CALL FOR DISCUSSION: ROTIFERA/bionet.organisms.rotifera

[BIOSCI Administrator]

We have received a proposal below for a new newsgroup,

ROTIFERA/bionet.organisms.rotifera

This group is currently a BIOSCI prototype newsgroup, so it must
either pass successfully through the voting process or be shut down.

Discussion on the following proposal will now be open through 4 May
on BIOFORUM/bionet.general (*not* on BIONEWS/bionet.announce).  For
those who are not on the BIOFORUM/bionet.general newsgroup currently,
either read bionet.general on USENET or contact one of the following
biosci addresses to sign up by e-mail:

Subscription Address                 Location
--------------------                 --------
biosci at daresbury.ac.uk               Europe, Africa, and Central Asia
biosci at net.bio.net                   Americas and the Pacific Rim

One warning, however: BIOFORUM/bionet.general is a "chatty" newsgroup
and many other items will be discussed there besides this newsgroup
proposal.  USENET news access is definitely better than e-mail if you
want to monitor only this discussion.

Discussion Guidelines
---------------------
Please do not post one-line messages saying things like "I am in favor
of such a newsgroup".  We will collect votes later.  The discussion
period is an opportunity for anyone to bring up reservations about the
proposed charter below and to propose modifications prior to the vote.
If the charter is perfect as is, then there is no need for anyone to
say anything!!!

The newsgroup discussion leader may submit a revised proposal in light
of the discussion, and the new charter would be included in the call
for votes which will go out on 5 May (Newsgroup Discussion leaders -
please note this deadline - if no revisions are received before the
deadline, the original charter will be voted on.).

Please be aware that only one vote is counted per e-mail address, so
it is necessary to have your own account in order to vote.  Multiple
votes from the same address are not accepted.  If you are interested
in the following newsgroup, but do not have an e-mail address of your
own, please obtain one from your computer center before the call for
votes is issued.

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Proposal to establish ROTIFERA/bionet.organisms.rotifera

Proposed USENET name: bionet.organisms.rotifera

Proposed mailing list name: ROTIFERA

Proposed mailing addresses: rotifera at net.bio.net
		            rotifera at daresbury.ac.uk

Discussion leaders:  Russ Shiel
		     shielr at mdfrc.canberra.edu.au

		     Bob Wallace
		     Wallacer at mac.ripon.edu

Newsgroup character: 

Bionet.organisms.rotifera is a proposed forum for scientific
discussions and a source of information for the biological community
at large who may be interested in any aspect of rotifer biology.  The
name Rotifera indicates the Phylum of interest.

Functions of the newsgroup: To promote communication between reseachers 
in common or disparate fields of interest, but involving rotifers, from 
the ultracellular level to the community ecology level, e.g. 
developmental biology, ecology, evolution, genetics, neuropharmacology, 
physiology, taxonomy, toxicology, zoogeography.

The newsgroup will also provide a rapid source of information on rotifers 
for educators, and will act as a forum for discussion on problems of 
rotifer research, current developments, methodologies, advice on culture 
and maintenance of rotifers for aquaculture, toxicological studies, etc.

Finally, the newsgroup will serve as a bulletin board for announcements 
of meetings, conferences, job opportunities, funding sources, etc 
pertaining to research on rotifers.

Subscribers are welcome from universities and other academic 
institutions, government agencies, industrial or commercial organizations 
with an interest in the Phylum. Contributions to the newsgroup in the 
areas outlined above are encouraged.

The newsgroup is unmoderated.

Russ Shiel
Principal Res. Scientist
Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre

Bob Wallace
Prof., Dept of Biology
Ripon College 
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