6386 users mailing list?

[Bill Kennedy]

In article <462 at pyuxf.UUCP> daveb at pyuxf.UUCP (david berk) writes:
>In article <Dec.8.17.25.54.1988.3915 at paul.rutgers.edu>, solinas at paul.rutgers.edu (Solinas) writes:
>> In article <784 at m10ux.UUCP> ads at m10ux.UUCP ( MHx4383 ) writes:
>> >I would like to join the AT&T 6386 users mailing list.
[ and two more like it ]

As I told Al, I'm not aware of a 6386 mailing list per se, but would like to
know about one if it exists.  There's an 80386 mailing list and one that I
coordinate for the PC 63xx.  We have 6386 owners/users on our list as well as
6300, 6310, 6312, and 6300 PLUS.  The latter is the majority of the membership
since the list started over a year ago for the PLUS.  There is a sublist for
people who want general interest and only DOS, another for general interest
and UNIX and DOS.  There are over 100 people on the list including some card
carrying gurus inside and outside AT&T.  In my opinion (natch) the signal to
noise ratio is quite high and our record for solving problems is quite good.

There is a small ceremony required to verify a two way mail path before being
added to the list, but that's the only restriction.  Gossip and grumbling are
permitted, flames are promptly extinguished.  The list is not a "reflector",
each contribution is read (sometimes commented on) before it is sent on.  Some
very common questions (e.g. what hard drives work on the PLUS?, what is the
latest 6300 BIOS ROM release?) are answered by return email and not forwarded
to the list at large.

Whew!  That sounded like an ad, but it wasn't really just an invitation to
join our list if the 6386 people don't find one of their own.  If there is
sufficient interest, I would not object to setting up another sub-list for
6386 only discussion (like the DOS only and heavy tech sub-lists).  A
preferred mail path for asking to get on the list would be:

lll-winken!abhg!ssbn!bill   or
{ att | killer | uunet!bigtex | bellcore } !texbell!ssbn!bill

The paths in .signature are OK too, but the above are how the mailing list
is sent out, so it makes it easier if that's how you send your request in.

>Why not create a private 6386 newsgroup similar to the unix-pc one?
>
>Dave Berk

That's an interesting idea.  Interesting because each time that I have polled
the 63xx mailing list about becomeing a newsgroup it has been soundly defeated,
most recently by 60-2.  I'm not sure why they are so adamant about it but I
have quit asking.
-- 
Bill Kennedy  usenet      {killer,att,cs.utexas.edu,sun!daver}!ssbn!bill
              internet    bill at ssbn.WLK.COM