[400] in java-interest
RFD: comp.lang.java
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tim Lindholm)
Mon Jun 19 21:30:30 1995
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 18:06:26 -0700
From: lindholm@scndprsn.Eng.Sun.COM (Tim Lindholm)
To: java-interest@java.Eng.Sun.COM, hotjava-interest@java.Eng.Sun.COM,
java-porting@java.Eng.Sun.COM
People on the Java-related mailing lists might be interested to know
that there has been a formal Request For Discussion made for the creation
of a new news group, comp.lang.java. I'll append the text of the RFD
below.
The RFD was made June 7, and if agreement about the proposed group is
reached within a discussion period of 21-30 days, a formal Call For Votes
will be made. If sufficient votes are gathered during the CFV period
(21-31 days), comp.lang.java will be created. If the group comes to a
vote and the vote fails, you aren't supposed to try again for six months.
A fuller set of guidelines for usenet group creation is posted periodically,
most recently June 8, to news.announce.newusers and news.groups, among
other groups.
We didn't initiate the RFD, but it seems a reasonable idea given that
there are now something like 7900 subscriptions to the seven main Java-
related mailing lists, with 4450 or so distinct subscribers. So we are
encouraging you, who have some reasonable exposure to Java and HotJava by
now, to participate in the discussion. If a group is created and is to
be successful, it had better be useful to the readership of these lists!
The main issue that has come up in discussion to date is whether Java
belongs, as proposed, in the comp.lang hierarchy, or if it should be put
down in comp.infosystems.www.authoring. I think that the latter would be
wrong, and is based on the misperception of Java as nothing but the
extension language for HotJava. I see HotJava applet programming as just
Java programming that targets a novel delivery mechanism. If a group is
needed to discuss HotJava, then that should be a distinct RFD. On the
other hand, this RFD's charter statement does blur the issue, mixing
discussion of Java with HotJava. It is appropriate to iron out this
sort of thing in the discussion period.
Anyway, we'd welcome your input. Keep in mind that the end of the
discussion period isn't far off. Discussion of the RFD is supposed to
take place in news.groups. If the news group comes to a vote, I'll make
sure to announce the CFV here.
-- Tim
-------------------------
REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION (RFD)
unmoderated group comp.lang.java
Summary: The JAVA Programming Language and HOT JAVA browser.
Proposed by: Jim Fleming <jim.fleming@bytes.com>
This is the official Request For Discussion concerning the creation of
a new group called comp.lang.java. This is not a call for votes. If
an agreement about the new group is reached within a discussion period
lasting 21-30 days, this RFD will be followed with a formal Call For
Votes. The CFV will be posted to the same newsgroups and mail lists
as this RFD, namely:
news.announce.newgroups, news.groups,
comp.lang.misc, comp.lang.smalltalk,
comp.lang.c++, comp.infosystems.www.authoring.html
Discussion of this proposal should take place in news.groups.
BACKGROUND
The JAVA Programming Language was developed by Sun Microsystems in
response to the need for a language which will allow interactive
content to be developed and distributed on the World Wide Web as
an extension to the HTML authoring language.
JAVA is described as: A simple, object-oriented, interpreted, robust,
secure, architecture neutral, portable, high-performance,
multithreaded, and dynamic language. JAVA has similarities to C++
but offers garbage collection, secure memory protection via the
elimination of pointers, and a growing class library which encourages
reuse. The architecture neutral feature allows JAVA programs to be
executed on various processors without being recompiled.
More information is available at http://java.sun.com/.
RATIONALE
At the present time Sun Microsystems is making the JAVA Programming
Language and the HOT JAVA web browser available to a wide range of
software developers and World Wide Web users. Netscape has announced
that they intend to add the JAVA programming capabilities to their
Web browser.
By making not only the binary executables available but also the
source code for the entire system, many developers have started to
work with the language and the associated software. Even though
various mailing lists exist with a lively group of postings, there
is currently no Usenet group dedicated to JAVA discussions.
CHARTER
The proposed newsgroup is intended as a place for users of the
JAVA language to exchange ideas and to discuss the development of
interactive content. Hopefully, companies doing the various ports
of JAVA will monitor the group and will keep readers posted on the
status of their ports.
JAVA has many facets: it comprises an object-oriented programming
language as well as a class library which is oriented toward the
development of interactive content (i.e. Web pages which contain
programs which can be executed via an architecture neutral JAVA
virtual machine). The proposed newsgroup will be an appropriate
place to discuss not only the language but also the HOT JAVA web
browser.
Example topics may include:
- How to develop JAVA applets.
- The exchange of JAVA applets.
- The status of HOT HAVA ports.
- Improved JAVA compiler technology.
- Additions to the JAVA class library.
- Announcements on Web sites that support JAVA.
- JAVA programming contest announcements.
PROCEDURE
To make comments about this RFD, please post your response to the
"news.groups" newsgroup. A call for votes (CFV) will be issued
approximately four weeks after this RFD. Please do not post votes at
this time. When the CFV is posted, there will be instructions on
how to mail your votes to the independent vote counter.
-
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Info: send 'help' to java-interest-request@java.sun.com
