Mailing List Netiquette (was Re: NP? Cathy's Clown)

davemarc davemarc at panix.com
Sat Sep 28 08:56:52 CDT 2002


From: Doug Millison <pynchonoid at yahoo.com>
> [snip]
> Go to www.google.com
> [snip]
> You can use it
> to find Web pages about any topic.
>
I found Phil Sego's Guide to Listserv (mailing list) Netiquette at
http://psego.tripod.com/listserv.htm

The following excerpts offer advice that I think would help improve
communications on this mailing list:

Recognize that many people (like me) get 100+ emails a day.

Lists are very specific about what subjects are and are not appropriate, and
posting an irrelevant message is considered rude. Keeping on topic also
means refraining from launching personal attacks against readers or the
moderators of the newsgroup. Furthermore, participation in or attempts to
incite a flame war is also considered a violation of netiquette.

Most posters to groups look down on those with poor manners.

If English is not your first language, do your best. Other posters will
respect your efforts.

Generally speaking, unless it concerns the entire group and is within the
group's stated purpose, you should reply only to the author.

If you have a message for one or two posters, use private email.

Some others deliberately provide bogus addresses. This can be for a variety
of reasons, perhaps they are not permitted to receive email (at work, for
example). Even if this is the case, posting personal messages is still a
violation of netiquette; having a bogus address is not.

Recognize that others have religious and personal beliefs which may differ
from yours.

Use of slurs needlessly offends people - whether or not they're a member of
the group you've insulted.

Pay attention to the content of your writing. Be sure you know what you're
talking about -- when you see yourself writing "it's my understanding that"
or "I believe it's the case," ask yourself whether you really want to post
this note before checking your facts.

While "flaming" (publicly berating) is acceptable in some groups, it is not
accepted in most. Be pleasant and polite. Don't use offensive language, and
don't be confrontational for the sake of confrontation. Don't harass someone
publicly or privately over a difference in opinion.

Some people in the internet have more power than others. Knowing more than
others, or having more power than they do, does not give you the right to
take advantage of them. If you disagree with someone, it is Very Bad
netiquette to forge their header, complain to their ISP, flame them in an
unmoderated group, post their name and home address, or place them on
emailing lists.

If someone makes a spelling or grammatical error, errs in the title of a
song, or makes some other minor typo, don't post just to correct them. If
you feel you must educate people, do it by private email. Everyone was a
network newbie once -- be kind about it. Having knowledge doesn't give you
license to correct everyone else. If you do decide to inform someone of a
mistake, point it out politely, and preferably by private email rather than
in public. Give people the benefit of the doubt; assume they just don't know
any better. And never be arrogant or self-righteous about it.

Use descriptive and specific subject lines. This helps others decide whether
your particular words of wisdom relate to a topic they care about

d.

"As far as we're concerned, pretty much any Pynchon-related topic is OK on
this list, from Pynchon apocrypha through light discussion of our favourite
passages, to litcrit as heavy as you want."--Murthy Yenamandra and Oliver
Xymoron at http://waste.org/pynchon-l/














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