EXPERIENCES WITH COOPERATIVE MODERATION OF A USENET NEWSGROUP
Abstract:
Abstract: A unique moderated USENET newsgroup, sci.med.aids, was created on June 13, 1987 to host an electronic discussion of medical, social, ethical and political issues associated with AIDS. After 7 months of operation, sci.med.aids claims a worldwide readership of over 11,000 people. Unlike any other moderated USENET newsgroup, six physically-separated experts control sci.med.aids editorial policy through a democratic process. Moderation team members propose changes, debate, and vote through electronic mail. Within the team, members take on distinct roles. A chief moderator handles most editorial tasks. Expert technical contributors may post technical articles directly, bypassing the overhead of moderation. One member posts a Monthly AIDS Summary to sci.med.aids and related USENET newsgroups. This paper briefly reviews normal USENET moderation, presents the formation and current structure of the sci.med.aids team, analyzes problems encountered, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of team moderation. The paper concludes with recommendations for others interested in forming team-moderated newsgroups, bulletin boards, or electronic magazines. Team moderation seems best suited for high-volume, controversial topics, where no single individual can have panoramic expertise. While sci.med.aids began as an experiment and occasional problems still appear, its large readership and high-quality articles attest to its overwhelming success.
Citations
| 1 | Usenet Readership Summary Report for October – Reid - 1987 |
| 1 | Usenet Readership Report for October, 1987," article id – Reid - 1987 |
| 1 | Managing UUCP and USENET, a Nutshell Handbook, copyright – Todino, O'Reilly - 1986 |
