I have just subbed to the e-carm mailing list. It deals with e-commerce,
etc. As part of the welcome to the list there is a list of dos and
don'ts--netiquette. I pass it along to all FWers. Note in particular item
number 8.
arthur cordell
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E-Mail Etiquette:
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Because this list is NOT moderated, we ask subscribers to follow some
general guidelines:
1. Try to keep discussion focused on topics related to e-commerce and
rights management issues. When participating in a general discussion,
label as the "subject" the topic or message you are responding to, as
several strands of discussion may be going on at once.
2. When replying to a message, please provide only a summary of what you
are replying to or delete all of the original message except what is
pertinent to understanding your response.
3. Pick a good "Subject" header. Replying to a subject that says "Re:
Digest No. 51" is easy but makes it hard for others to find out what you
are posting about. The result is likely to be that folks will delete your
message without reading it.
4. Watch your "cc" and "bcc" headers. Try to erase the duplicates being
sent out.
5. If you have a response to a message not likely to be of general
interest, address it to that individual, rather than replying to the whole
list. Unless you address them differently, all your replies to the list
get general distribution. If you sent in a post and you get lots of
interesting replies but see that they have not been sent to the list,
summarize them and send them to the list so that all of our subscribers
can benefit from them. By the same token, try to avoid burdening the list
with excessive me-tooism.
6. Do not send subscription related commands to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>.
Those messages go to the listserv server at: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
(I realize that we are repeating ourselves here, but this one can't be
emphasized enough!)
7. As much as possible, stick to the topics of the list which have been
outline in the welcome statement.
8. If you are unhappy with the direction of the list, start a thread on a
subject that interests you (keeping in mind the constraints outlined in #
8 above). The list will become what you make of it, nothing more, nothing
less.
9. No ads, however product/service of general interest to the list
(within reason) will be permitted.
10. Listserv automatically deletes subscribers whose mail bounces for
four days. If you stop getting mail, please check and see if you are
subscribed.
11. Above all, be nice. We all make mistakes. Courtesy and civility are
the hallmark of the Internet. If we remember that, we will all benefit.
Based on the experience of veteran lists, it has been suggested that in
order to avoid becoming involved in a heated argument, try keep the
following rules of good conduct in mind:
o understand the other person before seeking to be understood;
o assume the other person is well-intentioned, and seek to make
this assumption explicit;
o assume that there is a way of framing the issue that makes both
of you "right";
o try to build a person-to-person relationship with the other
person;
o as far as possible, deal with it privately rather than
publicly;
o don't leave important issues unspoken, even if they are
difficult to raise i.e., get it on to the verbal channel,
explicitly, and don't leave it to the nonverbals;
o if all else fails, slow the process down.
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