RFD: comp.lang.ml

First Call, Request for Discussion: comp.lang.ml


PROPOSAL: This is a request for discussion on creation of an unmoderated
newsgroup on the topic of the ML family of programming languages. The
suggested name is comp.lang.ml.


ML is a family of advanced programming languages with functional
control structures, strict semantics, a strict polymorphic type
system, and parametrized modules. It includes Standard ML, Lazy ML,
CAML, CAML Light, and various research languages. Implementations are
available on many platforms, including PCs, mainframes, most models of
workstation, multi-processors and supercomputers. ML has many
thousands of users, is taught at many universities (and is the first
programming language taught at some).


Topics for discussion would include (but are not limited to):
  * general ML enquiries or discussion
  * general interpretation of the definition of Standard ML
  * applications and use of ML
  * announcements of general interest (e.g. compiler releases)
  * discussion of semantics including sematics of extensions based on ML
  * discussion about library structure and content
  * tool development
  * comparison/contrast with other languages."


There is currently a group for ML in the alt hierarchy, alt.lang.ml.
This has the disadvantages of any alt group: narrow distribution
(especially outside the US, where much ML development goes on) and
fast expiration. Some discussion of ML has gone on in
comp.lang.functional and in comp.lang.misc. An ML-specific newsgroup
would concentrate these postings and provide a focus for people
seeking information about or discussion of the language.


There is also a moderated worldwide mailing list for Standard ML users
maintained at Carnegie Mellon University. We believe there are now
several thousand readers of this list. Currently several messages pass
through the list each week. We do not propose the abandonment of the
list, but an unmoderated newsgroup would take most of the traffic from
the list, simplifying the moderation task, and would provide a new
forum for questions general to the family of ML languages (not just
Standard ML). Submissions to the mailing list will be forwarded to the
newsgroup. The mailing list moderator may also wish to periodically
select articles from the newsgroup to forward to the mailing list.


The mailing list has also provided us with a FAQ list, which can
readily be made into a weekly and monthly posting to the newsgroup.


Comments and suggestions regarding comp.lang.ml should be posted to
news.groups, or mailed to sml-list@cs.cmu.edu. Please indicate in
any e-mail message if you'd like it forwarded into news.groups.


-Greg Morrisett <jgmorris@cs.cmu.edu>
  Carnegie Mellon University
--
-Greg Morrisett
  Moderator, SML-LIST
  Requests: sml-list-request@cs.cmu.edu
  Submissions: sml-list@cs.cmu.edu

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