RUSS-L Guide for New Bees

1. Lurk for a while.

Even if you've posted already, it's probably a good idea to lurk (i.e. just read) for a few days. This way you'll fairly quickly find out what topics are currently being debated, which ones have already been discussed to death, and get an idea of the personalities and attitudes of the various other list members. This can be very reassuring if you're trembling on the doorstep wondering if you're going to "fit in" -- you'll soon see we're a very diverse and friendly bunch.

If you really want to get a good feel for how the list works and what kinds of discussions we've had in the past, try searching the Message Archives or download some of the early digests from the Files section. There's no need to read them all, however! Even just a quick glance at a few messages will give you an idea of what the mailing list is all about and how we operate.

2. Read the FAQ.

The RUSS-L FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) file is bound to answer at least one or two questions you'll probably have, as well as give you a pretty good guide to what's what. This will save you asking questions that have already been asked and answered numerous times before, such as "What's all this about Holmes's son?", "Why does Holmes call Russell 'Mary Todd' in BEEK?" and "Where can I find 'Mrs Hudson's Case'?"

3. Slice 'n' dice.

Don't (repeat, don't) quote another person's entire post just to add a single line. The habit of responding to a message (or worse, a whole digest) and then carelessly leaving that entire message or digest quoted at the end of your message is equally annoying.

For the sake of politeness and thoughtfulness to those with slower modems, smaller mailboxes, and/or less time to spare, or who have to pay for volume, you should be prepared to snip away as much quoted material as you can. As a general rule, you should include at least 50% new material each post (preferably more). A little quoting to set the scene is okay, but remember, we have all read that stuff before.

4. Trim that signature file.

Many people like to have a signature beneath their posts, and some people have very large ones. But if you must use such a signature, then please keep it down to at most four lines.

5. Neaten up your replies.

New material should go below whatever point you're addressing, not above. Printing it above, or in one lump at the start and quoting the entire previous post underneath, makes your message much harder to understand.

If your newsreader doesn't automatically place quote marks (the little ">"s or other characters) in front of each line of the material you're quoting, don't fret -- just put a "[" at the beginning of the quoted material and a "]" at the end of the quote, or something of that sort. There is no need to mark every line, so long as you indicate in some fashion where the quote begins and ends.

However, if you're making your own quotes, watch out for using "<" to open the quote and ">" to close it. That causes many mail readers to interpret the material between the brackets as HTML code and strip it out, leaving nothing but "<>" for your baffled readers. Try doing it the other way around, with the ">" first.

On no account quote someone else's signature unless you are specifically responding to a point within it (i.e. almost never).

Also, don't rewrite what someone else has said. You can summarise it in your own words, or cut bits that aren't relevant (this is usually done by cutting whole lines; don't cut individual words within a sentence). Under no circumstances should you rewrite what you are quoting and try to present it as though the original poster actually said that. Not only is this rude, it's libellous.

6. Stay on topic.

Obviously this is a bit difficult on any discussion group, and a little diversity and story-telling is welcomed. But remember, no one joined the list to read an account of your latest shopping trip, or what you ate for dinner Friday night.

As a guide, most of your comments should have some sort of Russellian, Holmesian, or Laurie R. King-related content. If a topic drifts too far afield and no longer has any relation to the subject of the mailing list, the list moderator will clear her throat and nicely suggest that you find a new subject of discussion.

And speaking of which:

7. Avoid overused topics.

There are a few topics which, although not actually forbidden by the list rules, have been done to death and should be approached with caution, as they have been known to bore and/or irritate a considerable percentage of list members. (Fortunately, they are too polite to complain about it on the list, but trust me, it can be a serious problem. Some people have even left the list because of it.)

The most notorious offender in this area is the Casting Thread. This subject has been discussed at great length on the list and is the #1 bugbear of many long-standing members who would really much prefer to talk about the books. Thanks to "A nineties number with feathers and sequins", there is a RUSS-L Casting Page showing many of the leading contenders for our imaginary movie of The Beekeeper's Apprentice. If you must discuss casting, try looking at this page first. Or consider taking it to e-mail with a similarly-interested list member.

Another prime offender is the Tent Joke. Many of us have now heard the joke about twenty times. If you find a Holmes joke you'd like to share it with the list, please e-mail Liz, the list moderator, at liz.barr@gmail.com and ask if it's okay. Odds are that she'll just reassure you that the joke is indeed new to our gang, and encourage you to go ahead and post it; but she may also just keep you from embarrassing yourself and annoying the other list members with a joke that's old and stale (if it is).

8. Don't flame.

From time to time, disagreements are bound to arise, and tempers may flare. If this happens, and you find that you have a serious problem with another person on the list that needs to be addressed, PLEASE E-MAIL THE MODERATOR FIRST. That's Liz Barr, at liz.barr@gmail.com.

Please don'ttake matters into your own hands and send the other party an indignant message, because that kind of approach invariably causes more problems than it solves. Bring your case to the moderator, so that she can deal with the issue in an objective and measured way. Rest assured that serious offenders against courtesy and list rules will be dealt with, and if necessary banned from the list.

9. Don't post attachments.

Attachments are programs, images, sounds, or other files which you send with your e-mail message. There is nothing wrong with attachments per se, but RUSS-L is a text mailing list only.

If you have a topical picture or file to share, please add it to the Photos or Files section of the RUSS-L page at Yahoo!Groups.

10. Don't post in HTML.

Your posts to the newsgroup should be in plain text. That means no colours, bold, italics, "smartquotes" or other fancy text styles. It especially means no "stationery" with associated images or music. Those things no doubt look great on your end of the line, but they seldom if ever look great (or look like anything but gibberish) to the people on the other end. If your mail reader is capable of generating fancy formats and stationery, then please limit your use of these to newsgroups and lists where they are explicitly welcomed. RUSS-L, however, is text only.

11. Discuss, don't dictate.

We're here to discuss the Russell books. We want to be impressed, dazzled, amazed and bowled over by the insights you may have on a particular story - just as we want you to be impressed by ours! So tell us why you hold your particular views. Back your arguments up! And at the end of the day, remember that the opposition has a right to hold a different opinion.

12. Ultimately, have fun!

Yep, RUSS-L is fun. It really is (or can be, if you let it). We welcome all newcomers regardless of age, gender, or nationality. If English is your second language, rest assured you're not alone on the list. Diversity is fascinating, and we look forward to seeing you join us!

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