From spryder@sprynet.com Wed Oct 30 14:09:02 1996 Path: uunet!bounce-back From: spryder@sprynet.com Newsgroups: news.announce.newgroups,news.groups,alt.crime,alt.true-crime,soc.history Subject: RFD: soc.history.crime.misc, soc.history.crime.jack-t-ripper Followup-To: news.groups Date: 30 Oct 1996 19:08:58 -0000 Organization: . Lines: 117 Sender: tale@uunet.uu.net Approved: newgroups-request@uunet.uu.net Message-ID: <846702537.1067@uunet.uu.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: rodan.uu.net Archive-Name: soc.history.crime.jack-t-ripper Xref: uunet news.announce.newgroups:9311 news.groups:236900 alt.crime:4706 alt.true-crime:14021 soc.history:78789 REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION (RFD) unmoderated group soc.history.crime.misc unmoderated group soc.history.crime.jack-t-ripper Newsgroups line: soc.history.crime.jack-t-ripper The Whitechapel murders of 1888. soc.history.crime.misc The history of famous crimes. This is a formal Request For Discussion (RFD) for the creation of world-wide unmoderated Usenet newsgroups soc.history.crime and soc.history.crime.jack-t-ripper. This is not a Call for Votes (CFV); you cannot vote at this time. Procedural details are below. RATIONALE: soc.history.crime.misc Whether it be the Lindburg baby, Jesse James, or Jack the Ripper, history is filled with fascinating accounts of famous crimes, both solved and unsolved, which are still discussed and debated to this day. The intrigue these cases hold with the general public is so strong that even now, decades and even centuries later, they have become household names. Start a discussion with ten random individuals about Al Capone or Billy the Kid, and nine of them can hold their own based solely on the general knowledge which has become so widespread with our fascination of these and similar cases. CHARTER: soc.history.crime.misc Cases such as these, especially those which have remained unsolved, have an almost infinite amount of topics which can be addressed. How did the Boston Strangler remain at large for so long? How did Prohibition force American cities into the era of mobsters? Who kidnapped the Lindburgh baby? But it is not simply the cases themselves which are important. Their effect on history as a whole is also of vital importance. What effect did Jesse James have on the policing of the west? How did the murders of Albert Fish help shape our knowledge of the modern serial killer? The questions are literally endless. The creation of this new hierarchy will allow for many new groups to be created, especially for more popular cases such as the Lindburgh kidnapping: cases which have been the subject of hundreds of books and television programmes. The group will be unmoderated. END CHARTER. RATIONALE: soc.history.crime.jack-t-ripper The case of Jack the Ripper is perhaps the greatest unsolved mystery of all time. In the summer and fall of 1888, the slums of the Whitechapel section of London's East End was visited by a monster known only by the soubriquet "Jack the Ripper." He brutally slaughtered and mutilated a number of women, and sent threatening and mocking letters to the police and media, one of which enclosed a piece of a victim's kidney. At the end of the autumn, the killings stopped just as mysteriously as they began, and the killer remained unnamed. Theories abound on the killer's identity, ranging from the lowest characters of the night to high ranking officials and members of royalty. Currently, Scotland Yard lists over 170 suspects, and a few new ones are named with each coming year. Hundreds of books, television programmes, and films have been written on the case. In recent years, interest has blossomed with Scotland Yard having released the official files in 1988, and with the discovery in 1992 of the "Diary of Jack the Ripper." Most recently, the Littlechild Letter has shed light on Francis Tumblety, one of the Yard's top suspects who has been a virtual unknown for the past 100 years. CHARTER: soc.history.crime.jack-t-ripper Topics will include suspects, theories, evidence, victims, police officials, new releases... virtually dozens of topics revolving around the case. Those interested in performing research in the case can also collaborate with those of similar interests. Furthermore, the Casebook Newsletter, a regular publication of Casebook: Jack the Ripper, will be posted regularly to the newsgroup in order to provide articles of interest, as well as provide information on new books and films being released in the near future. Currently, Casebook: Jack the Ripper maintains a mailing list of over 270 individuals. 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 news.announce.newgroups), after which a Call For Votes (CFV) may be posted by a neutral vote taker if the discussion warrants it. Please do not attempt to vote until this happens. All discussion of this proposal should be posted to news.groups. This RFD attempts to comply fully with the Usenet newsgroup creation guidelines outlined in "How to Create a New Usenet Newsgroup" and "How to Format and Submit a New Group Proposal". Please refer to these documents (available in news.announce.newgroups) if you have any questions about the process. DISTRIBUTION: This RFD has been posted to the following newsgroups: -- news.announce.newgroups,news.groups,alt.crime,alt.true-crime This RFC has been posted to the following mailing list: -- Casebook: Jack the Ripper -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen P Ryder, Editor Casebook: Jack the Ripper http://ripper.wildnet.co.uk