If I may make a general comment, not exactly directed towards Matthew,
but
towards his general sentiment:
Please understand that this list MAY NOT be the only list that some
people
belong to. Personally, I subscribe to 6 discussion lists, 4 of which are
professional in nature, 2 are recreational. Three of the discussion
lists I
read are extremely high volume - upwards of 40 messages a day on each. I
hit the "Delete" key rather frequently.
One thing that is important to understand is WHY people subscribe to the
list. Naturally, people subscribe to this list because they are
interested
in Chevelles. If the conversation turns toward a different topic, the
list
loses its worth. Even worse, it could chase away worthwhile contributors
who would rather unsubscribe than have to constantly delete off-topic
messages. In other words - when the "signal to noise ratio" has gotten
to
the point where the noise is greater than the signal, people unsubscribe
which in-turn causes a further downward spiral in message quality causing
more people to unsubscribe and so on.
The main thing this list seems to be missing is a spirit of netiquette
that
used to be the norm back when only geeks had computers. As a by-product
of
making computers cheaper & easier to use, a lot of people are now online
and
participating in discussion lists such as this one without having gained
any
knowledge of "netiquette". That's fine. We all have to start somewhere.
But
it is important that some "rules of order" be established for the greater
good of all.
If I may suggest some netiquette, here's a quick list of guidelines that
I
think will make any discussion list operate more smoothly. This is all
just
slapped together in no particular order.
(Pay close attention to #5)
1. If your post is relevant only to one member of the list, please
contact
that person using personal e-mail. However, some messages, though
personal
in nature, may also be relevant or useful for multiple
members of the list. In such a case, it is definitely good to post to the
whole list.
2. Use the subject line to announce your topic effectively. We all get a
lot
of e-mail and a descriptive subject line will help to identify a message
and
will help other members decide whether the message is relevant or of
interest to them.
3. Use only one topic per message. If your message spans multiple topics,
it'd be best to split that message up into multiple posts. That way it is
more helpful for people to follow and may also get you better responses
(because some people might not open your message if the subject doesn't
look
interesting)
4. Be thoughtful when posting information from other lists. Many of us
are
on several lists. Instead of a simple forward of the posting, add a note
about why you found the other message informative and relevant.
5. If the message is off-topic, but you think people might be interested,
post it. But make sure you mark it as "Off-Topic" or "OT" in the subject
line. Please try to remember though, that too many off-topic posts are
going to drive up the signal-to-noise ratio. Only make off-topic posts
if
you think it will be welcomed by the other members, won't cause a
flame-war,
and really is interesting.
6. Do not forward or share others' e-mail without permission. Believe it
or
not, email messages are covered under Copyright law. So, even beyond the
lack of good taste, reposting someone's email without
permission is a violation of copyright.
7. Restate (or, "quote") some of the message you're replying to so your
reply makes sense. I cannot state this enough. Reading a reply that does
not
quote the original message is like walking into a conversation at the
punch
line of a good joke. It just doesn't make sense. Therefore, make sure
you
quote the person you're replying to. Helpful info at:
http://email.about.com/cs/netiquettetips/qt/et090402.htm
8. When responding to another's message, don't quote the entire message.
Delete any excess text that isn't relevant to your response.
9. Avoid "Me, too", "I Agree" and "Yes" messages. Considering the volume
of
e-mail we all read each day, a message that says "Me, too" really isn't
saying anything at all.
10. DON'T TYPE IN ALL CAPS. This is perceived as shouting.
11. Use emoticons (also known as "smileys") when trying to convey a tone
of
voice :-) It may help avoid confusion. E-mail is an imperfect medium for
conveying tone. An emoticon may help avert an argument.
12. Consider carefully what you write; it's a permanent record and can be
easily forwarded to others.
13. Don't send entire web pages to a discussion group, just the URLs (web
page address).
14. Don't blatantly promote your business by posting an advertisement to
a
discussion group. Otherwise, you are "spamming." If someone specifically
requests a product or service, and you can provide that product or
service,
by all means contact them via private e-mail.
15. When forwarding messages, put a few comments at the top of the
message
about why you thought that the message would be helpful.
16. Read over your e-mail before you send it. Although e-mail is a more
informal method of communication than writing a letter, be sure you make
your points clear and concise. Use a spell checker if available.
17. Be sure to sign your name at the end of each message. It helps other
members know "where you're coming from" when you say something.
18. Turn off HTML in your e-mail program. Some people's e-mail software
can't handle it, so your messages come through garbled. In addition, some
corporate networks are programmed to dump HTML e-mails
as a defense against spam and viruses.(To those of you new to computers -
basically any e-mail that isn't JUST plain black-on-white text is an HTML
email)
19. If you cross post messages to multiple groups, include the name of
the
groups at the top of the mail message with an apology for any
duplication.
20. Resist the temptation to "flame" others on the list. Remember that
these
discussions are "public" and meant for constructive exchanges. Treat the
others on the list as you would want them to treat you.
21. Please refrain from discussing religion, sex, or politics on the
list.
There are a lot of different people on the list. They range in ages,
locations, genders, and "social class". There's only one thing we're
*guaranteed* to agree on - that we are fans of the Chevrolet Chevelle.
That
being the case - that's what the group should stick to discussing.
22. When you're going to go out of town for a while, and you plan on
setting
an "Out-of-office reply", please take the time to go to the mailing list
page at
http://www.chevelles.net/mailman/listinfo/chevelle-list_chevelles.net/
and
change your subscription option to stop receiving messages while you're
gone. Otherwise everyone's going to get your Out-of-office message
everytime
they post to the list, and that's just not cool.
Some other helpful Netiquette links -
http://www.petri.co.il/email_netiquette.htm
http://www.dtcc.edu/cs/rfc1855.html
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/
Karl Groves
Master Certified CIW
http://www.karlgroves.com
Will Work For Parts:
http://chevelle.karlcore.com/detail.php?id=3
________________________________
From: Matthew Post [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 11:11 AM
To: The Chevelle Mailing List; 'The Chevelle Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Chevelle-list] FW: eSecurity Advisory: Blackmal Email
Worm
Learn to read the subject line and find your delete key.....it's not
that hard.
At 06:50 PM 2/2/2006, Darren wrote:
I thought we were a car club list. Please send car related
messages as was so strongly noted just a few days ago.
Darren
________________________________
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ] On Behalf Of Clint Hooper
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 8:10 PM
To: The Chevelle Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Chevelle-list] FW: eSecurity Advisory:
Blackmal Email Worm
Don't ever open executeable files (.exe) and delete
attachments that you're not at least 100% sure of their origin.
Clint Hooper
H&H Custom,owner
1969 El Camino ProTourer
2001 H-D FLHR custom bagger
http://dalesplace.com/misc/friends/clint/clint_hooper.htm
