We thought people might be interested in some background on this proposal. The misc.kids.moderated effort began sometime in the summer of 1996, when a regular poster to misc.kids, Roger Hunt, suggested to the newsgroup, as well as others who were former regular posters, that we establish a moderated alternative to misc.kids. This time, unlike previous occasions when this type of suggestion was made, many people seized upon the idea. Misc.kids had suffered several troll invasions; many regular and trusted posters had left; and the level of discourse had declined. Colleen Porter did a straw poll on some issues related to creating a new newsgroup and got 199 responses. Those responses have been thoughtfully considered throughout this creation process and form the basis for much of what appears in the RFD. Increased work obligations prevented Roger from continuing to lead the effort. Claire Petersky, another regular poster, picked up the idea in the fall and asked the group again about establishing a moderated group, perhaps with a particular focus on providing mutual support among parents. Colleen Porter, after much consideration, volunteered to lead this effort, with Claire as a co-proponent. They solicited the newsgroup for volunteers, accepted all who responded, and in November 1996 established a team to develop the policies and procedures for the proposed group. Tracy Lee Murphy set up the mailing list for our discussions and was very efficient and dedicated in this role (she gave birth during the process). Nancygail Katzin-Nystrom served as vote counter and statistician for the many group polls that shaped our policies. Robyn Kozierok did statistical research that helped immensely and is now directing the ongoing moderator discussion to finetune policy details. Roger Hunt wrote a vision statement for the group that helped focus our efforts. Lynn Gazis-Sax provided valuable counsel and advice based on her considerable net.experience. Susan Ramirez compiled the acronym list that will be part of the administrative FAQ. Amy Rupp has been our chief technical advisor; she'll be assisted by Lauren Blau Halverson and Penny Gaines in developing and maintaining the moderation software. All of the moderators and advisors listed in the formal RFD have spent untold hours discussing this newsgroup over the past months. They represent a diverse mixture of old-time misc.kidders and newbies, single parents and partners, not-yet-pregnant and large families. Moderators include Christopher Biow, Tom Farley, Nancygail Katzin- Nystrom, Robyn Kozierok, Catherine Lacey Moore, Tracy Lee Murphy, Robin Netherton, Jennifer L. O'Neal, Claire Petersky, and Dawn Price. The advisors will be Noreen Cooper Heavlin, Lisa Curhan, Jen Hassler, Marjorie Peskin, and Colleen Kay Porter. In addition, the following individuals have actively contributed to this process: Iris Davis, Marijke Durning, Colleen Lago, Anita Graham, Hillevi Gavel, Elaine Kiernan, Trish Jalbert, Jean Fraser. These people have also been subscribed to the discussion list for at least part of our deliberations: Paula Burch, Liz Megerle, Kathy Leggitt and Karen Osborne. In August 1997, a straw poll was conducted among interested parties on news.groups and the misc.kids.* groups. The proponents made some modifications to the RFD, which addressed some concerns of mews.groups posters and yet reflected the needs of misc.kids participants. We look forward to this opportunity to answer questions about the proposal and eagerly anticipate the creation of misc.kids.moderated, a supportive new online community for parents and others interested in nurturing the next generation. Colleen Kay Porter Claire Petersky Lynn Diana Gazis-Sax proponents, misc.kids.moderated