Just because a group passes does not mean it will be successful. At this time in alt.discuss a proposer can count on perhaps 1/10th of the Yes voters to actually want to discuss the topic. (This is why in Usenet you must prove interest in the group prior to proposing it).

Once a group has passed the proposer now has even more work to do. Here are a few things that help to get a group going in the beginning, and help infuse more life into it later on if it slows down.

1) The absolute first thing to do is put a link in your e-mail signature. You can either use html or just type it in. The way to create a non-html link is to type
news:alt.discuss.group-name

The news: is the distinguishing word that all computers (including WebTV) see to indicate a newsgroup. It is necessary if you want the link to be clickable. That is a colon : after "news".

If you want to html the link, the info is the same. Type (using arrows instead of parens)
(html) (a href="news:alt.discuss.group-name") group-name (/a) (/html)
That will give you just the group name.

EXAMPLE of more than just the group name:
(a href="news:alt.discuss.config.newtons") Where arguments and posts off topic but inspired by posts in a.d.config should be posted: alt.discuss.config.newtons Fruit _and_ Cake! (/a)

which will look like this

Where arguments and posts off topic but inspired by posts in a.d.config should be posted: alt.discuss.config.newtons Fruit _and_ Cake!

2) Post, post, post.
On a DAILY basis post at least 5 - 10 new Subjects. People need something to respond to. Even if you write 20 responses to posts, you (as the proposer) need to supply the people with something to talk about.

As you post, you are forming the group, you are setting the standards and being the example of what is acceptable.

Some people think that all they need to do is propose a group, and it will take care of itself. That philosophy doesn't work, and we have many empty groups that are being deleted to prove it. People tend to look at it this way: If the proposer isn't even interested enough to post, why should they?

3) Post the Charter.
Post it the first day you have access to the new group, and post it at least monthly (if not more often) so that new people will know what the group is about.

4) Post in alt.discuss.announce
on a weekly basis about the group.

5) E-mail anyone you think might be interested in the group. E-mail everyone you e-mailed for votes and tell them that the group passed and is now open.

6) Post in news:webtv.users
with a non-html link to the group in your signature every week or so. If the alt.discuss group is a help group, answer the questions that come up along the topic of the group.... you will become known as someone who knows these things, and others will be drawn to the group. If the group is not a help group, just answer questions that you know the answers to. The point is to be helpful and get your signature seen (with it's link to the group).

7) Ask the regulars in the group to also carry a link to it in their signatures.

The above has nothing to do with the authority a proposer may or may not have in the group. Leadership is a talent, and respect is something that is earned. No one "owns" an alt.discuss newsgroup, but some groups do have "hosts/hostesses" that are acknowledged and accepted by the regular posters in the group.