Hello Everyone,
As you probably know by now, Cara has asked me to help moderate the
VIPhone list. Let me first say that this doesn't change how the list is
run, and she's still very much the owner. I'm just here to help out. It
simply means that we are trying to be more efficient in handling any
questions or issues which are list related. Things usually go more
smoothly when there is more than one person to help out with a large
list as this.
Second, I'm still a list contributor and fellow iOS user. I'll only put
on my moderator's uniform when I need to. The best way you can tell if a
message I'm writing to the list is of a moderated nature is if I put a
moderator note in the subject line and if my signature indicates
moderator. If not, then I'm just another poster like the rest of you.
A little about me. I've been on this list since the summer of 2010 when
I got the iPhone 3GS. It was just after the iPhone 4 came out and so the
price of the 3GS had dropped. In a way I got it grudgingly because it
was there and my Nokia had just died. I figured I would just use it as a
phone, but wouldn't get into the apps and other neat features. I
couldn't have been more wrong. If I tell you how much it changed my life
or my phone usage or the way I feel about phones it would start sounding
like another cliche and I don't want that. Suffice it to say, I love the
iPhone and I love sharing knowledge. I now have the iPhone 4S and an
iPod Touch 3rd Gen.
This leads me to a few more things about me which some of you may or may
not know. I am a family man with a wife, 3 kids, a dog, a cat, and a
minivan. There I go into another cliche of the American life. Next I'll
tell you I have a house with a big yard and I live in a quiet
neighborhood. Oops, well this is true. Anyway, up until July last year I
worked for GW Micro, the Window-Eyes screen reader guys. Since then I've
been working from home and so have a bit more time to do other projects.
I'm an avid gamer and sarcastic person, but also someone who respects
others. Since I have a wife and kids, I have patience. Although, many
would say it's my wife who has more because of dealing with my personality.
Speaking of respect and kids, I can promise you guys that I will do my
best to respect you, and to not treat anyone like a kid. Regardless of
the ages of all the group members, (which by the way are quite a bit), I
feel that we are all adults here and can act accordingly. When I say
adult, I'm not speaking of the legal or cultural definition of
adulthood, but about the maturity level. If you visit
http://www.marcandangel.com/2007/08/17/what-is-adulthood-20-defining-characteristics-of-a-true-adult/
you will see what I mean.
So with this in mind, Cara and I have come up with a list of guidelines
for the list. I am not calling them list rules because that sounds a bit
severe. And since we are all adults here, we should not have any
problems keeping the following in mind when posting to the list.
1. We are all in the ballroom at VIPhone Manor. Think of the mailing
list as a huge room where all the list members are hanging out and
sharing ideas, experiences, asking questions, ETC about our favorite iOS
devices. There is a wireless microphone being passed around and every
time someone posts to the list, they hold the microphone for that
glorious moment and everyone in the room gets to hear what they have to
say. However if that same someone responds privately to another list
member instead of posting to the list, the conversation is kept quiet
and no one in the ballroom is aware of it. Please try and consider when
you want to post to the list, does everyone need to hear what I have to
say, or does only the person I'm having a conversation need to hear it.
Lively and positive list discussion is encouraged as long as it remains
on topic. Personal conversations or things which are obviously meant for
one person are not.
Some good examples of holding the microphone for everyone to hear are:
Posting about a new app or an update to an app. Discussing good and bad
points about an app or a specific iOS device. Sharing experiences about
an app or a situation where the iOS device made a difference in
something you did. Asking questions about the accessibility of an app.
Comparing apps or iOS devices.
Some not-so-good examples of holding the microphone for everyone to hear
are: Posting one-liner messages such as "me too", "thank you", or "your
welcome" and not adding to the discussion at hand. Asking a specific
person for their email address when it's right there in the message you
are responding to. Treating someone with no respect, or talking down to
someone who might not have an answer to a question. Trying to moderate
the list yourself.
2. Tolerance and patience. This list is comprised of over 1000 people
with a varying range of education, background, ethics, and age. Because
of this we ask that you all show tolerance toward each others' style of
writing and expression. If you feel that a list member has posted a
message which is offensive, unreadable, grammatically or syntactically
incorrect please do not complain about it on list. You can either ignore
the message, or take it up with me or Cara privately. Flaming the list
member on list would not be cool at all. There are times when emotions
can get hot, and if this happens, it's ok to step back and let things
cool down. If action is required by the moderators, let us handle it.
3. Use appropriate language. Foul language is not acceptable on list. We
realize that some words are not considered foul language in certain
parts of the world or in the context used. However when posting to the
list decide on whether your message would be appropriate in a children's
book or if it would be tolerated in grade school.
4. Fellowship. The VIPhone list doesn't only exist to serve as a
database of questions and answers. That is what knowledge bases, FAQs,
and Google searches are for. In addition to exchanging knowledge, This
list is a place for us to fellowship in some small way. Although
personal chat-like posts will always creep up on list, they are not
condoned. It is in our nature to want to discuss things with each other.
They might start off as iOS related but then might stray to other areas.
If this happens, please move the discussion off the list so it can
remain on topic. It is very easy for a discussion about a weather app to
morph into a discussion about the weather in your city and how your pets
feel about the recent climate changes.
5. Appropriate postings. It goes without saying, but please take care to
post messages which are iOS related. Asking questions about the best
Android app for your checkbook, or finding the best places to vacation
next summer are not considered on topic. If you post links to web sites
or podcasts or downloads, make sure they are public links or that you
have permission to post them. Postings containing salacious or
defamatory material, piracy, cracking/hacking of any software, and
anything illegal are unacceptable and inappropriate.
6. Moderating members. I hate writing this one, but it has to be said.
We realize that most everyone here is here to get information from the
list and wants to participate in positive discussion. However there are
always a few bad apples in a large group. (Pun intended). It's these bad
apples which can ruin it for others. Unfortunately if a topic on list
gets out of hand, or someone starts flaming others on list, steps need
to be taken. So, please rest assured that if list members need to be
spoken to regarding list postings, or list behavior, it will be done.
7. List traffic. We realize that list traffic can get a bit overwhelming
at times. This is especially true when a new iOS version comes out. Just
know that usually the increase in traffic during a new iOS release is
just temporary. However you can always do your best to help minimize
that list traffic by following the guidelines you are reading.
Additionally you can switch to digest mode which bundles many messages
into one large one, or you can set filters in Gmail, or in your specific
mail program so that list messages are not flooding that precious inbox.
8. List archives. The archives for this list are now available at
www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ which is very speech
friendly and can be searched. Because this is a recent addition, the
public archive doesn't have many posts. You can rest assured that it
will grow in time. This is a great resource to finding that answer you
are looking for regarding a past topic. One which comes to mind is, "How
do I enable or disable the compact voice?" I personally feel that
searching the archives from this page are easier than searching them
from the Google Groups web site, however both can be done. You will
notice that the footer at the end of each message to the list has been
modified to now include the public list archive address.
That's it for the list guidelines. Remember that if you have any
suggestions, comments, complaints, or constructive criticism regarding
the list. Let me and/or Cara know. We will do our best to make things right.
Happy iOSing.
--
Raul A. Gallegos - VIPhone Moderator
Home Page: http://raulgallegos.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rau47
Facebook: http://facebook.com/rgallegos74
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