RFD: uk.music.notation
Dick Gaughan
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.music.notation
Newsgroup line:
uk.music.notation Discussion of music notation and software
*** 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.music.notation
There is now a wide range of software available for notating and
transcribing music; composers, arrangers and musicians are
increasingly becoming more reliant on using computer-based systems
for notation. The development of the excellent text ABC notation
system means that notation examples can now be shared conveniently
by email and newsgroup postings and this has resulted in much of
the more general discussion relating to musical notation being
fragmented across several forums.
Musical terminology varies greatly between different countries, so
much so that, for example, the standard terminologies used in the
UK and the USA could almost be regarded as being different
languages and the existing newsgroups where this topic is
discussed almost exclusively use US terminology. This can exclude
or make participation extremely difficult for musicians who use UK
terminology - even those familiar with both systems usually find
themselves having to constantly translate. Therefore there is a
need for a forum where UK-based musicians can participate in
discussion using the terminology which is the standard in use
amongst British musicians and is the standard taught in British
educational establishments. In saying this, there is no attempt to
judge any individual system as 'better' than others, any more than
there would be in saying "We need somewhere we can hold our
discussions in English rather than Chinese or French."
CHARTER: uk.music.notation
uk.music.notation is for the discussion of all matters related to
musical notation from a UK perspective. As this is a UK-based
group, the musical terminology used within this group is the UK
system and users are requested to use that terminology when
posting.
On-topic discussion includes notation systems, software used for
notating and transcribing, problems such as transposition, scoring
techniques and other general questions relating to notation.
Discussions relating to musical criticism are strictly off-topic.
Cross-Posting
Cross-posting is discouraged.
Advertising
Advertising is forbidden. Third-party announcements regarding
products and services which may be of interest to other users,
and which are directly related to notation, are welcomed.
Providers of such products and services taking part in discussion
of their product or service is not regarded as advertising.
Binaries & Formatting
Encoded binaries (e.g. graphics, mp3s, midi files etc.) are
prohibited. Such material belongs on a web or FTP site to which a
pointer may be posted.
Where necessary, examples of notation should be posted in the body
of the message using the ASCII text ABC system.
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 these, read
<http://www.usenet.org.uk/ukpost.html>.
Top-posting (i.e. posting responses at the top followed by quoted
material) is strongly discouraged. For more information about why
top-posting is discouraged read
<http://www.dickalba.demon.co.uk/usenet/guide/faq_topp.html>
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 August 4th) 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.music.folk
uk.music.misc
Proponent:
Dick Gaughan <di...@dickalba.demon.co.uk>
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 5.0i
Charset: noconv
iQCVAwUBPyA/h2OfGXkh8vHZAQHLbQP/Z5qmZ/37O2sxal9LHgL5BORQpJAzZqD+
RetJwcuWjHB/mcphPVwLGFy/zu2hnPW1YcowFiMZuYbCmioWr90lllqkR4YM4ZgH
eDeDoO+vT7/XAFBlExIipTq+SwsWMnBBUGDFXBebegcQoRXiwKdtx3ofy8GfVAvQ
DdmEZ51U5Go=
=a+8z
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----