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Written by: Kaye Brubaker Updated: 30 January 1996 NEW SUBSCRIBERS:W E L C O M E to MennoLink!Most new subscribers (newbies) find it helpful to listen for a while without writing (posting) anything until they get a feel for how the List works. In Internet jargon, this is known as lurking, but some MennoLurkers prefer the term listening.MennoLink policy asks that you introduce yourself when you start posting messages. Contrary to rumors that you may have heard, this does not require playing the Mennonite Game or listing your entire family tree back to the Old Country. Just say something about yourself and your interest in MennoLink and/or a particular group". Amy Bruckman gives some good advice to Internet newbies in an article in Technology Review (Jan. 1996, Finding One's Own Space in Cyberspace), People who accidentally find themselves in [in-your-face, off-the-wall groups] and don't find [the tone or content] to their liking, should neither complain about it nor waste their time there -- they should search for a more suitable community. If you've stumbled into the wrong town, get back on the bus. The wealth of groups on MennoLink offers you plenty of alternatives, indeed, your own piece of cyber-community to help create and shape. WHAT'S APPROPRIATE?MennoLinkers have been known to discuss 'most everything, from the deeply personal to the highly theoretical. The topics often, but not always, have something to do with Anabaptist/Mennonite faith, or various Mennonite traditions. (Many of the interest groups don't even have such expectations, but are just Menno-minded folks talking about things that interest them.) The guiding principle is mutual respect. If you post something that offends someone, you'll hear about it. The interest groups of MennoLink are dedicated to various topics. If conversation starts to veer off-topic, anyone has the right to suggest that the conversation (thread) be moved to another group.MESSAGE LENGTH & STYLESome of us pay per-byte for our email service. Try to keep your messages compact. (You need not stifle your creativity; a long original message is acceptable; however, quoting an entire long message, only to add a short comment at the end, is not.) In addition, some of us use devices such as voice synthesizers to read MennoLink. These devices read across lines, one line at a time; they have to process every character they encounter.Therefore, the following are suggested: Quoting: When you quote a previous message, include only as many lines as necessary to put your response in context. Identify the writer and the date. To set off quoted lines, use a simple symbol (such as >) or indent a few spaces. ASCII Art: Pictures that you make with keyboard characters take up a lot of space and (usually) convey little information; they become garbage through a voice synthesizer. If you really need a picture to make your point, include it -- with a warning (such as ASCII art alert!) IDENTIFYING YOURSELFBe sure that your name appears at the end of your message. Some of our mail-handlers make it hard to go back and see who wrote what we just read. Many readers appreciate knowing your geographic location as well; email addresses are not always clear.AVOIDING CLUTTER AND CONFUSION(One Menno's Signal Is Another Menno's Noise)Compose and send your messages for easy information-handling on the receiving end. Make sure your Subject: line reflects the contents of your message, especially when your reply to a message goes off on a tangent or starts a new topic.The default setting for reply is to the group, not to the originator of the message. If you wish to reply privately to the writer, change the To: line in your message. A private response is appropriate when, for example,
Kaye L. Brubaker, Washington, DC |
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