[cobalt-security] How To Post.

[Dom Latter <DLatter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> (pardon me if i do not know how to post in a mailling list, i 
> hope i'll learn quick . Error ! )


The Cobalt Users Mailing List meta-FAQ, Version 0.05
====================================================

Not so much an FAQ but a guide to how to get your FAQs and IAQs answered.

0.  Do not be afraid to ask questions.  There are helpful people here.
Nobody was born with this knowledge - and we are all still learning.

1.  There's ways of annoying those helpful people, and there's ways of 
getting the most from them.  This is what this guide is primarily about.

2.  If you can, read the list for a while (days, weeks, months even) 
before posting to it.  This will give you a feel for it.

3.  The chances are that you are not the first person to have asked your
question.  In the case of Cobalt's products, the answers are archived in 
the Knowledge Base and in the mailing list archives.  To check those 
resources go to http://list.cobalt.com/mailman/listinfo/cobalt-users,
and learn to search the Web for answers on non-Cobalt specific questions.

3.1 But remember that not everything you read is correct!  Read all the way 
through an archived thread before doing anything.

3.2 When you post, consider indicating that you have tried these avenues,
particularly if you are new to the list: people are much more willing to 
help those who try to help themselves first.

3.3 Invest in some books; and don't expect the list to do your job for you.

4.  When you post, observe some "rules".

4.1. Give a meaningful subject, including the precise product.  E.g. 
"[RaQ 3] Strange error in web log".  In the body of your post, include 
enough information that people will understand your problem and be able 
to help.  But don't include 500 lines of logfile of which only one is 
relevant.

4.2. If it's a fresh subject, then make a fresh post, don't "reply" to
an existing message.  Even if you change the subject line, for many people
your post will be threaded under the original thread.  (Which they may 
have chosen to disregard in the meantime.  You *do* want people to 
read and respond, don't you?)

4.3. Do not post in HTML (sometimes called Rich Text).  This really 
winds some people up.  There are many reasons, not least of which is 
that for people subscribed to the list digest, it appears as raw HTML, 
and in other words is practically unreadable.  If people can't read it, 
they certainly won't reply to it.

4.4. Do not top-post.  That is to say, when replying to a post, give 
context to your post in the form of just enough quoted material, and 
put your responses *after* the quoted material.  Put a space between 
the quoted material and your response, and again before the next section
of quoted material.

4.4.1 Again, consider the effect top-posting has on the digest form 
of the list, and consider how when you were searching the archives 
(as you were, remember?) the most useful replies were the ones that 
came *after* the question.  Further argument about this point can be 
referred to RFC 1855 and just about every guide to newsgroup and 
mailing list etiquette ever written.
It is not a "personal preference".  It is a standard.

4.5. Keep your line lengths short, less than 80 characters.  Otherwise,
many people will see your post with some badly-mangled formatting,
and be less inclined to read it.

4.6. Read your post through before sending, and check for spelling, grammar,

and layout.  The easier it is to read, the more likely people are to
respond.
Check you've given enough information to give people a clue.

4.7. Don't criticise someone else's spelling and grammar.  In fact, in 
general, do not flame.  If you wouldn't make the same comment face-to-face 
with someone twice your size, don't say it.

4.8. Keep your signature short - four lines is reckoned to be plenty.  Use 
the correct sig separator: "-- " on a line by itself.  Some mail software
will then be able to strip it automatically.

4.9  Do not repost your question before a number of days (a week maybe?)
have elapsed.  If you do not receive a prompt reply, it's probably because
your post was not well written in the first place, the question has been
answered several times already (check the archives), the gurus of the list
are behind on reading posts, or there's nobody on the list that can answer
your question.  If you wish to repost your question after said amount of
time, be sure to include any additional information you may have gathered
since your last post which would help someone respond.  Reposting your
question multiple times within a short time period (i.e.: daily) will likely
ensure you are /dev/null'd (redirected to the bit bucket, however you wish
to phrase it).

5. Do not post the following:
5.1 binaries or attachments of any sort.
5.2 advertising, "make money fast" (a.k.a. "lose account fast") etc.
5.3 way off-topic questions - like setting up a video card in Windows.

5.4 If it's not Cobalt-specific then consider directing your question 
to a Linux (or other appropriate) forum.  But people do understand that 
particularly for newbies it's not obvious if something is Cobalt-specific.
If you get the urge to start an off-topic thread, it is best to put 
that in the subject line.

5.5 You will find that threads veer off onto totally unrelated subjects.
People have way more tolerance for this than they do for threads that
start off off-topic.  Don't criticise people in such a thread for being 
off-topic.  Do, if contributing, consider changing the subject line, and
adding "[OT]", or similar.

6.  Do not assume that everybody lives in the same country; if you are 
looking for a service, then say where you are situated.  Try to avoid 
regional words and phrases that not everybody will understand.

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Notes & Links:

Compiled by Dom Latter with contributions from, amongst others:
Dan Kriwitsky, Rodolfo J. Paiz, Brian Curtis, Rob Evans.
This document is freely distributable, as long as it is without charge, 
but remains copyright of the named individuals, and must retain
this copyright notice.

Webmaster's reference: http://www.elsop.com/wrc/refroom.htm
An etiquette guide:    http://wise.fau.edu/netiquette/net/elec.html
RFC 1855:              http://www.dtcc.edu/cs/rfc1855.html
More etiquette:
http://www.gweep.bc.ca/~edmonds/usenet/ml-etiquette.html
Usenet power search:   http://www.deja.com/home_ps.shtml
Virus myths:           http://www.vmyths.com/
Sanity restoration:    http://www.dilbert.com/
Why people have such a low opinion of AOLers:
http://www.nyupress.nyu.edu/netwars/textonly/contents/contents.html

Last updated 12th October 2000.  Posted 20th February 2001.
Previously posted 9th January 2001, during a lunar eclipse to give 
it **special powers** in preventing top-posting.