By applying to join a group, you are not automatically joined except for the Discussion Group. The leader of each group will usually do some form of a minor background check on you to verify that you are serious, and then within a few hours or up to a week at maximum get back to you with their decision. If the group has no current leader then background checks are performed by a temporary leader, which will either be the web-site maintainer or the founder.
(By background check I mean that yes, for everyone who's currently joined I've asked around about them and scanned the web for any trace of who they really are. No one freak. :) Paranoia is our friend.)

All applications for the brother(sister)hood are forwarded by CGI, erm... no, by JavaScript and email to the (temporary) group leader.

By joining a group, you are automatically subscribed to that groups mailing list, if any.

--min/0.02/0.03/0.04/0.06/0.08/0.10 7/26/96

Highly structured organizations can tend to stiffle the creative flame, thus groups within this project are not particularly organized. At least that's what we tell everyone. While that is true, it is also true that until very recently (August 1996, a full year after Grail was born) all decisions within the project were unilaterally made by myself, Lewis Sellers, as I was the only one involved in all aspects of design.

This has begun to change, so we present here a general guideline for all groups and potential groups to follow. The main guideline to remember is that the project founder reserves the right to be executive leader of all groups and make unilateral decisions without any prior notification.

I want to form a group.

Email the founder. Only request to form a group if you plan to be in it. You will be the temporary leader until one is formally elected or appointed.

How are leaders elected?

Formal leaders can be elected (or unelected) when the members of a group get together and a majority votes on it. If a member of a group can not be reached for one full week, then they are considered to have abstained. The tally of votes, and names of elected must be forwarded to the project founder, and then to all webmasters. The results and tally will be posted.

Who appoints leaders?

I, Lewis Sellers, who reserves the right to override any group decisions, to appoint anyone I see fit, to dissolve or create groups at will, and also to kick out anyone without prior warning. Normally it is preferred for leaders to be elected.

What responsibilties do leaders have?

The usual ones. But also you must arrange to host a web-page that is regularly updated describing your group's current work and status thereof. You must also, occasionally (say, once a month, more or less), submit a general blurb describing the status of your group's work for inclusion on the What's New page. As well, you will receive via email all forms requests related to your group. (Sans temporary leader or leader, these are all forwarded to the founder.)

--min/0.13 8/1/96

Specializations

Specializations are informal subgroups that can form and unform much at will. If, for instance you are a member of the Controllers group and know quite a bit about Logitech mice, you might tell everyone else in the group you wish to specialize in them. They will be a main focus of your efforts within that group. You would then be a Controller Group member, mouse specialist.

--min/0.13 8/2/96

The Core Groups have their own exclusive category. And yes, they are unique in that by joining any of the Core Groups you are considered part of the Core. This is because everything these groups do influences all other groups. If the Audio group changes it's OCI, it doesn't usually affect the Core Groups, but if we of the Core make changes... it can have profound influence upon them.

--min/0.13 8/2/96

With the new 0.10 WWW pages, there came a few changes as to where information on the status of each group can be found. There are now links directly to each Group's Status Page. Ideally, these will reside at the Group Leader's WWW account. If this is impossible due to limitations of said account, then either the Group can be hosted at another member's account, or failing that, can be housed at one of the Official Grail Sites themselves.

Note that while it is proper to place the term group after all other group names, Core Groups typically do not use that nomenclature.

--min/0.10 7/19/96

No one has brought this up as yet, but they eventually will. As of now, there are three avenues for you to take:

• You can retain full copyrights for your work.
• You can give rights on materials over to the Non-Profit Grail Millennium Project.
• You can make your work Public Domain.

More particulars on this subject will follow soon, but in the mean time it is suggested you retain proper copyright notices on all your own works. If you have questions as to whether you have rights to certain materials, and what they are, email me.

Anyone with experience forming internationally recognized non-profit organizations, email me as well.

--min/0.13 8/1/96

So, you either wish to spread the good news or recieve it. On this page you will find a listing of all official Grail Millennium mirrors and archives, as well as unofficial web pages that discuss Grail Millennium. Please note that while these and other pages may support the Grail Millennium Project, we have no control over the information you may encounter except at our official sites.

That being said, if you are wishing to devote a little web space to the discussion of Grail, you may use the Grail Millennium's marble Supporters Logo gm_here.gif

--min/0.10 7/16/96

Things have changed recently. As this is written there are three official project sites: the project founders, Dustin Normans' and Arto Sarles'. Dustin Norman used to handle all the CGI, but that has been replaced with the new javascript throughout. He still handles the internal mailing list.

If you are wanting to mirror this site, etc you will need around a half MB of space for all the basics. More will be required if you want to mirror the entire site including downloadables as well as the subsystem/component documents. Currently (as long as no one gets too happy with my providers bandwidth), you can link directly to the docs and downloads folders.

All mirror sites will get email notifying then when a (major) revision occurs. They will also be assigned a site number based on first-come-first-serve.

It is IMPORTANT to note that these site pages use ONLY ONE counter and the counter makes uses of your site number. The counter program we use is hosted by www.digits.com. The counter name used is the string millenniumsite plus your site number. For example, the project founders site uses millenniumsite1.

For further information, email Lewis Sellers.

--min/0.10 7/19/96/0.16 8/29/96

Want to spread the good news, brother?

--min/0.03/0.04/0.06/0.08/0.10 7/26/96

You can use this form to submit your information to one of the website webmasters who will, as time permits, add the data to this page. Please tell us whether you simply have a link to our main site, want to be a full mirror site or have pages with information relating to the Grail Millennium Project.

min/0.12 7/31/96

min/0.08 2/27/96

min/0.10 7/16/96

min/0.08 2/27/96

min/0.08 2/27/96 /0.10 7/16/96

No, you don't have to know the difference between a GDT and a BLT to be in the Discussion Group. But it helps.

The discussion group was officially started 2/7/96 and is a list of supporters, beta-testers, potentional developers and otherwise interested parties in Grail Millennium Foundation Project. By having your name listed here you are in no way affirming any exclusive allegience to the project, merely showing your support and letting other interested parties know how to get in contact with you.

Please feel free to discuss the project in any of the above USENET groups.

We have no control over what you find at the home sites of any of the people you link to here.

The powers that be within Grail Millennium may or may not (probably not) have 5 seconds to listen to what anyone in the Discussion Group says. If not, try screaming louder than Trent Reznor and maybe you'll be heard....

Your Name:
E-mail address:
WWW Home Page:
Where did you learn about us?:

--min/0.03/0.04/0.06/0.08/0.10 7/26/96