#   Here is a current draft of my FAQ on moderated newsgroups
#   with comments & notes placed to the right of hash(#) marks.
#
#   I would be happy to get suggestions for changes to this draft,
#   preferably structured as replacement text, or as diffs.
#
#   Version 0.7.00 included many small changes/additions based on suggestions
#   from a number of people.  Since the purpose of the FAQ is to describe
#   existing policies, and not to set policy, I posted diffs and a
#   request for comments from knowledgeable net.folk on some of the changes
#   and suggestions to news.groups and/or news.admin.net-abuse.policy

Moderated Newsgroups FAQ

    This is for people who know a little about Usenet and other Internet
    newsgroups, and who want to know more about moderated newsgroups.

    If a proposal has been made to moderate one of the newsgroups you
    read, this FAQ should help clarify what moderation might bring.

    If you are considering volunteering to help moderate a newsgroup,
    you should read this FAQ and most of the things it points to.

    If you want to learn more about the process of creating or changing
    newsgroups, or to be the proponent for creating a new group or for
    changing the status of an existing group, see the FAQ section below.

  Table of Contents:

       Section 1 - Moderation in a nutshell
       Section 2 - Frequently Answered Questions
       Section 3 - Frequently *Argued* Questions
       Section 4 - What does it take to become a moderator?

  Expanded Table of Contents

    Section 1 - Moderation in a nutshell
       Q1.1 What is a moderated newsgroup and how does it work?
       Q1.2 What happens to articles in a moderated newsgroup?

    Section 2 - Frequently Answered Questions
       Q2.1 So where did my message go?
       Q2.2 What are some possible problems for moderated groups?
       Q2.3 Moderation seems like a lot of work - is it worth it?
       Q2.4 What is robo-moderation?
       Q2.5 Where can I learn more about the newsgroup creation process?
       Q2.6 How about more on Usenet, moderation, robo-moderation, etc.?

    Section 3 - Frequently *Argued* Questions
       Q3.1 Are there any alternatives to moderation?
       Q3.2 Will a moderated group have slower propagation of messages?
       Q3.3 How does moderation differ from censorship?
       Q3.4 How are changes made to a moderated group?
       Q3.5 Could changes be forced upon a moderated group?
       Q3.6 Can moderation be accomplished retro-actively?

    Section 4 - What does it take to become a moderator?
       Q4.1 What is the absolute minimum needed to act as a moderator?
       Q4.2 Can one act as a moderator: from a PC? off-line? over POP?
       Q4.2 over PPP/SLIP? without a shell account? without knowing Unix?
       Q4.3 What resources do most active moderators have?
       Q4.4 What software tools are useful for moderation?
       Q4.5 Is knowing Unix optional? Does it help to know Unix?
       Q4.6 What moderation tools are available in non-Unix environments?
       Q4.7 Can you moderate from an on-line service? (AOL, CIS, etc.)

    Section 1 - Moderation in a nutshell

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:

Name:

E-mail:

Show my email publicly

Type the code shown:

Public Comment:  (50-4000 characters)

Archived related questions and answers