This webpage explains the operation of uk.rec.cycling.moderated, a newsgroup within the UK hierarchy.

uk.rec.cycling.moderated is, as its name suggests, a moderated newsgroup. Postings made to the group are reviewed against the moderation policy before they appear on the newsgroup. This is to ensure that discussions stay within the charter and moderation policy, creating a newsgroup which is civil, pleasant and of interest to cyclists. Some of the moderation mechanisms are automated, others require human intervention. Details of how to contact the moderation team, and the list of messages pending, accepted and rejected are shown below.

Further general information on the UK hierachy is available at: http://www.usenet.org.uk/

Charter for uk.rec.cycling.moderated

( This is a copy of the official charter published at http://www.usenet.org.uk/uk.rec.cycling.moderated.html#uk.rec.cycling.moderated )

This group is for the discussion of all matters relating to cycling and the UK. Recreational cycling, cycling for transport, racing, and other forms of cycling are all on-topic.

Moderation will be used to ensure that the group remains civil, pleasant, and of interest to cyclists.

The moderators may use whatever tools and processes they collectively feel appropriate to ensure the smooth running of the group.

Binaries and Formatting

Encoded binaries (eg pictures, compressed files, etc.) are forbidden. Such material belongs on a web or FTP site to which a pointer may be posted. Cryptographic signatures (eg 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 news readers comply with this, read http://www.usenet.org.uk/ukpost.html

Moderation Policy

(Last revised February 2013)

The following are on-topic and encouraged:

Discussions regarding cycling within the UK;
Discussion on cycling more generally, but which retains a focus
on cycling within the UK;
General discussion amongst UK cyclists;
Announcements of specific interest to UK cyclists.

The following are prohibited:

Advertising which is not specifically relevant to UK cycling;
Personal abuse; flames;
Repetitious posting which does not bring new information to the
discussion.

Crossposting is at present generally not permitted. Brief and constructive discussion of the moderation policy is permitted in the newsgroup itself.

In controversial threads, particularly relating to borderline off-topic areas, postings which (in the moderators' opinion) fail to constructively advance the discussion may be rejected.

The moderators operate a passlist system, so that messages from regular on-topic posters can be posted promptly and automatically. Threads which have descended into repetition or abuse may be closed by the moderators.

New posters are encouraged to read the group for a while, or to read past articles, before making posts on contentious topics. Unfortunately we have have found it necessary to operate an informal probationary period for new posters, during which repetition of certain oft-made points will be rejected.

In the case of serious or persistent abuse the moderators may ban and block individual posters for a fixed period, indefinitely, or permanently. If so, the moderators will make an effort to notify the individual concerned.

Decisions by individual moderators to approve or reject a posting, or to close a thread, may be appealed by private email to the whole moderation panel.

This policy may be updated by the moderation panel as they see fit.

The moderation panel makes decisions by consensus, or failing that by majority vote. The identity of the moderator responsible for a particular decision, and a moderators's vote in collective decisionmaking, are not revealed outside the panel - unless the moderator in question chooses to do so.

Contacting the moderators

The moderators can be reached at
urcm-moderators@chiark.greenend.org.uk
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/urcm/

If there are problems contacting the moderators, then you may contact the moderators via postmaster (at) chiark.greenend.org.uk

A summary of approved and rejected posts is available at
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~webstump/l.urcm

The moderators will make a regular posting to uk.rec.cycling, advertising the moderated group and inviting readers and posters.

Mission posting

Mission posting is over-zealous promotion of a set of views, to the point of obsession and/or obliviousness to social norms.

Where a poster's mission relates solely to bikes and cycling, the mission posts will be watched more carefully for civility and repetition.
Otherwise (including missions which are partly related to cycling): Following a warning, all the mission posts will normally be rejected ("mission"). However, we may approve postings which are undoubtedly valuable (for example, the supply of new, recent and interesting information).

Moderators:

(Last revised, December 2012)

Alan Braggins
Andy Leighton
David Damerell
Ian Jackson
Martin Dann
Mike Causer
Peter Clinch

PGP key

The key used by the moderation robot to sign articles is as follows:

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      Key fingerprint = 7D6B BAC1 FCA3 CD7F 3CA2  871A 9D2A F0A6 F9A7 E31E
uid     uk.rec.cycling.moderated approval key <urcm-moderators@chiark.greenend.org.uk>

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