Subject: Welcome to rec.sport.skating.*
Date: 9 Apr 1996 19:21:50 -0400
Summary: Introduction to the newsgroups in the rec.sport.skating.* hierarchy.
9044

Last updated: 27 Feb 1996
Version: 1.10
Posting-Frequency: Biweekly


                                   Welcome to
                              rec.sport.skating.*

    This document is maintained by R.B. Schmunk (rbs@skatecity.com). It is
    also copyright 1995-1996 by R.B. Schmunk. It may be freely distributed
    provided that this copyright notice is attached and that no fee is
    assessed except for the actual delivery cost (e.g., normal connect-time
    charges).

    Some portions of this document are based on material from an older
    document by George Robbins (grr@tharsis.com) and permission for their use
    is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks also to Sandra Loosemore and Karen
    Bryden for helpful comments.

    Corrections and additions should be e-mailed directly to rbs@skatecity.com
    if you want to guarantee that they are read and considered.

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0. Recent changes

    None.

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                             Table of Contents

     0. Recent Changes
     1. Introduction
     2. What are the rec.sport.skating.* newsgroups?
     3. What other skating-related newsgroups are there?
     4. What skating mailing lists are there?
     5. What other skate FAQs are there?
     6. Where are the FAQs archived?
        a. Via the World-Wide Web?
        b. Via anonymous FTP
        c. Via mail server
     7. Where else can I look on the World-Wide Web for skate stuff?
     8. Is rec.sport.skating.misc for skateboarders?
     9. Anybody mind if I post an ad for my company?
    10. We need a newsgroup for my small genre of skating.


  * Minor modification to this entry
 ** Significant modification to this entry
*** New entry

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 1. Introduction

    In the spring of 1995, the newsgroup rec.skate was split into several more
    specific newsgroups. The reason for this was that traffic in that
    newsgroup was high and growing, particularly since ice skating had become
    a popular spectator sport and inline skating was (and still is) enjoying
    tremendous growth as a participatory sport. The expansion of the newsgroup
    was, however, not without its downside, as various types of skaters or
    skating fans began to chafe at the opinions often expressed by the other
    types. Thus, after much discussion, the various FAQ maintainers for
    rec.skate proposed a split of the newsgroup, and in mid-April, all of the
    proposed newsgroups passed the official Usenet voting process. Because of
    the requirements of net.gods who oversee such things, rec.skate was also
    migrated into the rec.sport.* hierarchy, becoming rec.sport.skating.*.

    Many Usenet FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions answer lists) usually begin
    with several paragraphs on netiquette, i.e., proper behavior on posting
    to newsgroups. Rather than do that here, I will just recommend that if you
    have not already done so, you should *immediately* go to the newsgroup
    news.announce.newusers and read the posting entitled "A Primer on How to
    Work With the Usenet Community". After that, please read it again.

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 2. What are the rec.sport.skating.* newsgroups?

    In short, they are:

    rec.sport.skating.ice.figure        = Figure/artistic skating.
    rec.sport.skating.ice.recreational  = Recreational ice skating.
    rec.sport.skating.inline            = Inline skating, aka Rollerblading.
    rec.sport.skating.racing            = Racing and speed skating.
    rec.sport.skating.roller            = Conventional (quad) roller skating.
    rec.sport.skating.misc              = Miscellaneous skating topics.

    For those of you who want some more detail, the newsgroup charters are:

    rec.sport.skating.ice.figure

       This group provides a forum for discussion of amateur and professional
       figure/artistic skating, including figures, freestyle, pairs, dance,
       and precision team skating. Articles from both participant and
       spectator or fan perspectives are appropriate in this group.

       Appropriate topics for discussion in this group include: amateur and
       professional skating competitions and exhibitions; activities of
       competitive and professional skaters; rules and organizations
       governing the sport of figure skating; and equipment, technique,
       training, and instruction issues.

       While the primary focus is figure/artistic skating on ice, discussion
       of corresponding inline or roller skating topics is not precluded.

    rec.sport.skating.ice.recreational

       This group provides a forum for discussion of ice skating as a
       recreational activity.

       Appropriate topics for this group include public skating, social or
       dance sessions and outdoor skating; learning to skate and more
       advanced group or private instruction; equipment selection, use,
       maintenance, and troubleshooting; and stretching, training and fitness
       issues.

       Discussion of skating skills on both hockey and figure skates are
       welcome. The group is aimed specifically at skating from the
       participant perspective.

    rec.sport.skating.inline

       This group's focus is on discussion of all disciplines of skating on
       inline skates, also known as blading or Rollerblading(tm).

       Appropriate topics for this newsgroup include equipment selection,
       use, maintenance, and troubleshooting; learn-to-skate issues;
       recreational/fitness skating, street/extreme skating, and inline
       hockey skating.

    rec.sport.skating.racing

       This group provides a forum for discussion of skate racing and speed
       skating, including short-track, long-track, and distance/endurance
       events, whether on ice skates, inline skates, or conventional roller
       skates. Training and fitness topics relevant to racing are also
       appropriate for this newsgroup.

    rec.sport.skating.roller

       This group provides a forum for discussion of all forms of skating on
       conventional (quad) roller skates, including indoor rink skating,
       outdoor skating, figure/artistic and social roller skating.

    rec.sport.skating.misc

       This group is [the] place to discuss skating-related topics that
       either do not fit any of the other rec.sport.skating subgroups, or
       that are not specific to any mode or discipline of skating.
       Appropriate topics for discussion in this group include ice-hockey
       skating, cross-training, and skating-related injuries such as foot
       pain.

    You may have noticed that a) there is no skateboarding newsgroup, and
    b) rollerhockey is lumped into the *.inline newsgroup. The former is
    because skateboarders posted only rarely to rec.skate before the split
    and so creation of a newsgroup for them did not seem necessary. Further
    comments on this topic are provided in question 8. Likewise, rollerhockey
    traffic on rec.skate was fairly low level and so it seemed best to place
    it with the *.inline traffic. However, rollerhockey fans may wish to note
    that occasional rollerhockey traffic also appears in rec.sport.hockey.

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 3. What other skating-related newsgroups are there?

    Skating newsgroups which are not part of this hierarchy are mostly alt.*
    groups related to ice hockey, although there are exceptions. The following
    groups are available at my site. Your site may not carry all of them, or
    it might carry some which mine does not.

       rec.sport.hockey
       rec.collecting.sport.hockey
       alt.skate                    // obsolete; see note 1
       alt.skate.figure
       alt.skate-board
       alt.sports.hockey.echl
       alt.sports.hockey.fantasy
       alt.sports.hockey.ihl
       alt.sports.hockey.nhl.(teamname)
       alt.sports.hockey.nhl.chat
       alt.sports.hockey.rhi
       alt.sports.hockey.whl
       alt.fan.(skatername)        // see note 2

    Note 1: alt.skate was the predecessor to rec.skate and is now obsolete.
    Although it was rmgrouped, it still persists on many systems and sees a
    very low level of traffic, but not enough to make it useful. If your site
    does not carry it, it's not worth bothering your newsadmin about it.

    Note 2: Many/most of the alt.fan groups are "bogus" and therefore useless.

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 4. What skating mailing lists are there?

    SKATERS-L
       One of the daughters resulting from the splitting of the old Rutgers
       ice skating mailing list, probably for people who actually skate. To
       subscribe, send e-mail to skaters-l-request@udel.edu.

    SKATEFANS-L
       The other daughter of the Rutgers skate mailing list split, but this
       time for spectator discussion. To subscribe, send e-mail to
       skatefans-l-request@udel.edu.

    SKATE
       Apparently a *speedskating* oriented mailing list. For info, send
       e-mail to skate-request@uni-koeln.de. To subscribe, send the *message*
       "subscribe skate" to majordomo@rrz.uni-koeln.de

   There are a couple Web pages which provide gateways to the mailing lists.
   To get to either SKATERS-L or SKATEFANS-L, check Sandra Loosemore's
   figure skating homepage:

   http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/sjl/skate.html

   For info about the speedskating mailing list, check

   http://dutiosd.twi.tudelft.nl/~penninx/skate/subscribe.html

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 5. What other skate FAQs are there?

    Most of the rec.sport.skating.* nesgroups have their own FAQs. Most of
    them are posted once a month, with an expiration date set so that they
    should remain on your news server until the next posting cycle.

    "Competitive Figure Skating FAQ" (five parts)
       Maintained by Sandra Loosemore (loosemore-sandra@cs.yale.edu);
       posted monthly to rec.sport.skating.ice.figure.

       This FAQ answers questions on points ranging from scoring systems to
       definitions of jump and spin names to info about upcoming events.
       While much of this will be useful to amateur figure skaters, it
       will particularly benefit skating spectators (i.e., fans) who want
       to learn more about what they're watching.

    "Recreational Figure Skating FAQ" (six parts)
       Maintained by Karen Bryden (ao071@freenet.carleton.ca);
       posted monthly to rec.sport.skating.ice.recreational.

       This FAQ concerns basic skating skills from the perspective of a
       figure skater, from the very basic levels through to the level of
       single jumps. It defines skating terms, discusses equipment selection
       and maintenance, talks about how to do various skills correctly, and
       deals with conditioning and injury. It also talks about social aspects
       of skating and instruction. The learn-to-skate skills such as stopping
       stroking and crosscuts are equally applicable for hockey skaters. As
       the recreational skating group develops, more topics of interest to
       the group will be added.

    "In-line Skating FAQ" (twenty parts)
       Maintained by Tony Chen (adchen@garnet.acns.fsu.edu);
       posted monthly to rec.sport.skating.inline.

       Besides introducing the reader to the newsgroup, this FAQ provides
       voluminous material in answer to some all-too-frequently questions.
       Topics covered include buying tips for newbies, methods for stopping,
       how to clean your bearings, places to skate around the globe, and
       reviews of numerous inline products.

    "Conventional (Quad) Roller Skating FAQ" (four parts)
       Maintained by George Robbins (grr@tharsis.com);
       posted monthly to rec.sport.skating.roller.

       Although traditional roller skating has its similarities to inline
       skating, there are important differences, and they are covered here.

    "Roller Skating Rinks XYZ Region List" (ten parts)
       Maintained by George Robbins (grr@tharsis.com);
       introduction posted monthly, other parts quarterly to
       rec.sport.skating.inline and rec.sport.skating.roller

       Data and mini-reviews about numerous rinks around the U.S., Canada,
       and the world.

    "Skate Book Bibliography / FAQ" (two parts)
       Maintained by George Robbins (grr@tharsis.com);
       posted monthly to the entire rec.sport.skating.* hierarchy.

       This FAQ provides an extensive bibliography of books relevant to all
       types of skating, including mini-reviews and tips on where to find
       some of the books.

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 6. Where are the FAQs archived?

 a. Via the World-Wide Web

    Web-browsable *text* copies of FAQs which have been cross-posted to
    news.answers are available from a server at Ohio State University. Tell
    your Web browser (e.g., Mosaic) to open the URL:
 
    http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet-faqs/bygroup/rec/sport/skating/top.html

    (Note: Not all of the FAQs are cross-posted to news.answers, so the above
    URL will not lead you too all of the documents listed in question 5.)

    All of the rec.sport.skating.* FAQ maintainers also keep copies of their
    various FAQs on their local Web servers, often in HTML format. Thus, the
    rec.sport.skating.ice.figure FAQs may also be found at:

    http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/sjl/skate.html

    The rec.sport.skating.ice.recreational FAQs are at:

    http://www.crc.doc.ca/~kbryden/recreationalSkating/

    The rec.sport.skating.inline FAQs are also located at:

    http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~adchen/rec.skate.html

    The rec.sport.skating.roller FAQs can be found at:

    http://www.netaxs.com/people/grr/Roller/

    An up-to-the-minute copy of this "Welcome to rec.sport.skating.*" FAQ can
    be found at:

    http://www.skatecity.com/FAQs/rssm.txt

 b. Via anonymous FTP

    The master FAQ site is rtfm.mit.edu. When rtfm.mit.edu is overloaded with
    ftp sessions, attempting to connect to it will yield a brush-off message
    listing the primary mirror sites. Capture that message for future
    reference.

    Sample ftp session from a login shell:

       ftp rtfm.mit.edu
       login: anonymous
       password: foo@bar       // type your e-mail address here; it won't echo
       ftp> cd pub/usenet/rec.sport.skating.misc
       ftp> ls
       [...]                   // a directory listing is returned
       ftp> get filename
       [...]                   // info on how many bytes were received
       ftp> bye

    File names on rtfm can be long and perverse, being based on documents'
    subject lines. If your ftp client program doesn't know how to translate
    them to valid filenames on your system, you may have to issue individual
    "get fromname toname" commands.

 c. Via mail server

    If you do not have access to anonymous ftp, you can also send e-mail to
    mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu to get FAQs by e-mail.

    Initially, try a message with no Subject: and just the following line in
    the body:

       help

    One useful command is the index command. This returns a list of the
    contents of a particular directory. Some examples of how to use this
    command are:

       index usenet/rec.sport.skating.misc
       index usenet-by-group

    Be warned that the index has a *lot* of information in it. The directory
    listing that will be sent to you by e-mail can be *very* large.

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 7. Where else can I look on the World-Wide Web for skate stuff?

    Let me re-iterate the URLs for Sandra and Tony's Web pages, because they
    do make good starting points for ice and inline skating material,
    respectively:

    http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/sjl/skate.html

    http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~adchen/rec.skate.html

    For inline skaters, the only Web index worth considering (IMHO) is my
    "Skating the Infobahn", which also includes numerous speedskating and
    rollerskating pointers, at:

    http://www.skatecity.com/Index/

    For *ice* speedskaters, probably the two best sites to start with are the
    Amateur Speedskating Union (ASU/USA) homepage and Wim Penninx's page,
    respectively at:

    http://web.mit.edu/jeffrey/speedskating/asu.html

    http://www.twi.tudelft.nl/~penninx/skate/

    Otherwise, your best bet for finding skating-related material on the
    World-Wide Web is to start at one of the many Web indices or Web robot
    databases. Perhaps the most popular of these is Yahoo. URLs for skating
    indices on that server are:

    http://www.yahoo.com/Recreation/Sports/Skating/

    http://www.yahoo.com/Recreation/Sports/Hockey/

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 8. Is rec.sport.skating.misc for skateboarders?

    Although the newsgroup charter (see above) does not say it is not, the
    following posting by Sandra Loosemore made on April 24, 1995, explains
    why it wasn't intended that way:

      Well, I can honestly answer that it wasn't intended that this
      newsgroup be used for discussion of skateboarding. During all of the
      discussion period that preceded the vote for the rec.sport.skating*
      groups, I don't think anybody ever suggested that we needed to include
      a place for skateboard discussion somewhere in the hierarchy.

      [...discussion re skateboarding vs. skating skills deleted...]

      Skateboarding is currently discussed in alt.skate-board, which was
      split off from the discussion of "real" skating long ago. If you
      skateboarders want to move out of the alt hierarchy and into the big
      7, there's nothing to prevent you from going through the same kind of
      procedure that was used to create the new skating groups. Such a new
      newsgroup wouldn't necessarily have to go in the rec.sport.skating
      hierarchy.

   Thus, whether or not rec.sport.skating.misc was intended for skateboarding
   discussion, persons interested in the topic would be doing themselves a
   favor by going where such discussion is already taking place, to the tune
   of 30-40 postings per day: alt.skate-board.

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 9. Anybody mind if I post an ad for my company?

    Persons or companies considering advertising in the skating newsgroups
    should note that there is historically an anti-advertising bias on
    Usenet, and posting of ads may lose you more potential customers than it
    gains. If you're thinking about posting an ad for your business, please
    go to the newsgroup news.announce.newusers and read the posting entitled:
    "Advertising on Usenet: How to Do It, How Not to Do it". You'll save
    yourself from a lot of flamage if you avoid some of the excesses described
    therein.

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10. We need a newsgroup for my small genre of skating.

    Periodically, discussion arises in one of the skating newsgroups that some
    sub-genre of that form of skating deserves its own newsgroup. In its
    first eight months of existence, this happened twice in r.s.s.inline due
    to the agitation of a handful of aggressive skaters, but there has also
    been a small bit of noise about a rollerhockey newsgroup and even the very
    quiet r.s.s.roller has seen requests for a separate skating music
    newsgroup.

    Putting aside any arguments about the amount of traffic in the source
    newsgroup and potential traffic in a new newsgroup, the persons who are
    making such requests/complaints need to realize a couple of things:

    1) r.s.s.misc was not created as a dumping point for dissatisified
       skaters. It is there to discuss skating which is not included in
       the charters of other newsgroups and to discuss topics of interest
       to *all* skaters.

    2) There is a procedure for creating new newsgroups. You lose the respect
       of other people (i.e., your postings on *any* topic may be ignored) if
       you complain that a new newsgroup is needed but are unwilling to start
       or assist in that process yourself. If you don't know what the process
       is but keep posting that it should be done, you are only displaying
       laziness.

    3) Proclamations that other forms of skating "suck" or that yours "kicks
       ass" will get you nowhere in the newsgroup creation process and may
       only provoke a negative reaction.

    All that said, if you *really* think a new newsgroup is needed and are
    willing to do something about it, look for the article "How to Create a
    New Usenet Newsgroup" in any of the following newsgroups: news.admin.misc,
    news.announce.newgroups, news.announce.newusers, news.answers, and
    news.groups. Since they are easier to create, you might consider an alt.*
    newsgroup instead, but realize that it will not be carried by as many
    sites. Look for the article "So You Want to Create an Alt Newsgroup", in
    alt.config, alt.answers, or news.answers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Again, thanks to Karen Bryden, Sandra Loosemore, and George Robbins for
   assisting at the birth of this FAQ.

   Thanks also to Allen P. Abel and Mary Hiser for revised info regarding
   mailing lists.

rbs
-- 
Robert B. Schmunk
rbs@skatecity.com, rbs@panix.com
http://www.panix.com/~rbs/
