USENET newsgroup name:  bionet.molbio.genbank

Status:                 Moderated

One line Description:   Messages to and from the GenBank database staff

Moderation address:     genbank@net.bio.net

                        (genbank-moderator@net.bio.net
                         is an alias for genbankb@net.bio.net)

Moderator:              Francis Ouellette (francis@cmmt.ubc.ca)

Mailing list name:      GENBANK

E-mail address:         genbank@net.bio.net

Newsgroup Charter:

GENBANK-BB/bionet.molbio.genbank is a forum for scientific discussions
and a source of information for the community of scientists interested
in any aspect of the GenBank database. These will deal with all
aspects of this database and its distribution and availability, from
it's primary source (NCBI, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) and other
distribution points.

Functions of the Newsgroup: To provide a forum for the exchange and
diffusion of information concerning GenBank, the DNA and protein
sequence database distributed internationally by the NCBI, to the
providers and users of this DNA and protein sequence database. Other 
issues relating to NCBI/DDBJ and EBI can also be addressed in this 
newsgroup although it is not the primary purpose.  This will take
place via the exchange of available information about GenBank databases, 
new distributions of this database and various data issues which pertain 
to its use.

The newsgroup will provide a forum for discussions of problems, old
and new ideas, journal publications and recent developments in the
use of this database. It also provides a pipeline from the producers
of this database (NCBI) to its users, especially in matters of release 
information and database format updates and changes.

Subscribers are welcome from universities or any academic
institutions, government agencies, medical institutions and
industrial or commercial organisations.  Contributions within the
functions outlined above are encouraged from all.

Moderation Policy: The change of status of this newsgroup to
moderation is to deal with inappropriate messages posted to this
newsgroup and not to stifle scientific enquiries about GenBank.
Mass-posted commercial messages, chain letters and similar postings
not germane to GenBank (in the largest sense) will be deleted without
comment.  Inappropriate messages posted in good faith will be returned 
to the sender (e.g. request for subscription information will
receive appropriate instructions, as they do now).  Messages not
strictly within the charter but likely to be of interest to some
subscribers will be accepted and posted to the group.

Use of the newsgroup for commercial purposes is prohibited, in
agreement with the BIOSCI charter.