, Part *) David C Lawrence < tale@uunet.uu.net> (Mailing Lists Avail' in Usenet List of Moderators for Usenet, List of Active Newsgroups, Part *, & Alternative 'group Hierarchies, Part *) Brian Reid <reid@decwrl.DEC.COM> (USENET Readership report for *) Gene Spafford <spaf@cs.purdue.edu> (Original author of List ' Mod', List of Active 'groups, & Alt' 'group Hier') John Gilmore <hoptoad!gnu> (Another Original author of Alt' 'group Hier') Other: Thomas A Fine <fine@cis.ohio-state.edu> (faq's via WWW)
I plan on creating plain text versions, TeX versions, PS versions form the TeX and/or RTF files, HTML versions, RTF versions, and Windows Help versions. However I will start with a plain text and work on other versions once the Newsgroup Info Center starts to get somewhere.
I also plan on doing some very elaborate things with this list via the WWW . I plan on creating a searchable version of the Newsgroup Info Center and heritage style browsable version . I even plan on a special service that will create a CUSTOM version, to your specks! Because I am using perl this shouldn't be as compacted a task as some may think!