Subject: RFD: alt.support.disease.skin.psoriasis Newsgroups: alt.config,news.groups,news.announce.newgroups,sci.med,sci.med.immunology,alt.support.psoriasis,alt.support.skin-diseases,alt.support.skin-diseases.psoriasis Organization: large. http://www.crl.com/~ed Reply-To: ed@crl.com Followup-To: alt.config Request for Discussion (RFD) This RFD is the result of requests, discussions, suggestions, and phone conversations concerning a forum for the discussion of skin diseases. Newsgroups : alt.support.disease.skin alt.support.disease.skin.psoriasis Status : unmoderated Distribution : Worldwide Summary : For the discussion of skin diseases in general with a special focus on treatment and coping with psoriasis. Proponents : Ed Anderson Steve Krause This RFD has been posted in accordance with the Guidelines for Newsgroup Creation. Its language is based on previously submitted RFDs. The RFD is being cross-posted to the following relevant news groups: alt.config news.groups news.announce.newgroups sci.med sci.med.immunology alt.support.psoriasis alt.support.skin-diseases alt.support.skin-diseases.psoriasis Please note the Followup-To: alt.config CHARTERS The alt.support.disease.skin newsgroup will be open to discussion of all aspects of skin diseases. Specific topics might include: * Answers to Frequently Asked Questions * Tips for coping with skin diseases * Help in finding an accurate diagnosis * Pointers to research results and other information sources * Discussion of traaditional and alternative treatment methods * Info about prevention and risk reduction The alt.support.disease.skin.psoriasis subgroup would entertain the same topics but only relating to psoriasis. RATIONALE Psoriasis is a disease which afflicts 2%-5% of the population. A Gallup poll showed that over 10% of adults think they may have psoriasis. No cure has yet been found for this chronic disease whose symptoms include red patches covered with silvery scale. The scaling is caused by the exfoliation of skin cells producing at ten times the normal rate. Current research into the immune system has found a genetic basis for the disease which brings us closer to a cure. The phenomenal amount of money that is spent on aggressively marketed shampoos and skin care products shows how important it is to make accurate information easily available and to provide a forum for discussion. This forum does not currently exist in any widely carried usenet group. There are frequent messages on various newsgroups requesting information on psoriasis and other skin diseases. Some of this occurs in sci.med but the volume there makes finding information difficult. Several proposals and attempts have been made to start up a usenet group but have been removed for lack of consensus. There is clearly a need for the groups as indicated by the traffic in two groups which were recently created and then removed yet still thrive. The two new groups are intended to replace: alt.support.psoriasis alt.support.skin-diseases alt.support.skin-diseases.psoriasis and offer a hierarchy that allows future expansion without any dead-end names. Having the subgroup "disease" within the name allows for the creation of other groups within the alt.support hierarchy such as .lyme, .heart, .hodgkins, .altzheimers, .parkinsons, and many others that would require hyphenation to exist. FUTURE ACTION Since this is an ALT group, there will not be a call for votes. We are merely asking for consensus so that the groups will propagate and be available to anyone who cares to visit. Please post a note of support or any SERIOUS objections to alt.config or email the proponents so that we might include your email address in support of the group naming. Many folks are in support of this including: hoken_norelius@ett.se evwoods@ucdavis.com llevin1@wpgate.gmu.edu JWclematis@aol.com tofel@netcom.com Proponents: Ed Anderson Steve Krause Discussion and Followup-To: alt.config