Re: Proposal for the New Top-Level Hierarchy ai.* - Artificial Intelligence

On 31/03/25 09:47, Richard Kettlewell wrote:

>
There’s more than a dozen comp.ai groups, completely unused as far as I
can tell. It doesn’t sound like anyone’s particularly interested in
talking about AI on Usenet.
>
If you want Italian-language groups then surely something below it.*
would be more appropriate.

Thank you for your feedback on our proposal for the `ai.*` hierarchy.
Corrado Roberto and I would like to explain why we believe `ai.*` is not
 only viable but also a valuable addition to Usenet-and why we hope to earn
 your support.
You're absolutely right that there are over a dozen groups under
 `comp.ai.*`, and many appear dormant. We've observed this too-groups like
 `comp.ai.neural-nets` or `comp.ai.philosophy` have little to no activity.
 But we see this as an opportunity, not a dead end. The inactivity doesn't
 necessarily reflect a lack of interest in AI itself, but rather that these
 groups, created decades ago, no longer align with today's AI landscape.
 Modern AI-think ChatGPT, Grok, or image/video generators-has evolved far
 beyond the scope of those older groups, which focus on niche or outdated
 topics.
`ai.*` aims to refresh this space with a modern, unified hierarchy that
 reflects current trends and interests. Instead of scattering discussions
 across fragmented, inactive `comp.ai.*` groups, `ai.*` offers a clear,
 centralized hub. We're not duplicating effort; we're revitalizing it.
Your point about perceived disinterest is valid-Usenet's overall traffic has
 declined, and AI discussions here are sparse. But we believe this is a
 chicken-and-egg problem. The lack of active, relevant groups discourages
 participation. AI is a hot topic globally-on platforms like X, Reddit, and
 beyond-yet Usenet hasn't kept pace with a dedicated, modern space to
 capture that enthusiasm. Our proposal for `ai.ita.*` groups (e.g., `ai.ita.chatgpt`,
 `ai.ita.general`) is a deliberate test: start with the Italian community,
 which has a strong Usenet presence via `it.*`, and build momentum. We're
 already planning crossposts and promotional threads to seed activity. If
 successful, `ai.*` can expand to other languages (e.g., `ai.eng.*`). The
 inclusion of `ai.ita.stats` will let us track engagement and prove
 demand-something `comp.ai.*` never had. We're betting that a fresh
 hierarchy will spark interest where stale ones couldn't.
You suggest placing these groups under `it.*`, and it's a fair idea-after
 all, `it.*` is thriving and Italian-focused. However, we see two key
 reasons to opt for `ai.*` as a top-level hierarchy:
1. **Thematic Clarity**: `it.*` is a national hierarchy covering everything
 from `it.comp` to `it.hobby`. Nesting AI groups there (e.g.,
 `it.ai.chatgpt`) risks diluting their focus and visibility. AI is a global,
 cutting-edge field deserving its own identity, not a subcategory of a
 catch-all hierarchy. `ai.*` signals to users-Italian or not-that this is
 *the* place for AI discussions, much like `comp.*` does for computing.
2. **Scalability**: Starting with `ai.ita.*` is just the beginning. A
 top-level `ai.*` allows future growth-`ai.eng.*` for English speakers,
 `ai.fr.*` for French, etc.-without being tied to a single language or
 region. If we limit ourselves to `it.*`, we'd need separate proposals for
 each language community, fragmenting the effort. `ai.*` offers a unified,
 forward-thinking structure.
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