Tips for New Members
Over
time, every Internet mailing list or discussion group develops
its own personality and its own standards and expectations.
As a member of the Breast Cancer List, you will find that
we're an open and tolerant group. Our list is unmoderated.
List owner, Jon Church, doesn't pass judgment on the content
of messages before they are posted, nor does he censure
members. We are expected to be courteous and respectful
of one another without a rigid set of rules. Most of the
time, we comply, and when the occasional upset happens,
we manage to sort it out on our own.
We've
put together a few brief suggestions on how you will get
the best response when you post to the list. This is a combination
of traditional Internet good manners, BC List traditions,
and plain old common sense.
List
message limit
Posting to the list vs. posting
privately
Responding to several posts with
one message
Maximum size of a posting
Respecting privacy
Expressing opinions respectfully
Being understanding
List
message limit
First
of all, our list has a message limit of 150 posts per day.
If it does occur that we top 150 messages, the list shuts
down and no messages can get through until the next morning.
When you suspect hat that may have happened, *don't* write
to the list to find out. (It's pointless.) Instead, write
to one of the list members to see if they are receiving
mail. [Return to top]
Posting
to the list vs. posting privately
Sometimes
it is appropriate to reply directly to the person who sent
the letter and other times it is appropriate to reply to
the entire list. (There are people who can tell you how
to set your headers so that you can do this with a click
of the button.)
Send
it directly to an individual -- if it is strictly personal
(like a birthday greeting, best wishes, congratulations,
etc). -- if it is simply a brief "me too" agreement
with another post.
However,
send it to the whole list -- if it's a question to which
you want lots of answers. -- if more than just one person
would benefit from reading it. -- if it's an addition to
an ongoing discussion among the group. [Return
to top]
Responding
to posts
It
is okay to use one message to reply/respond to messages
sent by several others. It's also a good idea to quote *just
a little* of the post to which you are responding so we
know to which post you're replying. It's also a good idea
to trim your post if you're responding to a particularly
long thread of posts.
Tthe
maximum size of any one post is 1000 lines (larger posts
will be automatically rejected by the server). This is long
enough for the *longest* letter you would ever want to write,
but it effectively blocks out binaries (pictures) from being
attached to your message. And please, if you have the capability
of posting in HTML format, disengage it. Some of us see
gibberish when posts arrive in that format. [Return
to top]
Respecting
privacy
If
someone sends you a private post (you can tell by looking
at the header - it won't mention the BC List), your answer
should go to them privately as well. It is a violation of
privacy to post a private message to the list without obtaining
their permission. [Return to top]
Expressing
opinions respectfully
And
finally, everyone's opinion is welcome. You will see that
some opinions are *very* strongly expressed! <g> (By
the way, <g> is an e-mail symbol for "grin.")
But
when the strong opinions cross the line into telling others
what to do or what is best for them, some list members will
take offense. You're always safest to express your opinions
from a personal point of view rather than trying to "sell"
your ideas. [Return to top]
Being
understanding
And
remember, even though courtesy and consideration are the
norm for posts on this list, occasionally a member may lash
out. Try to keep in mind that some of our members are under
a great deal of stress or even in physical pain and may
have momentarily lost control. It's often best not to respond
publicly to people who have ashed out, as this just tends
to "fan the flames." [Return
to top]
With
those words, we "semi-officially" welcome you
to full-fledged membership on the Breast Cancer Mailing
List!
|
