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REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION (RFD)
This is a formal Request For Discussion (RFD) for the following changes
in the uk.* Usenet hierarchy:
create unmoderated newsgroup uk.rec.gps
Newsgroup line:
uk.rec.gps Discussion of the UK use of the Global Positioning System
*** ALL DISCUSSION MUST TAKE PLACE IN UK.NET.NEWS.CONFIG ***
This is not a Call for Votes (CFV); you cannot vote at this time.
Further procedural details are given below.
RATIONALE: uk.rec.gps
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is run by the US Department of
Defense using about 24 satellites in polar orbit. GPS receivers which
now cost as little a GBP100 in a mobile phone sized case, use signals
from these satellites to give a position accurate to a few meters. The
more expensive versions may be combined with a mobile phone, personal
organizer, palmtop, laptop computer, and may include map, car or
person navigation software.
GPS receivers are used in many recreational activities, walking,
sailing, climbing, cycling, Geocaching, etc where it is useful to know
where you are, and which direction to travel, speed etc. etc. in the
middle of a moor, lake, sea, city or even motorway. Also such
recreations as rocketry for altitude verification, tracking etc.
Google groups shows that in uk.* newsgroups there have been more than
800 threads mentioning GPS in the past year.
Geocaching is a relatively new recreation, where a cache of objects of
little value are placed in a waterproof box at stated coordinates
where others can find them by GPS. The new "Right to Roam"
legislation together with improvement in accuracy and falling prices may
well catalyze other GPS based recreations.
It is expected that uk.rec.gps will have general GPS threads, in the
same way as uk.food+drink.misc, and other uk.* groups will have
threads specific to their own charters. As an example the "GPS
versus map and compass" debate will continue on uk.rec.walking for the
foreseeable future. It is hoped that it may become a repository for
uk.* expertise on GPS.
A thread subject "uk.rec.gps anybody" Raised 16 people in favour of
this newsgroup, and many who wished to continue ???+gps threads on
uk.???.???.
The vast majority of GPS posts on uk.* are recreational, so
positioning this group in the uk.rec hierarchy seems reasonable.
The word "recreational" has however been omitted from the charter, so
Professional and Scientific GPS posts will not be Off Topic.
Various other ng names including satellite-nav have been suggested.
Google groups lists only 40 uk.* threads mentioning satellite-nav in
the past year, which indicates that British English usage is for GPS
rather than satellite-nav. Also not all uses of GPS are
navigational, for geocaching only a position is important.
Various suggestions have been made about the effect uk.rec.gps would
have on the uk.* hierarchy. I will have only one vote in any such
developments, but I would prefer to see uk.rec.gps.garmin etc. but
uk.rec.geocaching should anyone in the future see fit to raise such
RFDs.
There are various alt.* GPS groups with the usual alt.* USA bias and
propagation problems, also sci.geo.satellite-nav for the scientific
community. Also several national gps newsgroups. It is suggested
that a uk newsgroup would be advantageous to discuss uk specific
subjects, such as OS mapping, laws, regulations etc.
The number of newsgroups this RFD should be crossposted to has caused
problems because Control, understandably, objected to 29 group
crossposting and insisted on only 6 newsgroups plus uk.net.news.announce,
uk.net.news.config.
I used google groups to count the number of threads mentioning GPG
in the last year see below. I have chosen the six newsgroups with most
threads mentioning GPS in the last year:
uk.rec.cycling, 88 uk.rec.driving, 67
uk.rec.motorcycles, 117 uk.rec.sailing, 102
uk.rec.walking, 287 uk.telecom.mobile, 66
This means that many uk.* newsgroups which have demonstrated an
interest in GPS will not be officially informed of this RFD.
These are:
uk.sci.astronomy, 50 uk.business.agriculture, 23
uk.radio.amateur, 32 uk.railway, 41
uk.rec.audio.car, 16 uk.rec.boats.power, 4
uk.rec.camping, 5 uk.rec.caravanning, 29
uk.rec.cars.4x4, 6 uk.rec.cars.maintenance, 20
uk.rec.cars.misc, 44 uk.rec.cars.modifications, 33
uk.rec.climbing, 6 uk.rec.models.engineering, 2
uk.rec.motorcaravans, 6 uk.rec.running, 18
uk.rec.scuba, 27 uk.rec.waterways, 18
uk.tech.rocketry, 8 uk.transport. 33
Importantly, a response to the previous thread "uk.rec.gps anybody"
asked that one of the uninformed ones uk.tech.rocketry (8 posts)
be informed of the thread.
CHARTER: uk.rec.gps
This newsgroup is for the discussion of general aspects of the UK use
of the US Department of Defense Global Positioning System, (GPS) and
any improvements, or extensions. GPS discussions may also occur on
other uk.* newsgroups where they may be On Topic.
Advertising
Advertising is forbidden, with these exceptions:
Suppliers of goods and services relevant to GPS in the UK
may post an invitation to visit their web site or request details.
It should be of four lines or fewer and not posted more than once
every 3 months. The subject line should begin "ADVERT: ",
except for vacancy adverts, when it should begin "JOB: ".
Advertisements of Geocaches are allowed,
the Subject: field should be of the form
"GEOCACHE: " <8 or 10 figure National Grid Reference of cache>
Followed by a short description of its position etc.
Binaries & Formatting
Encoded binaries (e.g. pictures, compressed files, etc.) are
forbidden. Such material belongs on a web or FTP site to which
a pointer may be posted. Cryptographic signatures (e.g. PGP)
may be used where authentication is important and should be as
short as possible.
Posts must be readable as plain text. HTML, RTF and similarly
formatted messages are prohibited. To see how to make some
common newsreaders comply with this, read
<http://www.usenet.org.uk/ukpost.html>.
Warning. Anyone posting contrary to this charter may be reported to
their "postmaster" and/or Service Provider.
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 proposal should be raised
and resolved. The discussion period will continue for a minimum of 10
days, starting from when this RFD is posted to uk.net.news.announce
(i.e. until October 3rd) after which a Call For Votes (CFV) may be
posted by a neutral vote taker if the discussion warrants it.
Alternatively, the proposal may proceed by the fast-track method. Please
do not attempt to vote until this happens.
This RFD attempts to comply fully with the "Guidelines for Group Creation
within the UK Hierarchy" as published regularly in uk.net.news.announce.
Please refer to this document if you have any questions about the process.
DISTRIBUTION:
This RFD has been posted to the following newsgroups:
uk.net.news.announce
uk.net.news.config
uk.rec.cycling
uk.rec.driving
uk.rec.motorcycles
uk.rec.sailing
uk.rec.walking
uk.telecom.mobile
Proponent:
Dave Fawthrop <hyphen(at)hyphenologist.co.uk>
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