1: Why is this this newsgroup here?

The UseNet newsgroup, alt.bio.technology was created as a result of an extremely heated debate in alt.config which resulted from the timely creation of the improperly heirarchized newsgroup alt.cloning, which was created slightly after the "joke" newsgroup alt.cloned-sheep.baa.baa.baa, which was created with no alt.config discussion and the simple explanation: "I see a great need".

After interminable discussion which had its moments of both pathos and hilarity, it was resolved (sufficiently, at least, for alt.config's purposes) that there should be a group created to discuss cloning. That group, alt.bio.technology.cloning was created, along with alt.bio.technology.misc. To ensure proper propagation and compatability with a denigrated and antiquated protocol, and also under the theory that a group should exist for generalized discussions of biotechnology, another group was created, alt.bio.technology.

This was intended to parallel the sci heirarchy newsgroups, sci.bio, sci.bio.technology, and sci.bio.misc.

2. What are the topics of discussion here?

Please see the Charter for alt.bio.technology.

3. Can we cancel all of this damned off-topic SPAM and commercial spew?

If you have the capability to do this at your news server, please be my guest.

4. There doesn't seem to be much traffic here. Why is that?

Please see question number 3. When the group was created, the UseNet was under attack by a variety of factors, foremost of which was someone's mass-marketing to newcomers of a commercial SPAMware/mailing-list combination. This SPAMware proceeded to flood the Internet with a great deal of unwanted commercial message traffic. At this time, despite the great interest in participatory discussions on the subject of human cloning, the newsgroup became essentially clogged with off-topic posts, and became virtually unreadable. Many of the worst spammers and spewers have been removed from access to the Internet and now traffic has begun to abate. But very few have ventured forth again, to see if it's safe to post here now. Hopefully, we'll see more on-topic traffic here in these groups.

5. Is commercial message traffic allowed in this newsgroup or in the subsidiary alt.bio.technology.* newsgroups?

Provided that the commercial messages advertise products or services which are relevant to the topics of these newsgroups, it's not only permitted, but possibly welcome, provided that the newsgroup doesn't become completely flooded with excessive repetition, fraudulent or bogus claims, or misrepresentations of biotechnologies as applicable to specific purposes.

6. Why not just post in one of the sci.bio groups?

You could post there all you'd like. It's UseNet, if the groups are unmoderated, anyone may post there. I would add, though, that the sci.bio newsgroups are often extremely technically-oriented, and lend themselves well to discussions between scientists and researchers, or students and academic-types, where this group and subsidiary groups were created to handle traffic between laypersons, or persons whose professional fields are not directly related to the sciences. Thus, alt.bio.technology.cloning would be a perfect place for anyone at all to discuss, for instance, the ethics or morality of cloning human beings. The newsgroup sci.bio.misc would be a place best left for technical discussions on how to actually do the cloning of human beings.

7. Where are some good places to start researching _insert_topic_here_?

If you're interested in biotechnology, or cloning, try reading all three of these newsgroups, and pick any of the terms of interest within some on-topic posts, and use that as a search-term in your favorite search-engine. I'm particularly fond of Altavista.

If you're interested in cloning in particular, try looking at Cloning of Mammals - there are embedded pushbutton links which can search various newsgroups for you, and links which will search Altavista for human cloning with one point-and-click. You may also wish to see this file, a conversion of the US National Bioethics Advisory Commission, Cloning Human Beings.

8. Who maintains this FAQ? I do.