Rule #1: Any comments, questions, etc. about THIS FAQ, should be sent to
me personally; <mailto:BMichael@...>. This FAQ is _not_ to be a topic
of discussion on the list! :-)
Since this is the first mailing of the FAQ, please _DO_ send me any
comments you may have. Thanks!
Bill Michael
FB List Moderator
-----------------------------------
The FutureBASIC mailing list is a free service to the FutureBASIC
programming community, courtesy of ListServ@... - Mailing Lists
like: Kid-MissionFriends, FutureBASIC, MediaWatch, CultWatch,
Ladies_Fellowship, CN-World, and Inspirations.
This list is available by subscription to anyone interested in Staz
Software's FutureBASIC II (and soon FB^3) programming language for the
Macintosh. Support for FutureBASIC V1.x is available, but "limited";
please note in your message that you're using FB1, so the answers you get
will apply! List members include "raw beginners" through published
"commercial" software authors; we are all here to ask and answer
questions, so don't be afraid to ask the one that's bothering you!
This is however a _support_ list - it is _not_ a "chat line". PLEASE
limit your postings to FB-related questions and answers, or items of
general interest to the Mac programming community that are _not_ better
handled "elsewhere". Many of the people on this list get literally
hundreds of email messages every day; "me too" posts and funny stories
about what your cat/dog/kid did last night are probably not appreciated.
PLEASE read the "netiquette" section at the bottom of this message!
Please contact the list moderator <mailto:BMichael@...> if you have
trouble subscribing/unsubscribing, or if you have any complaint about the
postings of another list member.
Please contact the list owner <mailto:futurebasic-owner@...> if
you have any server-related questions or problems.
And please -- don't try forever and put off contacting us until you're
frustrated and angry. That doesn't do anything but create problems,
either. If it doesn't work the first couple of times, it won't work the
50th, and it isn't good for either of us if you wait until the first
message to the List Admin is incoherent and/or hostile. (hint: users
should not be abusive to the person they're asking to do something for
them. Amazing how often this is forgotten...)
--- Here are the list server command addresses:
I can handle administrative requests automatically.
Just send an empty note to any of these addresses:
<futurebasic-subscribe@...>:
Receive future messages sent to the mailing list.
<futurebasic-unsubscribe@...>:
Stop receiving messages.
<futurebasic-digest-subscribe@...>:
Receive mailing list messages at 5am & 5pm EST as a digest.
<futurebasic-digest-unsubscribe@...>:
Stop receiving digests.
<futurebasic-get.12_45@...>:
Retrieve a copy of messages 12 to 45 from the archive.
A maximum of 50 messages are returned per request.
<futurebasic-thread.12345@...>:
Retrieve a copy of all messages with the same subject
as message 12345 from the archive.
<futurebasic-index.123_456@...>:
Retrieve subjects of messages, including 123 though 456
from the archive. Subjects are returned in sets of 100.
A maximum of 2000 subjects are returned per request.
DO NOT SEND ADMINISTRATIVE REQUESTS TO THE MAILING LIST!
If you do, I won't see them, and subscribers will yell at you.
To specify God@... as your subscription address, send mail
to <futurebasic-subscribe-God=heaven.af.mil@...>.
I'll send a confirmation message to that address; when you receive that
message, simply reply to it to complete your subscription.
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--- Netiquette; being a good net citizen (Thanks in part to
the "list gnome" at Apple, Chuq Von Rospach!)
We request that everyone who uses this mailing list help us in making
this a fun, interesting and useful place to be. There are certain rules
that we ask everyone to follow so that everyone understands what is
expected of them as a user of this list, and to make administration and
management of these lists as consistent and fair as we can.
++++++++++The necessary disclaimers
If the Moderators decide a user is a destructive influence or is found to
be abusive to the list, its users, the hardware or the list
administrators, we may revoke your privileges to use the mailing list.
Using these lists is a privilege, not a right. We _do_ have a Virtual
Bouncer. Ours is named Guido, and he's hung-over and grumpy. Do not force
us to wake him up.
We don't like pulling rank. Sometimes we have to. If a Moderator writes
you and asks you to do something, please cooperate with us. Please,
though, don't act like we're staring over your shoulders: if you're doing
something we'd rather you not do, we'll let you know. If you don't get
e-mail from the Moderator, then everything is fine. It is our policy to
try to work with people to get their message across in the best way
possible.
We expect everyone to act like mature, intelligent adults, and to treat
each other courteously. Pretend you're all in a room together, and that
your Mother is watching. If you wouldn't do something while you were in
the same room as a person, don't do it here. That's all we really ask.
++++++++++Where to get more information
All of the services available on this system, and the instructions for
using them, are available by e-mailing <futurebasic-help@...>.
That will send you a file which will help you find what you want and tell
you how to use it.
++++++++++Rules for using the FutureBASIC mailing list
Do not send list administration commands to the mailing list. All
subscribe or unsubscribe commands should be sent to the "command"
addresses listed above.
As a policy, we do not respond to mail sent to the wrong address except
to remind people how to do it properly -- this is to not encourage
people to develop lazy habits by being able to "get away" with the
wrong behavior. Our interest is in teaching you how to do it right,
even if it takes us more time as admins -- because it helps people
learn how to work properly with all mailing lists.
Stay on topic. Each list has a charter of acceptable content and
topics. Do not post things to the list that are not part of that
charter, for any reason. It doesn't matter how important you think
it is -- if it's off-topic, it's not appropriate for the list. This
rule specifically includes postings on chain letters, new viruses,
rumors, warnings, and get well cards (Craig Shergold does not need
any more postcards. Really.) Anyone who posts on the "Good Time
Virus" (which is a hoax) will be lined up against a virtual brick
wall and virtually shot.
If you _do_ have a "semi-acceptable" posting, that's only _slightly_
off topic, please include [X-FB] in the subject line...
This mailing list is rated PG-13. Strong emotions and heated
discussion happen and are part of discussing things people care
strongly about -- but that is no excuse for abusive language, using
obscene language just for shock value, or attacking other users.
We _do_ have younger members, and abusive users _will_ be removed.
VERY IMPORTANT: Do not play Topic Cop. PLEASE leave that to the List
Moderator. A lot of work is done behind the scenes via private e-mail.
Most of the time, people who try to do the List Moderators' job for
them only make the situation worse. If you have a problem with
something that's been posted to a list, e-mail your comments to the
Moderators and let the Moderators deal with it.
NO SPELLING OR GRAMMAR FLAMES. And having said that, while spelling and
grammar counts, flames about them are really lame, especially because
about 70% of the time the person doing the flaming misspells something
in his flame. Go figure. Don't embarrass yourself with stupid kid
stuff like this. We have more important things to argue about.
Do not post to multiple mailing lists, or post the same request
multiple times. Find the most appropriate list and post it there.
If you don't get an answer the first time, asking again won't help
(if we knew the answer, we would have said so...) However, there
ARE times that a question can "slip through the cracks", so if you
don't get ANY response within a couple of days, a "gentle reminder"
with additional information, or a rewording of your original request,
might be advisable. Please realize however that not all questions
CAN be answered here - some may better be addressed to Staz Software's
technical support group.
You must be a subscriber of the list to post to it. We do not allow
non-subscribers to send messages to our lists. The server is very
picky about your address -- you MUST post messages and list
administration from the account you originally signed up from. If
your address changes or things stop working for some reason, please
contact <mailto:BMichael@...> for help in getting it fixed.
If you can't find the answer in the documentation, then help us write
new material for the FAQ or Web Page to answer the question for
the next person who needs it. Don't assume the Moderator will be
able to pull the answers off the list and add them to the FAQ -- we
need sleep like everyone else, and can't do everything, so please
work with us by writing up summaries of the answers and submitting
them to the Moderator for inclusion in the list's documentation.
(We aren't talking about FB questions here, but list questions...)
Do not post copyrighted material. It's illegal to type in an article
verbatim, or re-post one from an on-line service. (Yes, we know
it happens all over the net. That doesn't make it right or legal.)
If you do it, you put yourself and the List Owners at risk if the
copyright holder decides to sue. You CAN post a pointer, summarize
what the work is saying, post quotes from the work within the
boundaries of fair use. If you aren't sure that what you want to
do is legal, ask the Moderators for advice.
This SPECIFICALLY includes "third party" source code, such as
snippets from Function Junction II, etc. - not everyone here owns
every FB-related product, and the authors of those products will
be quite unhappy to see their hard work "given away" here.
No Piracy or "Warez" discussions, please, other than relating to
programmatic methods of _avoiding_ same.
We do not allow any kind of buy/sell messages in the mailing list,
except with previous approval of the Moderator. If you aren't
absolutely sure, ask for permission first.
Commercial postings are not allowed on the list except by previous
approval of the Moderator. We do not want blatant sales hype and
pitches. The Moderator is willing help you write your posting to be
acceptable if it's possible. We _DO_ want announcements of new
FB-related products, so _do_ ask!
You may not use addresses obtained from this list to harass others or
send them offensive, abusive or commercial e-mail. If we find out
that people are sending commercial solicitations or abusive e-mail
to users of our lists, the offender will be removed from the lists
and possibly reported to his site administrators.
Anonymous remailers may not be used to subscribe or post to mailing
lists. Any user found subscribed from an anonymous account will be
removed from the system. We believe everyone should be responsible
for what they say, and sending mail anonymously defeats that. If
you aren't willing to sign your name to your posting, we aren't
interested in reading it.
If you use a "vacation" program while away from your e-mail, make sure
that it is smart enough to not send messages to the mailing lists
or to users who post to the mailing list. If your "vacation"
program starts nattering at the list or list members, we will
unsubscribe you until you return.
Please don't send "me too" messages to the list. All they add is noise.
If someone else has answered the question before you, don't answer
it again. If someone offers to send something to people, then
e-mail them privately. Don't send the "send it to me" message to
the list.
Do not post _any_ files that use MIME or include enclosures. Not everyone
can read MIME files, and large, attached files are not appreciated by
many. If you have something you want to make available, put it on
an FTP site and send a pointer to the list. Please do _not_ attach
large files of any type, no matter how generally useful they may be.
We currently do not have a universally-accepted spot to put such
files for free upload/download, but we are working on this. When we
have such a place, we'll ask that you not attach _any_ files to your
messages.
Watch your "reply to"s! If you want to reply to the individual who sent
a message, and not to the entire list, you'll normally need to do
that manually. The "default" reply-to address is the list.
++++++++++Suggestions for improving your messages
Keep postings as short as possible. The longer your message, the more it
rambles, the harder you make it for someone to figure out what you
need or what you're saying -- the fewer people will read or respond
to your message. However, small "snippets" of troublesome code are
usually easier to "debug" than even the _best_ verbal description
of the problem.
If you include quoted material, edit it ruthlessly. Edit, edit, edit!
Delete ALL text in the reply except the phrase you're responding
to. There is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- more frustrating to
users of mail lists than people who include 200 lines from a
previous message, and tack on a two or three line reply to it. It's
an amazing waste of bandwidth and list-goodwill, and lazy to boot.
Keep signatures as short as possible. Or don't use them. Signatures are
there to identify you, not to be used for ascii pictures of the
Death Star or copies of War and Peace.
Keep Subject lines relevant. If the topic changes, change the Subject.
If you read the DIGEST and respond to a message in it, CHANGE THE
SUBJECT. If you don't, it'll read "Re: Digest #...", which many users
won't read and which doesn't tell people what the message is about.
Ask yourself if it's necessary to post to the entire list. If you
aren't sure, e-mail it privately to the person you're responding to.
Spelling, punctuation, grammar, formatting all count. Take some time to
make your messages look good. If you don't take pride in your words,
why should anyone read them? Just tossing off text that looks like it
was printed by a malfunctioning printer serves neither you nor your
ideas well. Take a few minutes to clean things up and make them look
like you care -- or nobody else will, either. (iF yOU LiKe tO USe
fUNny CaPS, grEAT; but do it ElSeWhErE!)
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