This list is full of great folks who love to share their knowledge, and can be, at times, a very busy list. Please take some time to read this message; it contains important information about your participation on this List. Please save a copy for later, you never know when you might need it. While we would like to have a list without rules, unfortunately on a list like this and of this size, that isn't realistic. Consequently, we are posting the rules both here and on the list. Please do your best to abide by the rules. The Rules are (these are the "bare basics" of the List Rules; see the end of this message for clarification and/or additional detail): WARNINGS TO LIST MEMBERS FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE RULES Let the List Moderators handle this; it's part of our function with this list! WRITING AND EDITING EMAIL TO THE LIST-- Please edit your replies to delete unnecessary quoted text. Especially if you're putting your reply at the top of the message, please take a moment to scroll down and delete most of the quoted message, keeping only enough to identify what you're replying to. We've all usually had the opportunity to read the original message so quoting it again in your reply isn't necessary. Please also delete the list footer and Yahoo ads, no need to see those quoted. Stay on-topic as much as possible (this does not mean NO off-topic emails, but try and keep those to a minimum). New members are moderated to prevent spam and make sure everyone understands the rules so if there is a delay in your first few messages getting posted to the list, that's because the moderators haven't approved your message yet. If you have any questions about why you're being moderated, please contact the listowners at group name-owners@yahoogroups.com When you make enquires on this list, please expect to look for the response on the list. Please do not ask for private responses, as this is a manager's help list, and responses are sent to the list for the benefit of all, and you will miss important alternate answers if you do not look on-list. No Flaming. No Spam. No Attachments. No Virus Warnings onlist. If a moderator asks you to drop a thread - please drop it. Please read messages with Admin in the subject line. MISCELLANEOUS Please do your best to unsubscribe yourself if you feel you need to leave the list. Directions on email unsubscribing are towards the bottom of this email. Here are more details on the List Rules: 1. What's on topic? On topic - anything related to creating and running lists on any service or type of software. Sort of off topic but closely related - browsers, email, webmail, spam, viruses, hoaxes, etc. These topics are permitted on list. If a thread gets out of hand or strays further off topic, the list admins may call a halt, but until a list admin says stop, the discussion remains open. If anyone feels that a discussion should be halted, please email the list admins PRIVATELY. Off topic and not allowed on list (except in passing remarks in more on topic posts) - discussions about your cats, your dogs, other pets, your neighbors, your favorite movies, your job, your pointy haired boss, your wife, your husband, your kids, your parents, your favorite foods, sex, politics, religion, all other topics not related to the two items above. Meta discussions - any discussion about the list rules, such as whether a thread is on or off topic, how the list is run, such as member moderation, all these things are NOT allowed. Any questions regarding *this* list's management should be addressed with the list admins PRIVATELY. 2. On (group name), we understand that we all have things that we feel very strongly about, as well as our own "hot buttons." If the discussion gets heated, please try to avoid flaming (personal abusive attacks intended to incite, degrade, make fun of another person or their ideas with no positive outcome). Please respect other people's right to have to their own opinion just as you have your opinion. Additionally, flaming of moderators, either on or off list for their actions on the list, is not permitted. 3. SPAMming is not allowed. SPAM is loosely defined here as sending unsolicited e-mail -- either commercial or advertising other lists or websites, etc. It is also in violation of eGroups own policies. 4. If you use an anti-spam program that requires verification, like SpamArrest, you MUST whitelist this group's address, group name@yahoogroups.com ASAP. Otherwise, your spam filter will spam the list with verification requests, a Very Bad Thing. Any violation of this rule will result in immediate removal and banning. 5. Decisions by the list moderators are final and abiding. If any of the list moderators tell you to drop a topic, please do so. 6. List announcements are not allowed on this list. One of the emails you received when you joined this list provides you with Promotional Links for your list for gaining new members. 7. We are aware that the majority of our members are owners and operators/moderators of their own lists; As such, we understand how proud you are of your list(s), and wish to inform others of your status in your signature line. However, please keep it brief and pertinent, avoid repetition, and keep your signature line to a maximum of about 100 characters (spaces included). Signature lines in great excess of 100 characters are considered list announcements, and therefore are not allowed. Below is a sample of an acceptable length signature line: Larry Zillipanipus, Owner-Moderator, ItsAGreatBigList@yahoogroups.com A list for DogEatingCats and Friends. 8. Any problems which deal specifically with (group name) should be sent to the List Moderators only, at: group name-owner@yahoogroups.com. Some examples of this would be: SPAM you received offlist which you feel originated by a list member; problems getting your emails to go through to the list; offlist flaming by a member of this group, etc. Everything relating to the running of your list, please direct your email to: group name@yahoogroups.com. SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO YOU: UNSUBSCRIBING FROM THIS LIST. All list members of this list subscribed themselves and are expected to do their best to unsubscribe themselves. The Unsubscribe directions are included at the bottom of every list message and the top of every Digest message. If you have any problems getting unsubscribed from the list, please contact the List Moderators, by writing to group name-owner@yahoogroups.com and one of us will assist you, but you must try to do it yourself FIRST. After all, if you can't unsubscribe yourself, how can you help your members when they need to unsubscribe? The method to unsubscribe is quite simple. You can send an email to: group name-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com AND then reply to the Confirmation email that yahoogroups sends you, or you can sign into your Yahoogroups account at http://groups.yahoo.com and go to the lists you have joined, click on the drop-down menu across from the list, choose unsubscribe, and then click on the Save Changes button. You can also change your List Settings in the same way from Individual emails to either Digest or No Mail/read on the web and back. Yahoogroups email functions Subscribe to (group name) mailto:group name-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe from (group name) mailto:group name-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Switch from Normal to Digest mail mailto:group name-digest@yahoogroups.com Switch from Normal to NoMail mail mailto:group name-nomail@yahoogroups.com Switch from Digest or NoMail to Normal mail mailto:group name-normal@yahoogroups.com Write to the Moderators and Owner of the List: mailto:group name-owner@yahoogroups.com Suggestions for improvements to the List should be sent to the "owner" address listed above. December 29, 2003 - This is the latest version of these rules. These rules supersede any prior rules you might have received. Please file these rules for later review. Thanks, Your List Moderators (names omitted) group name-owner@yahoogroups.com