A few suggestions on Netiquette
Posted by: daveshoe <daveshoe@...>
Our new list server software, "ezmlm" (E-Z Mailing List Manager) has a few
things you may wish to know, and I have a few suggestions regarding proper
"netiquette" .
First off, the list server is set to REJECT mail that is either Rich Text
Format (RTF) or Hyperlink Text Markup Language (HTML) formatted. Simply
put, the server is looking for plain text ONLY, and not any special formatting.
For some, this is a bummer. Indeed, I like to use special formatted text
on personal notes to folks I correspond with -- things like BOLD, ITALIC,
UNDERLINED, etc. I even use multi-colors on occasion. (All of this is
RTF.) You may receive e-mail messages that look much like web
pages. That's HTML. But then, I'm blessed with a very fast internet
connection, and only use those features to other people who have a similar
access.
However, many people who subscribe to this list use either older computers
or very slow connections. Any special formatting requires messages to be
significantly larger than the same message sent plain text. Also, we have
subscribers to our list from all around the world, and in many countries,
they pay for internet connections BY THE MINUTE. Fancy text COSTS more money!
Many e-mail programs use HTML or RTF as a default, so when you send a
message to ccmag@welovegod.org, it will be bounced by the server. Check
your options in your e-mail client of choice, and set it to "plain text
only." Or, as in my case, I use Eudora Pro, and it allows me to select on
a per-message basis which format to send in.
Also, the use of ANY attachment is discouraged, including the .vcf that
seems to be a default with Outlook. This comes through as an attachment,
and should NOT be used for these reasons:
1) It takes up more bandwidth, and slows down the downloading of mail,
just like RTF or HTML does.
2) With the many viruses that are sent by attachments, many people will
simply discard your message if it has ANY attachment -- without reading it
at all.
And, sending to an e-mail list such as this one (or ANY list, for that
matter) when you are requesting a return receipt is "bad form." Not only
does it cause EVERY reader of your message to in turn send you a message
(thus, using bandwidth), this is also a trick that SPAMMERS use to glean
e-mail addresses from a mailing list to use for their nefarious purposes.
I request that you do NOT send messages with "return receipt requested."
Some have asked me about the capitalization or lower-case of our list
address. In other words, can you send to:
CCMag@WeLoveGod.org and/or ccmag@welovegod.org
The answer is that, in the Internet, case is insignificant. You can use
either address. Personally, I prefer the first one, because I like to
always capitalize "God". However, it's your choice.
If you have any questions on how to set your e-mail client (program), just
send through a message, and there are almost 100 people now who can help!
Thanks!
Dave Shoemaker
Antioch, California
List Servant, CCMag
mailto:daveshoe@home.com
mailto:CCMag-owner@WeLoveGod.org