Usenet2 discussions on Space?

Interested in a more civil discussion group than sci.space.*?

Haven't found an appealing web discussion board on space?

Join me in net.science.misc.

About net.*: Usenet2 has rules which limit cross-posting and other undesirable behaviors, and I have found usenet2 culture so far to be more civil than Big 8 Usenet culture. For lots more general information on usenet2, see the official web page.

Why net.science.misc?: Since net.science.misc, like most usenet2 groups as of fall 1997, has no traffic, there is no danger that space posts will get lost among non-space posts. If there is sufficient space traffic we can get an appropriate group created (net.technology.space or whatever).

OK, How do I get net.science.misc? If you see no traffic, don't panic, this is a group (and hierarchy) in the process of coming together. If you want to be able to post, ask your provider whether they plan to carry net.*, or panix and newsguy are two providers who already carry it.

History:

• May 1998: Thread about electric propulsion, radiation belts, &c.
• Mar 1998: Thread in net.science.misc (not started by me!) about Lunar Prospector's discovery of water on the moon.
• Jan 1998: I posted to net.science.misc about John Glenn's flight and this attracted some traffic about tethers and other subjects.
• Jan 1998: Thread in net.humour.talk about shuttle computers. Although the thread drifted away from humour (and presumably will die out), it was probably the longest-lived space thread to date on usenet2. That this happened in net.humour.* might tell us something about the state of the Shuttle and Mir programs :-).
• Nov 1997: I posted a few space articles to net.science.misc. I got a few followups. What got the most reactions, not too surprisingly, seemed to be stuff which would make sense to someone besides a space expert/activist, such as the latest crisis on Mir or "what countries have launched rockets to orbit?"
• Oct 1997: I wrote the net.science czar about my plan to encourage space-related discussions in net.science.misc, and he had no objection.
• Sep 1997: There was a thread on a usenet2 group for space in sci.space.policy in late September, 1997, and I also mentioned it privately to at least one potentially interested person.

What else? No doubt there are other things which could be done, such as making a list of people who are potentially interested (but who perhaps haven't yet gotten usenet2 access), publicizing this page (links are welcome), &c. I don't have firm plans to do anything beyond what I have done so far.