Tips for New Members
Over
time, every mailing list or discussion group on the Internet
develops its own personality and its own standards and expectations
for how members interact. Here on the Breast Cancer List,
you will find that we're a pretty tolerant group. Unlike
some lists, ours is an unmoderated list, meaning that List
owner, Jon Church, has chosen not to pass judgment on the
content of the messages before they are posted. Rather,
we are expected to act courteously and responsibly toward
one another without a rigid set of rules.
There
are, however, some suggested principles of "Netiquette"
that have developed over the years which tend to make things
run more smoothly and help prevent--or at least minimize--conflicts.
Barb Watson, who was one of our dedicated members for many
years, often provided a "welcoming letter" with
lots of good suggestions to newcomers for understanding
the group and quickly becoming an old timer.
Barb
writes:
This
is your "semi-official" welcome letter from the
current members of the Breast Cancer Mailing List. :-)
I'm
so sorry that you have a reason for joining us. Nevertheless
I think you're going to find that we can offer you loads
of information on the various aspects of BC, plus hundreds
of sympathetic listeners ready to offer support and encouragement.
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.
With over 600 members, we find it necessary to limit to
5 the number of posts that any one individual can make each
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 that 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 you have already posted several messages that
day. - 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 several posts with one message
It
is OK (and actually recommended) to use one message to reply/respond
to messages sent by several others, since this also helps
to keep down the daily total. It's also a good idea to quote
*just a little* of the post to which you are responding
so we know what you are replying to (but *don't* quote the
whole post over again.) [Return
to top]
Maximum
size of a posting
Please
note that the maximum size of any one post is 1000 lines
(larger posts will be automatically rejected). 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. Most 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 lashed out, as this just tends
to "fan the flames." [Return
to top]
With
those words, I "semi-officially" welcome you to
full-fledged membership on the Breast Cancer Mailing List!
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