Posting FAQ - or, NO ADVERTISING HERE!!!!

Welcome Sewists and new posters! Here are some guidelines to posting to the sewing newsgroups. In case you are wondering where you are and how you got here, you are in a newsgroup, AKA "usenet" which is a part of the internet that has been around much much longer than the www, which it is not a part of. These groups are not moderated.

This information is protocol and etiquette that has been in use for over

*20* years on Usenet (newsgroups are Usenet) I have edited this from these sites:
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Also, link to the news.newusers.questions web site,
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,

If you are seeking information on a common topic, try doing search at

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Then, if you don't findyour subject, post a basic question to the group.

Be precise in your requests for information. If you are seeking help on a technique, or are having a problem, the more information you give, the more someone will be likely to be able to help you with your request. Put some thought into your header: "problem" or "I need help" are much more likely to be ignored than a specific header such as " help: facing has wrinkles" or "where can I find fine linen".

There is a "what machine should I buy" FAQ.

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NO Advertising. NONE. No commercial ads, no auction notices, no ebay announcements, no "for sale" private party ads, no links to a commercial site; nothing. There are marketplace groups for ads.(rec.crafts.textiles.marketplace) Ever been to a Usenet group that has more ads than posts? This also includes one line posts announcing commercial sites. And yes, this is a grey area, but in past discussions the overwhelming majority are in agreement that all ads need to go to the marketplace. If you would like to know more about advertising onUsenet, here's a link link to it: Advertising on Usenet: How To Do It, How Not To Do It

Please don't argue with us about it should be OK for **you** to do it.

Edit your replies. If you are replying to a post that is rather lengthy, use your editing functions to pare the message down. If you reply without leaving a portion of the request in, and the header isn't clear, many people will not know what you are posting about. If the subject changes in the course of a reply, change your header so that people will know what your post is about.

The sewing newsgroups are pretty chatty. Keep in mind that not everyone may be interested in the non-sewing chatter about kids, cooking, pets, parenting, religion, whatever. It's polite to put an OT for OFF TOPIC in the header, either if the thread has "derailed" to not be about sewing anymore, or if it's obviously not sewing related.

Please do not top post: this is putting your anwwer above the comment you are replying to. It's hard to track the conversation when you do this.

This is a public forum, and an international one. There may be hundreds of people reading your posts. Many people have to pay for their download/online time by the minute which is the main reason for keeping headers concise and posts succinct. Also, don't assume that everyone is in the USA; they are not!!

No photos. This is not a binary group. Please post photos to the web and put up a link. NO HTML either, this is a text only forum.

Signature files: No more than 4 lines please. ( bandwidth again) If someone is a participant in the group, it is considered acceptable to list business information in the signature file. No "me-too ism": it's a waste of bandwidth. So is, "I know I saw something somewhere...."

Remember this is a public, unmoderated forum that reflects each of us as individuals. If someone's posts really drive you nuts on a regular basis, you can make them "go away" using a killfile. This is an option in most newsreader software that will block any posts by a specified sender. For the how on killfiles see: Killfile and Anti Troll FAQs at

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Spam is any form of unwanted posts or email, usually commercial and unsolicited.

Please don't ask for an email only reply. DL put it very well: "I don't normally send an email copy unless it's specifically requested, and I usually won't respond at all to someone who says, "I don't normally read this group, so please send me an email copy," but I don't mind at all sending a copy to someone who says, "I read this group regularly, but a lot of posts never make it to my server."

The difference is that the first person is basically saying, "I'm too busy and too important to be bothered with checking in the newsgroup for answers. I don't value your time in composing a response, and maybe spending some time doing research to answer the question, but _my_ time is too valuable to waste coming back here to read it. I also don't care if anyone else is able to benefit from the responses--just send me the email."

Many many people have contributed to this over the years. Thanks to all for links, editorial comments and input.

Reply to
small change
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I'd like to add this addendum to the recent "Posting FAQ."

Some say they use Google Groups and Google doesn't list users any rules regarding Usenet etiquette, so the users has no clue if they should or should not post an ad.

Google does, in fact, list rules for Usenet use.

=46rom Google:

"Please don't use Usenet as an advertising medium.

Advertisements on Usenet are rarely appreciated. In general, the louder or more inappropriate the ad is, the more antagonism it stirs up. Just think how annoying it is to you to have your evening meal interrupted by a telemarketer. The feeling is the same when someone posts inappropriate commercial messages in a newsgroup. If in doubt, don't do it."=20

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Google also refers people to: "Primer on How to Work With the Usenet Community" which states explicitly, "Do not use Usenet as an advertising medium."

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Now, this requires folks to actually READ these documents, but I and hopefully others will make note of these links and post them for future reference.

-Irene

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

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Reply to
IMS

Excellent, I move this information be added to Penny's Posting FAQ.

Seconds?

Reply to
BEI Design

Reply to
CNYstitcher

It has been moved and seconded, any discussion?

If not, call the question, all in favor say aye! ;-)

Reply to
BEI Design

Only problem is, the people who should be paying attention don't give a damn! Just like Spam - it's improper (and often downright illegal!) but it certainly doesn't stop the deluge. I just ignore the postings as they are easy to pick out as not worth looking at.... Cynthia

Reply to
Cynthia Spilsted

While I quite agree, the ones who need to see it don't pay attention

*before* they post, having the FAQ to refer them to (or quote), at least provides irrefutable evidence that *this* group doesn't appreciate ads.
Reply to
BEI Design

AYe AYE AYE AYE AYE AYE AYE...all my personalities weighing in....lol

Larisa, not really multiple pers> CNYstitcher wrote:

Reply to
CNYstitcher

True, but then they can no longer use the excuse that there are no guidelines on Google.

-Irene

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

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Reply to
IMS

No, but if it is in the groups charter an ISP can take action against a spammer. There are some groups that do allow ads.

A
Reply to
Angrie.Woman

Back to the Ayes. I'm an Aye. Juno

Reply to
Juno

In article , Angrie.Woman of SBC

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uttered>

They tend to have the word "marketplace" in the name - is a bit of a clue.

Face it - these sad spammers with their lame ads just go ploughing on regardless, they're never going to do the actual contributors to the newsgroup the common courtesy of finding out the status quo before they barge in

Reply to
She who would like to be obeye

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