The bellow guidelines are presented here to help you become a good net-citizen. Each list here has it's own set of rules so what is acceptable behavior on one list, may not be on another. However, if you follow the below guidelines for all lists, you shouldn't have any problems. If you have any doubt that what you are going to posts is acceptable, ask the list administrator first.
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Social Network Sites... Just a quick Public Service Announcement on social network sites... Many of you have used Facebook or LinkedIn, and have seen the option where you give them your email login and password and the service will 'find your friends' (aka, vacuum up your address book). If you are going to use this function, do it cautiously. The default or first option is usually to blast out invites to everybody in your address book. Don't let it do this, instead manually select people you KNOW would WANT to get those advertisements. Read More
Do not constantly use the "Reply-All" function of your email client. Sending mail to lists that you don't belong to or the same message to several people already on the list is inconsiderate. Use common sense when posting. Be aware that you always have two options: responding through the list or to a member personally. The content of your message should determine which of these you choose. Follow the list rules at all times. If you're not sure whether your post will violate the rules, ask the moderator before you send it. Lurk and learn what's acceptable before posting to the list. Don't over-quote. Include only the specific information you're responding to, and chop out the rest. Keep posts to the list brief. If you're post doesn't add value, don't send it. (Example: Don't send a "thanks" message through the list. Send something like that directly to the person you're thanking.) Be courteous to other list members. If you disagree with them, fine, just don't resort to personal insults. Consult the list archives, if available, before posting a question. This is also a good way to become familiar with a list's acceptable topics, etc. Consult the list FAQ if there is one available. Do not cross-post (send the same message to more than one list). If you feel the need to flame, send hate mail, or otherwise reprimand another list member, do it off-list. Do not forward virus warnings or chain letters to a list. Do not subscribe to lists with an email address with an auto responder function. This includes "Out of Office Auto reply" and other features. Doing this creates a large amount of wasted email, which can be a significant burden on a publisher with a large email list. Respect other people's opinions. If you disagree, do it politely. Spell check and reread your messages before posting. Do not blatantly promote yourself or otherwise spam the list. Self-promotion should be kept to a brief signature file at the end of your posts. Sig files shouldn't exceed 1-2 lines. Do not forward copyrighted material to the list unless you have permission to do so. If you do use information not your own, give proper credit. DON'T USE ALL CAPS !!!! In today's Internet all caps is considered "SHOUTING." Stay on topic. There are hundreds of lists here, each having it's own subject matter. Find the list that's appropriate for your discussion. Do not send HTML, rich text, or stylized email, or messages in "quoted-printable" format. Not all email programs of list members will recognize such formats. Send messages in Plain Text.
Do not send attachments (attached files) of any sort to mailing lists. This includes URL shortcuts, v-cards, GEDCOM files, zipped files, or any other type of attachment not mentioned here.
J/S WB1GRB 5/19/2011
