I have a suggestion 
Why not create a FB-offtopic mailing list or if there is one
tell me where to signup.

Brian Heibert
heibert@...

On Mon, 2007-01-08 at 17:35 -0500, Walter Lenk wrote:
> Greetings -
> 
> It's time to post the FB list FAQs again, just as a reminder.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Walter Lenk (List Mom)
> 
> *********************************************************************
> 
> FAQ - Frequently asked questions of the futurebasic@... list.
> 
> The FutureBASIC mailing list is a free service to the FutureBASIC
> programming community, courtesy of ListServ@... providing
> 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 programming languages for the Macintosh.  Support
> for older version of FutureBASIC (e.g. I or II or ^3) is available but
> "limited"; please note in your message that you're using FBI, FBII, FB3,
> or FB4 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 <Walter_Lenk@...> 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...)
> 
> 
> The List Server can handle administrative requests automatically.  Just
> send an empty note (It doesn't read contents) to any of these addresses:
> 
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> <futurebasic-index.123_456@...>:
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>   Subjects are returned in sets of 100.  A maximum of 2000 subjects are
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> 
> DO NOT SEND ADMINISTRATIVE REQUESTS TO THE MAILING LIST!  If you do, the
> List Server won't see them, and subscribers will yell at you.
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> To specify God@... as your subscription address, send mail to
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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 with that 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 ****
> 
> 1. Do not send list administration commands to the mailing list.  All
> subscribe or unsubscribe commands should be sent to the "command"
> addresses listed above.
> 
> 2. 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.
> 
> 3. 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 .  Anyone who posts on the "Good Time
> Virus" (which is a hoax) will be lined up against a virtual brick wall
> and virtually shot.
> 
> 4. If you DO have a "semi-acceptable" posting, that's only slightly off
> topic, please include [X-FB] in the subject line.
> 
> 5. 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.
> 
> 6. 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.
> 
> 7. 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.
> 
> 8. 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 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.
> 
> 9. 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
> <Walter_Lenk@...> for help in getting it fixed.
> 
> 10. 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.)
> 
> 11. 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 commercial or copyrighted FutureBASIC Libraries, 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.
> 
> 12. No Piracy or "Warez" discussions, please, other than relating to
> programmatic methods of avoiding the same.
> 
> 13. We do not allow any kind of buy/sell messages in the mailing list,
> except with previous approval of the Moderator.   Yf you aren't
> absolutely sure, ask for permission first.  However, announcements of
> FutureBASIC developed applications, Libraries, or other code types is
> encouraged.
> 
> 14. 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 to help you write your posting to be
> acceptable if it's possible. Again, we DO want announcements of new
> FB-related products, so please do ask if you need help!
> 
> 15. 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.
> 
> 16. 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.
> 
> 17. If you use a "vacation notification" 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
> "notification" program starts nattering at the list or list members, we
> will unsubscribe you until you return.
> 
> 18. 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.
> 
> 19. 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 a web or FTP site and send the URL or address to the list.
> Please do not attach large files of any type, no matter how generally
> useful they may be.
> 
> 20. 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.
> 
> 21. Please avoid copying a list members email address into the body of
> your message. Associate.com does a good job of hiding our email
> addresses from prying eyes, but it cannot scrub them from within the
> body of an email message.  Providing the first and last name of an
> individual is good enough.
> 
> 
> **** Suggestions for improving your messages ****
> 
> 22. 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.
> 
> 23. 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.
> 
> 24. 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.
> 
> 25. Keep Subject lines relevant.  If the topic changes, change the
> Subject.
> 
> 26. 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.
> 
> 27. 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.
> 
> 28. 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!)
> 
> ***********************************************************************
>