Re: AG, Email for you!
- From: "Just Another Residents Fan" <dcjtee@xxxxxxx>
- Date: 26 Feb 2006 12:14:00 -0800
Here it is. Should keep you lot amused for a few hours. Note the
reference to "Guy Fawkes", "AG" etc....! I haven't touched this. It is
as it came....
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FAQ for uk.local.southwest
1) Introduction and Intent
This FAQ aims to explain how, where, when and why you should post to
uk.local.southwest; how to fit in and contribute to discussion, where
to
post and under which threads, when you should join in, and why we'd
like
to see your opinions.
The contents of this document are based on the contributors' opinions;
neither the contributors nor the FAQ maintainer accept any
responsibility or liability for any damages brought about by the
information contained herein.
This document may be freely distributed and reproduced as long as it
remains wholly unaltered and includes this notice. If you do
redistribute this document, especially on a commercial basis, please
contact the poster of this FAQ before doing so.
This document is posted once every fortnight to the newsgroups
uk.local.southwest and uk.local.southwest.adverts, or can be obtained
on
the World Wide Web at http://www.uklsw.org/
2) Table of Contents
1) Introduction and Intent
2) Table of Contents
3) Definitions
3.1) What are all these abbreviations?
3.2) What's an FAQ then?
3.3) Where can I found out about Usenet generally?
3.4) Anything else I need to know?
4) The Purpose of the Newsgroup
4.1) Does uk.l.sw have a charter?
4.2) Why should I keep to this then?
4.3) It all seems a bit confusing - is it really?
4.4) What area does this newsgroup cover?
4.5) Can I post if I don't live in that area?
5) How to Post to uk.l.sw
5.1) What's the best way to start off then?
5.2) Can I just join in *anywhere*?
5.3) I'm still feeling like an outsider ...
5.4) How do you post generally?
5.4.1) What's crossposting?
5.4.2) What's snipping?
5.4.3) What newsreader's best?
5.4.4) How should it be set up?
5.4.5) What's ASCII?
5.4.6) Why don't email addresses work?
5.4.7) Is his name really Guy Fawkes?
5.4.8) What's abuse?
5.4.9) What's a kill file?
5.4.10) What's a filter?
6) Where to Look on uk.l.sw
6.1) I seem to have started in the middle of talk ...
6.2) The answer to my question's not here ...
6.3) Why's everyone shouting at me?
7) When it's appropriate to post
7.1) Why's everyone still shouting at me?
7.2) Any other advice?
8) What is it appropriate to post?
8.1) I'm selling a car in Weston-super-Mare ...
8.2) Well, I'm holding a beer festival in Taunton ...
8.3) I'm young, Bristolian, and looking for lurve ...
8.4) So all adverts are banned then?
8.5) I seem to disagree with everything said ...
8.6) Won't I get shouted at?
8.7) So what other advice would you give?
9) Pre-Posting Knowledge
9.1) A few people post a lot, don't they?
9.2) Where can I find out about them?
9.3) Any other characters I should know about?
9.4) How old is this newsgroup?
9.5) Who created it?
9.6) Why?
10) Credits
10.1) Who wrote this FAQ, then?
10.2) Who else contributed?
10.3) I've found a mistake in it ...
10.4) I want to be more involved - can I?
11) Conclusion
3) Definitions
3.1) What are all these abbreviations?
The thing that gets at most people when they first look at the Usenet
newsgroups is that people appear to be talking a different language.
Now, while this may be true if you're looking at a de.* newsgroup (from
Germany), it's normally not. All that's happening is that people are
using abbreviations.
Most commonly used abbreviations can be found at
http://www.usenet.org.uk/usenet-information.html - a page from the
official UK Usenet website. Of course, this is far (far, far, far)
from
a comprehensive list, and there are many abbreviations which are used
on
uk.l.sw that you'll never find archived anywhere. The best thing to do
is get a general idea that <g> means 'grin', ROTFL means 'roll on the
floor laughing', and so on, and try and work them out for yourself.
Specific abbreviations that must be explained are:
uk.l.sw or ulsw or uklsw or ... - uk.local.southwest
uk.l.sw.a or uklsa or ... - uk.local.southwest.adverts
u.n.n.c or uknnc or ... - uk.net.news.config
u.n.n.a or ... - uk.net.news.announce
It gets very tedious writing out newsgroup names in full!
3.2) What's an FAQ then?
It tells you on http://www.usenet.org.uk/usenet-information.html - go
and look there. In brief, however, a FAQ is a body of frequently asked
questions with answers. This 'newsgroup' FAQ does not attempt to
answer
all questions but those answers most likely to be needed by a newcomer
to the group. It may also be a reminder to those who post regularly...
3.3) Where can I found out about Usenet generally?
Again, go to the UK Usenet pages at http://www.usenet.org.uk/ - you may
also like to subscribe to the group news.announce.newusers which
carries
a lot of very useful information.
3.4) Anything else I need to know?
Yep. Apart from reading thoroughly every page of
http://www.usenet.org.uk/ you should also subscribe to the groups
uk.net.news.announce and uk.net.news.config which deal with the admin
of
uk.* groups. And you should, of course, read and digest this FAQ.
4) The Purpose of the Newsgroup
4.1) Does uk.l.sw have a charter?
It does indeed. And it is thus:
-----
Charter of uk.local.southwest (not moderated)
uk.local.southwest is a local interest newsgroup intended for
discussions of a general nature by users resident in the southwest
of England.
Users resident outside of the area are welcome so long as the
discussions remain relevant to the area. Matters which are not
specific to the southwest of England should be discussed elsewhere.
For the purposes of this newsgroup the southwest is defined as
including
Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset,
Devon, and Cornwall.
Users should note the existence of soc.culture.cornish and should
consider posting matters concerning Cornwall to that group.
Crossposting between uk.local.southwest and soc.culture.cornish is
discouraged.
If more than 30 articles per day are posted the group may be split into
an announce subgroup and a number of more specific
subgroups.
Binaries
Not permitted, pointers to ftp or web sites may be posted.
(To be approved by uk.* committee) Adverts
Not permitted, all adverts should be placed in
uk.local.southwest.adverts instead.
Newsgroups line
uk.local.southwest Gloucs, Wilts, Bristol, Som, Dorset, Devon,
Cornwall
-----
4.2) Why should I keep to this then?
I'll reply by asking a question. Why shouldn't I come round to your
house and burn it down?
As everyone knows, if society is to function, there must be certain
rules that everybody abides to. uk.l.sw is such a community - it's
made
of individuals, and unless you're taking part in a responsible and
grown-up manner, those individuals won't want to know you. There would
then be no point in reading or posting to uk.l.sw.
More to the point, if people consistently post against the charter,
their internet service provider (ISP) recieves a complaints email that
their behaviour is antisocial (since that's what it is), and you might
have your newsfeed removed. So be warned.
4.3) It all seems a bit confusing - is it really?
Yes. Horrendously. Discussions rarely stay with the subject line for
long, and, as you'd expect with a group of friends talking in a pub,
things often descend into friendly banter between topics.
The purposes of the newsgroup can be neatly compressed to:
i) Somewhere to talk about the SouthWest
ii) Somewhere to talk
iii) Somewhere.
Don't worry if it seems confusing, you'll get the hang of it.
4.4) What area does this newsgroup cover?
As by the charter, the 'official' purpose of the newsgroup is to
discuss
events occuring in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Bristol, Somerset,
Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall. Of course, we're quite happy to talk
about
surrounding areas too, out to Southhampton on occasions, and even happy
to talk about things not necessarily SouthWest specific.
Most of the regulars on the group live, at least part-time, in the
SouthWest, and are normally willing to answer any questions asked about
their local area. Bear in mind that the area covered is pretty huge,
and you can't be guaranteed to contact someone near enough for your
liking.
4.5) Can I post if I don't live in that area?
Of course - we have regular posters from the US, Lancashire - even as
far away as South Wales! All we ask is that posters don't post
anti-SouthWest postings, and that nothing is cross-posted between
uk.l.sw and other groups.
Other than that we're a pretty friendly lot - most of the time.
5) How to Post to uk.l.sw
5.1) What's the best way to start off then?
There is no best way to start off. I personally started by replying to
a message already there, and then putting "by the way, I'm new!" near
the bottom. A lot of others start by posting a new thread to introduce
themselves; some just join in with existing discussions and blend in
that way.
The best way of all, however, is to just read, and not post to, the
group for a couple of weeks (known as 'lurking'). This way you can
find
out what goes on and the appropriate posting manners ...
It's easier to say how *not* to start. Don't start:
- by posting an advert
- by insulting someone
- by being generally anti-social
5.2) Can I just join in *anywhere*?
Yep. If anything was meant to be completely private, it would be sent
over email. Feel free to add to any thread, or start a new one if
necessary.
uk.l.sw has often been compared to a pub - you walk in, and there're
several groups of friends standing around talking about different
things. You should feel comfortable to go up to any of the groups and
join in the conversation. If, however, you started insulting everyone
in the group, and then in other groups, you'd soon feel a bit lonely
sitting in the corner shouting nothing in particular. And then the
barman would throw you out.
5.3) I'm still feeling like an outsider ...
Keep with it. Because of the huge amount of discussion on uk.l.sw
many,
many comments get overlooked and not replied to. It's not intentional,
unless you started in a way you were advised not to above (5.1) and
everyone's ignoring you.
If just replying to others isn't working, post an introductory message
-
or start a new thread. You'll soon feel like you fit in.
5.4) How do you post generally?
Use a piece of newsreading software. Read the advice on
http://www.usenet.org.uk/ and digest thoroughly. Don't mention the
voices in your head.
There are a few things which should be explained in more detail ...
5.4.1) What's crossposting?
Crossposting is posting a message to more than one group at a time.
Before posting a message, look at the newsgroups box on your message.
Make sure it doesn't contain more than one newsgroup name, or you'll be
crossposting (also referred to as xposting).
5.4.2) What's snipping?
When replying to someone's message, they won't want to have to read
through their entire message just to find your comments. So delete the
parts of their message which are irrelevent, and it'll be easier to
read
for everyone.
Also, it helps if you write your replies directly under the part of the
posting you're replying to, not simply at the top.
5.4.3) What newsreader's best?
Many people recommend Agent (from http://www.forteinc.com) as an
excellent newsreader, for both beginners and experts alike. Once
you've
got on your feet you'll be able to experiment more.
5.4.4) How should it be set up?
Make sure it's posting in plain text, not HTML (the standard used for
internet browsing). Nobody appreciates HTML posts, as they are huge
and
cannot be seen by a large amount of people.
In general, see http://www.usenet.org.uk/ukpost.html
5.4.5) What's ASCII?
ASCII is the standard text code used by computers the world over.
Posting in ASCII basically means plain text.
5.4.6) Why don't email addresses work?
Many people who post to newsgroups get tired of receiving huge amounts
of junk email because of releasing their email addresses onto the
internet. Some companies (boo, hiss) have automated retrievers which
scan newsgroups for addresses and add them to their lists.
As a result, you may find many addresses of the form x...@xxxxxxxxxx or
x...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx or x...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx which are designed to ensure
the
user's real address won't be harvested. Normally instructions for
decoding these are at the bottom of posts - for example:
'replace nospam with jumper to reply'
or 'before you reply remove .my-bra.'
5.4.7) Is his name really Guy Fawkes?
Probably not. Remember, who you're communicating with may not be how
you imagine them. He may well be Guy Fawkes, a tough, rough, mean man
-
or he may in fact be little Amy Cherub, an 11-year-old girl from
Colchester. You can never know.
It's safer to not give out huge amounts of information about yourself
over the internet. Phone numbers are risky; addresses (as in real
addresses) a definite no-no. Be wary about what you reveal.
5.4.8) What's abuse?
Advertising in a non-adverts group, and other such abuse of the system.
Personal attacks on people may be abusive, but, unless they are illegal
attacks (death threats, etc) or entirely unprovoked, they do not count
as 'abuse'. This is an adult newsgroup, and swear words do get used -
not as often as in a normal pub conversation however!
If you're not happy with how you're treated, email someone and ask them
whether they thought it was justified. But ISPs will not withdraw an
account simply due to one insult (several, with no other postings from
the person, maybe ...)
5.4.9) What's a kill file?
Look under 'help' in your newsreader. Basically it allows you to read
the newsgroup and never have to see messages from or about whatever you
put in it. After a few months you might with to killfile this FAQ, for
example ...
5.4.10) What's a filter?
Similar to a killfile, but it also allows you to ignore certain parts
of
messages. Many people have a signature file (.sig file) which is
repeated on every post. These people (and you!) are recommended to
start such a thing with a line consisting of two hyphens and a space,
then a return. Some newsreaders allow you to then ignore anything
after
a line consisting of two hyphens, a space and return.
6) Where to Look on uk.l.sw
6.1) I seem to have started in the middle of talk ...
Indeed, it's not unusual. Any subject line with a 'Re:' at the
beginning is a reply to something else - and quite often this is 95% of
the group.
But it doesn't matter, really, since you can join in at any point as
long as you've been watching the thread for a couple of days first.
Hence the recommendation to lurk.
Or, as recommended above, just start a new thread - ask a question, or
whatever - and you'll soon be involved in discussion.
6.2) The answer to my question's not here ...
Well, the only way to get your question answered is to ask it. You
want
to know of the best Fish 'n' Chip shop in Bath? Post the question and
it may well be answered. And probably by half a dozen people, each
offering a different answer ...
It might not be of course - there might not be anyone from Bath there,
for example. Don't assume everyone's ignoring you - just ask the
question a bit differently ('in Somerset' instead of 'in Bath') and
after people have replied try and narrow down the responses a bit.
6.3) Why's everyone shouting at me?
Most probably because you've just jumped in the middle of a thread and
insulted everyone there. Or you've posted against the charter.
The people on Usenet are real people - each has their own personality.
You wouldn't walk up to someone you didn't know in the pub and tell
them
you thought the town where they lived was crap, would you? Don't do it
in a newsgroup then.
You really need to get to know the regulars a bit before you start
talking about them. Don't worry, you will in time. Just make sure you
don't post anything too insulting to start with.
7) When it's appropriate to post
7.1) Why's everyone still shouting at me?
If you've gone off charter and been reprimanded for it, it's probably
best to give the group a rest for a week or so before trying a
different
tack - although you're at a computer it's real people you're
communicating with, and they have memories (erm, as do computers, but
you know what I mean).
If you did do something wrong, it's best to apologise, though if you
don't think you did, a brief 'sorry anyway, but I think I'm right
because ...' should suffice. Though if it's something that's been
mentioned in this FAQ you'll get no sympathy.
Basically, be nice to people, and they'll be nice back.
7.2) Any other advice?
Yes. Make sure you know what a thread's about before you post to it.
If necessary email one of the people on the group and discuss it first.
Don't just say things without reason. Don't post purely to stir up
trouble.
It's best not to post when you're in a sulk with one or more members of
the group unless you can be sure your posts won't turn anyone else
against you.
Other than that there's nothing else to put in this section.
8) What is it appropriate to post?
8.1) I'm selling a car in Weston-super-Mare ...
That's nice. We don't want to know.
If you're selling anything, post to uk.local.southwest.adverts. If you
post adverts to uk.l.sw you're likely to have several complaints sent
to
your ISP and you may have your account terminated.
And if you cross post to uk.l.sw and uk.l.sw.a (post to both at the
same
time) ... well, don't expect to ever email again!
8.2) Well, I'm holding a beer festival in Taunton ...
Any free beer?
Events are a bit of a grey area - they are officially adverts,
nonetheless, and must be posted to uk.l.sw.a. However, a separate
message may be posted to uk.l.sw informing the group that there is a
message on uk.l.sw.a about a beer festival in Taunton, and inviting
everyone to look at that group.
Don't be surprised if this announcement turns into a thread about the
merits of different types of beer, previous experiences of beer
festivals, recent experiences of such, and so on ...
8.3) I'm young, Bristolian, and looking for lurve ...
Then go to Odyssey, IQ, Evolution, Cafe Rouge, Browns, Henry Africa's,
or wherever.
Personal adverts are not welcome on uk.l.sw. The 'adverts' is the big
clue. You are highly unlikely to meet anyone this way anyway, and are
likely to simply be shunned by the rest of the people on the group.
Join DateLine if you must.
8.4) So all adverts are banned then?
Yep. That's why we've created uk.l.sw.a - so we can have a group where
adverts are allowed, and one where they're not. If anyone posts an
advert to uk.l.sw you can expect it's been complained about. If not on
the group, then over email, or to their ISP.
8.5) I seem to disagree with everything said ...
Then oppose it. The whole idea is to discus issues - it'd be a boring
world if everyone agreed on everything!
8.6) Won't I get shouted at?
Not if you actually present an argument. Just saying 'shut up' hardly
inspires confidence in your view, and you're likely to be ignored.
Do remember, however, that this is a public forum, and anyone has the
right to reply to and oppose your reasoning. So don't be worried if
everyone seems to disagree with you - just think of it as a whole group
to convince through reasoned argument.
Just don't say that everyone else smells.
8.7) So what other advice would you give?
Think about what you post. The people on the group don't know you, and
they'll form their impressions of you from what you post. If you post
arrogantly, you'll be thought of as an arrogant person, even if you're
not.
And don't post anti-socially. Be friendly and people will be friendly
back. Accept that others have different opinions. And that nobody
wants to see any adverts.
9) Pre-Posting Knowledge
9.1) A few people post a lot, don't they?
Yes. You have to wonder where they get the time.
As is found in any walk of life, some people participate more in
conversation than others. Some speak in more elaborate ways, some feel
the need to contribute to everything, a lot prefer to simply read
what's
going on and post very occasionally.
Everyone who posts to the group on-charter has an equally valid voice,
and nobody should feel intimidated because they're opposed by one of
those who posts more - the self-appointed 'regulars'.
9.2) Where can I find out about them?
There's a webpage of how others see each other at
http://www.uklsw.org/regulars.htm - go and have a look at
that.
9.3) Any other characters I should know about?
Yes. There have been several people who have left the newsgroup or
joined over the years who have basically posted against this FAQ, or
just generally anti-socially. Many have left under a cloud, and appear
just occasionally to hurl insults, do a bit of foot-stamping, or to try
and fit in again.
We'll quite happily accept the latter, but the first two are no-nos.
If you think that anyone's being unfairly treated, it's best to check
by
emailing one of the other posters on the group as to whether the
recipient of the treatment is an entirely new face or not ...
9.4) How old is this newsgroup?
It was created on April 1st (appropriately!), 1996.
9.5) Who created it?
The proposer of the group was a Chris Newport. Our eternal thanks to
him!
9.6) Why?
Mainly because other uk.local groups existed, and it seemed logical
that
the SouthWest, with its regional identity, should have a discussion
area.
There is another newsgroup, soc.culture.cornish, which is altogether
more serious, and deals with (as you'd expect) Cornish culture. We
like
to think uk.l.sw is far more friendly and informal.
10) Credits
10.1) Who wrote this FAQ, then?
This FAQ was written in the first instance by Tim Miller, during March
1999. It took far too long, interfered with far too many essays, and
ended up far too big. It was written as a result of the creation of
uk.local.southwest.adverts, to point out the existence of that group
and
the appropriateness of posting to uk.l.sw.
10.2) Who else contributed?
After the initial draft this FAQ was posted to uk.l.sw for comments.
Special thanks must be given to:
Sue Hossack
Guy Fawkes
Vince H
Mark Lewis
for all their comments and constructive advice.
10.3) I've found a mistake in it ...
Then email uklsw...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, who holds the FAQ, and tell
them. Note this is only for spelling mistakes, or the like, and not
bits that you disagree with. Any such bits must be debated on uk.l.sw
before they are changed.
10.4) I want to be more involved - can I?
Probably. You can almost certainly help VinceH and AG with drawing
attention to the FAQ by putting the webpage in your signature file.
And
you can be more involved by posting more to this group.
This FAQ will be constantly revised. The only sections which may not
be
deleted, only added to, are those in Chapter 10 - to ensure all those
who put hard work in are recognised.
Feel free to suggest FAQ improvements to uk.l.sw.
11) Conclusion
You should have fun posting to uk.l.sw. That is, after all, the whole
point of the exercise.
Have a nice time, it's looking bright out.
.
- References:
- AG, Email for you!
- From: The Fourth Warrior~
- Re: AG, Email for you!
- From: Inspector Frost
- Re: AG, Email for you!
- From: Just Another Residents Fan
- Re: AG, Email for you!
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