From: Sci.Virtual-Worlds Subject: ADMIN: s.v-w handover on MONDAY; s.v-w.apps opens in two weeks Date: Wed, 4 Aug 93 22:47:53 -0700 Monday, August 9, represents another milestone in the evolution of sci.virtual-worlds. On that day, the HIT Lab Newsgroup Team, led by Cyberlibrarian Toni Emerson (diderot@hitl.washington.edu), will assume moderation of sci.virtual-worlds. Over lunch today, we discussed the change. You are certainly going to notice an improvement in the newsgroup, particularly as a resource for gathering information about our field. Toni's librarianship in our field is exemplary and she's tied into librarians at all of the other major R&D and commercial sites. The FAQ, the archives, the papers section, and other features of sci.virtual-worlds are going to be well-maintained and expanded, the better to serve the virtual worlds community. The programmer/comoderators helping her, like Dan Pirone, are among the best and have a few tricks up their sleeves, too. If you have suggestions for bettering s.v-w, now would be a good time to send them to Toni, before her team engages the newsgroup on a daily basis. As for our sibling newsgroup, sci.virtual-worlds.apps, we are pleased to announce that we have a host at the MIT Media Lab courtesy of Alan Wexelblat, computer wizard and all-around good guy. Thanks, too, to the Media Lab computer people who worked their own wizardry to make this possible. We have an inspiring list of correspondents who will endeavor to keep you current on applications emerging around the world. We're working out responsibilities and relationships and will be open to the public within the next two weeks, barring any technical snafus. CoMod Mark De Loura is working like a dervish to complete the complex moderating machinery. Thanks too to Kai Jaa-Aro at KTH, in Stockholm, and the KTH computer center, who supplied s.v-w.apps with a home during its latent period. Okay, that's the news. Mark and I will have some inspirational parting words over the weekend, and then it's time for the HIT Lab Newsgroup Team to take over. We grow and develop and prosper. Best to all. SIGGRAPH is not the end. Our time is coming.... Bob Jacobson CoModerator