Amiga-Request@cs.odu.edu (Amiga Sources/Binaries Moderator) (02/04/90)
Submitted-by: overload!dillon (Matt Dillon)
Posting-number: Volume 90, Issue 057
Archive-name: unix/uucp-1.03d/part13
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# Contents: man/Standards.ab
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X in Mark Horton's excellent paper How to Read the Network News; if
X you have not read that yet, stop here and do so. A lot of what
X follows depends on your knowing (at least vaguely) the mechanics
X of posting news.
X
X Before we discuss these customs, we ought to look at the
X history of USENET, what it is today, and why we need these con-
X ventions.
X
X 2. All About USENET
X
X USENET began on a set of computers in North Carolina's
X Research Triangle. The programs involved (known as "netnews"
X then, and "A news" now) exchanged messages; it was a small,
X multi-computer bulletin board system. As time passed, adminis-
X trators of other systems began to connect their computers to this
X bulletin board system. The network grew. Then, at Berkeley, the
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
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X
X
X
X
X
X
X news programs were rewritten (this version became known as "B
X news") and the format changed to conform to ARPA standards
X (again, this became the "B protocol for news".*) This version of
X news was very widely distributed, and at this point USENET began
X to take on its current shape.
X
X USENET is a logical network (as opposed to a physical net-
X work.) It is also a very amorphous network, in that there is no
X central administration or controlling site. There is not even an
X official list of members, although there is a very complete unof-
X ficial one. A site gets access to USENET by finding some other
X site already on USENET that it can connect to and exchange news
X articles. So long as this second site (called a neighbor of the
X first site) remains willing and able to pass articles to and from
X the first site, the first site is on USENET. A site leaves the
X USENET only when no one is willing or able to pass articles to,
X or accept articles from, it.
X
X As a result, USENET has no equivalent of a "sysop" or cen-
X tral authority controlling the bulletin board. What little con-
X trol is exercised is wielded by the person at each site who is
X responsible for maintaining the USENET connections (this person
X is called the "USENET administrator.") Because most USENET ad-
X ministrators are (relatively) new to USENET, and because adminis-
X tering USENET locally involves a great deal of work, most USENET
X administrators tend to follow the lead of other, more experi-
X enced, administrators (often known somewhat irreverently as "net
X gurus.") This is not an abdication of responsibility, but a means
X of keeping the amount of work little enough so it can be done
X without interfering with the local USENET administrator's job.
X An example of this is the list of currently active newsgroups
X circulated every month or so. It is not "official" - no one has
X that authority - but as the maintainer is doing the work that
X every other USENET administrator would have to do otherwise, it
X is accepted as a valid list. If the maintainer changes the list
X in a way another USENET administrator finds unacceptable, that
X administrator can simply ignore the list. (Incidentally, the
X "net gurus" became known as such because of the work they have
X contributed to USENET. Their experience is a valuable resource
X for each USENET administrator.)
X
X Because the USENET has grown so wildly, a number of problems
X have appeared. One of these problems is technical, and a number
X of the conventions this document describes spring from attempts
X to keep this problem under control.
X
X The technical problem arises due to the transport mechanism
X used by most USENET sites. Most computers on USENET do not have
X access to large-area networks like ARPANET. As a result the only
X
X __________
X
X * See Standard for Interchange of USENET Messages for a
X description of the two formats.
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X viable transport mechanism these sites can use is a set of pro-
X grams collectively known as UUCP and which communicate over dial-
X up telephone lines. Initially, news programs generated one UUCP
X command per article. With the explosion of the USENET, the
X number of articles simply swamped many sites; phone lines would
X be tied up all day transmitting news, and many articles would be
X processed at the same time, slowing down the computers notice-
X ably.
X
X The solution was to batch messages. This way, many articles
X are sent via UUCP with one command, and the command on the re-
X ceiving machine would split the file into separate articles,
X which could then be processed individually. While this increased
X the size of the files being sent, it cut down on the number of
X UUCP commands sent, and since sending a command involves quite a
X bit of overhead, this decreased the duration of phone calls, and
X to a lesser degree the load on the computer. At some sites, such
X as Purdue, this was not quite enough, so a simple spooler was im-
X plemented to process the individual articles one at a time. This
X reduced the system load to a very acceptable amount.
X
X However, the problem has not gone away by any means. In one
X sense it has become worse; as more articles are posted to the
X network, phone costs and system loads averages increase, and sys-
X tem administrators require USENET administrators to cut back or
X eliminate newsgroups and to transmit news only at night (which
X means long propagation delays). In short, everyone who has any-
X thing to do with administering any USENET site is very concerned
X about the future of USENET, both in general and at his own site.
X
X Many of the rules you will read address this concern. The
X fear that USENET may collapse is not a bogeyman, but very real.
X We hope it will not collapse, and the rules below outline some
X ways to prevent problems and increase the likelihood that enough
X sites will remain on USENET to keep it alive. There is no cen-
X tral authority that can force you to follow them, but by doing so
X you will help keep USENET a valuable resource to the computer
X community.
X
X 3. Deciding to Post
X
X Before you decide to post an article, you should consider a
X few things.
X
X 3.1. Do not repeat postings
X
X This applies even if you did not post the information the
X first time around. If you know the answer to a question someone
X asked, first read the follow-ups, and if you have something more
X to contribute, mail it to the questioner; if you think it should
X be seen by others, ask the questioner to summarize the answers he
X receives in a subsequent article. One of the biggest problems on
X USENET is that many copies of the same answer to a simple ques-
X tion are posted.
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X If you want to repost something because you believe it did
X not get to other USENET sites due to transmission problems (this
X happens sometimes, but a lot less often than commonly believed),
X do some checking before you repost. If you have a friend at
X another USENET site, call him and ask if the article made it to
X his site. Ask your USENET administrator if he knows of any prob-
X lems in the USENET; there are special newsgroups to which USENET
X administrators subscribe in which problems are reported, or he
X can contact his counterparts at other sites for information. Fi-
X nally, if you decide you must repost it, indicate in the article
X subject that it is a reposting, and say why you are reposting it
X (if you don't, you'll undoubtedly get some very nasty mail.)
X
X Reposting announcements of products or services is flatly
X forbidden. Doing so may convince other sites to turn off your
X USENET access.
X
X When school starts, hoards of new users descend upon the
X USENET asking questions. Many of these questions have been
X asked, and answered, literally thousands of times since USENET
X began. The most common of these questions, and their answers,
X have been collected in the hope that the new users will read them
X and not re-post the same questions. So, if you want to ask a
X question, check Appendix A (Answers to Frequently Asked Ques-
X tions) to be sure it isn't one that has been asked and answered
X literally hundreds of times before you started reading the
X USENET.
X
X 3.2. Do not post anything when upset, angry, or intoxicated
X
X Posting an article is a lot like driving a car - you have to
X be in control of yourself. Postings which begin "Jane, you ig-
X norant slut, ..." are very definitely considered in poor taste*.
X Unfortunately, they are also far too common.
X
X The psychology of this is interesting. One popular belief
X is that since we interact with USENET via computers, we all often
X forget that a computer did not do the posting; a human did. A
X contributing factor is that you don't have to look the target of
X abuse in the eye when you post an abusive message; eye-to-eye
X contact has an amazing effect on inhibiting obnoxious behavior.
X As a result, discussions on the USENET often degenerate into a
X catfight far more readily than would a face-to-face discussion.
X
X Before you post an article, think a minute; decide whether
X or not you are upset, angry, or high. If you are, wait until you
X calm down (or come down) before deciding to post something. Then
X think about whether or not you really want to post it. You will
X be amazed what waiting a day or even a few hours can do for your
X perspective.
X
X
X __________
X * Unless you are critiquing Saturday Night Live.
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
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X
X
X
X
X
X
X Bear in mind that shouting hasn't convinced anyone of any-
X thing since the days of Charlemagne, and being abusive makes peo-
X ple hold even more tenaciously to their ideas or opinions. Gen-
X tleness, courtesy, and eloquence are far more persuasive; not
X only do they indicate you have enough confidence in your words to
X allow them to speak for you, but also they indicate a respect for
X your audience. This in turn makes it easier for your audience to
X like or respect you - and people tend to be far more interested
X in, and receptive to, arguments advanced by those they like or
X respect than by writers who are abusive. Finally, remember that
X some discussions or situations simply cannot be resolved. Be-
X cause people are different, agreed-upon facts often lead to wild-
X ly different feelings and conclusions. These differences are
X what makes life so wonderful; were we all alike, the world would
X be a very boring place. So, don't get frantic; relax and enjoy
X the discussion. Who knows, you might even learn something!
X
X 3.3. Be sure your posting is appropriate to USENET
X
X Some things are inappropriate to post to USENET. Discussing
X whether or not some other discussion is appropriate, or if it is
X in the right newsgroup, is an example. Invariably, the "meta-
X discussion" generates so many articles that the discussion is
X simply overwhelmed and vanishes; but the meta-discussion lingers
X on for several weeks, driving most of the readers of that news-
X group out of their collective minds. Help preserve the sanity of
X your fellow USENET readers by mailing such comments to the people
X involved, rather than posting them.
X
X Another example of inappropriate postings is the infamous
X "spelling flame." Every few months someone takes another poster
X to task for poor spelling or grammar. Soon, everyone jumps on
X the bandwagon, tearing apart one another's postings for such er-
X rors. To put it mildly, this angers almost everyone involved for
X no real reason. Please remember that we all make mistakes, and
X there are a lot of people for whom English is a second language.
X So, try to keep your spelling and grammar comments to yourself -
X but if you find you simply cannot, mail them to the poster rather
X than posting them.
X
X Far more insidious are requests similar to "How can I splice
X into the local cable TV transmission line?" Posting to USENET is
X akin to publishing, so don't ask for or post instructions on how
X to do something illegal. And please don't quote the First Amend-
X ment, or the laws allowing freedom of speech in your country;
X while the posting programs will not stop you, the aftermath could
X be very unpleasant - lawsuits and court trials usually are, and
X the USENET would certainly collapse as sites dropped from it to
X protect themselves from legal liability. You wouldn't want that
X on your conscience, would you? Of course not.
X
X Related to this is the next rule.
X
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X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
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X 3.4. Do not post other people's work without permission
X
X Posting something to USENET puts it in the public domain for
X all practical purposes. So, be careful about posting things like
X UNIX*-related material (specifically source code) or company do-
X cuments; consider licensing and nondisclosure agreements first.
X Some people regard the posting of "diffs" based on licensed code
X to be a suitable compromise, as they are only useful to those who
X have the base code already.
X
X Copyrighted works are a separate problem. Both United
X States and international law provide protection for copyrighted
X works; other than short extracts for purposes of criticism, you
X cannot copy a copyrighted work in whole or in part without per-
X mission of the copyright holder (who may, or may not, be the au-
X thor.) Without this protection, artists could not make any money
X and hence would have limited incentive to make the fruits of
X their art available at all. Posting a copyrighted work without
X permission is theft, even though the property stolen is not tan-
X gible in most cases. Hence, posting movie and book reviews, song
X lyrics, or anything else which is copyrighted without the permis-
X sion of the copyright holder, could cause you personally, your
X company, or the USENET itself to be held liable for damages.
X Please be very careful that you obey the law when posting such
X material!
X
X 3.5. Don't forget that opinions are those of the poster and not
X his employer.
X
X Every so often, someone will post a particularly disgusting
X article, and a number of responses will ask if all employees of
X the original poster's company share his (revolting) opinion, or
X suggest that action be taken against that company. Please
X remember that all opinions or statements in articles are to be
X attributed to the poster only, and in particular, do not neces-
X sarily represent the opinions of the poster's employer, the owner
X of the computer on which the article originated, or anyone in-
X volved with any aspect of USENET - and consequently the responsi-
X bility for any USENET message rests with the poster and with no
X one else. The appropriate response is not to attack the company
X or its other employees; let the poster know what you think of his
X posting via mail. If the postings continue, take advantage of
X the news software's presenting you with the author's name and the
X subject line and then asking if you want to see the article;
X start looking for the poster's name or the offensive subject in
X the articles presented to you and skip them. If you really get
X offended, you can unsubscribe from a newsgroup.
X
X Part of the price of freedom is allowing others to make
X fools of themselves. You wouldn't like to be censored, so don't
X advocate censorship of others. No one is forcing you to read the
X
X __________
X *UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T.
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
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X
X
X
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X
X postings.
X
X In some countries, posting or receiving certain types of ar-
X ticles may be a criminal offense. As a result, certain news-
X groups which circulate freely within the United States may not be
X circulated in other nations without risking civil or criminal li-
X abilities. In this case, the appropriate action for sites in
X that country is neither to accept nor to transmit the newsgroup.
X No site is ever forced to accept or pass on any newsgroup.
X
X 4. Where to Post
X
X The various newsgroups and distributions have various rules
X associated with their use. This section will describe these
X rules and offer suggestions on which newsgroups to post your mes-
X sage.
X
X 4.1. Keep the distribution as limited as possible
X
X A basic principle of posting is to keep the distribution of
X your article as limited as possible. Like our modern society,
X USENET is suffering from both an information glut and information
X pollution. It is widely believed that the USENET will cease to
X function unless we are able to cut down the quantity of articles.
X One step in this direction is not to post something to places
X where it will be worthless. For example, if you live in Hacken-
X sack, New Jersey, the probability of anyone in Korea wanting to
X buy your 1972 Toyota is about as close to zero as you can get.
X So confine your posting to the New Jersey area.
X
X To do this, you can either post to a local group, or post to
X a net-wide group and use the distribution feature to limit how
X widely your article will go. When you give your posting program
X (usually postnews(1)) a distribution, you are (in essence) saying
X that machines which do not recognize that distribution should not
X get the article. (Think of it as a subgroup based on locality
X and you'll get the idea.) For example, if you are posting in the
X San Francisco Bay Area, and you post your article to rec.auto but
X give ba as the distribution, the article will not be sent beyond
X the San Francisco Bay Area (to which the ba distribution is lo-
X cal) even though you put it in a net-wide newsgroup. Had you
X given the distribution as ca (the California distribution), your
X article would have been sent to all Californian sites on USENET.
X Had you given the distribution as world, your article would have
X been sent to all sites on USENET.
X
X 4.2. Do not post the same article twice to different groups
X
X If you have an article that you want to post to more than
X one group, post to both at the same time. Newer versions of the
X news software will show an article only once regardless of how
X many newsgroups it appears in. But if you post it once to each
X different group, all versions of news software will show it once
X for each newsgroup. This angers a lot of people and wastes
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
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X everybody's time.
X
X 4.3. Do not post to moderated newsgroups.
X
X You may not post directly to certain newsgroups; you cannot
X post to some at all. Newer versions of the news software will
X inform you when either of these restrictions apply, but older
X versions of news software will not.
X
X If you want to have the appropriate moderator post some-
X thing, mail it to the moderator. (If you do not know the ad-
X dress, ask your USENET administrator. In some cases, the
X software will automatically mail, rather than post, your article
X to the moderator.)
X
X 4.4. Ask someone if you can't figure out where to post your ar-
X ticle
X
X If you cannot figure out where to post something, look in
X news.announce.newusers for the list of active newsgroups. (This
X is posted biweekly. If you can't find it, look at the list in
X How to Read the Network News; but be aware that list is undoubt-
X edly out of date already.) If your article does not seem to fit
X in any of the listed groups, post it to misc.misc or don't post
X it.
X
X If you still are not sure which newsgroup to post your arti-
X cle to, ask an old-timer. If your site doesn't have any old-
X timers (or none of the old-timers will admit to being old-
X timers), contact any of the following people:
X
X Gene Spafford (spaf@gatech.CSNET, spaf@gatech.UUCP)
X Mark Horton (mark@cbosgd.UUCP)
X Rick Adams (rick@seismo.CSS.GOV, rick@seismo.UUCP)
X Chuq Von Rospach (chuq@sun.UUCP)
X Matt Bishop (mab@riacs.ARPA, mab@riacs.UUCP)
X
X We will be happy to help you. But, please, do not post the arti-
X cle to the net before you ask us!
X
X 4.5. Be sure there is a consensus before creating a new news-
X group
X
X Creating a new newsgroup is, in general, a very bad idea.
X Currently, there are so many articles being posted that the
X USENET is in danger of collapse as site after site decides to
X cease to accept and retransmit certain newsgroups. Moreover,
X there is no established procedure for deleting a newsgroup, so
X once created, newsgroups tend to stay around. They also tend to
X encourage people to think up new newsgroups, and the cycle re-
X peats. Try to avoid thinking up new newsgroups.
X
X If, however, you believe a new group should be created, be
X sure you have a consensus that the group is needed (either a
X
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X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
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X
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X mailing list has enough traffic and readers to justify turning it
X into a newsgroup, or a discussion in a current newsgroup becomes
X so large for a period of time long enough to warrant splitting it
X into a newsgroup.) Then post an article to news.group as well as
X any other groups related to your proposed new group, and discuss
X the topics you are proposing be covered in your new group, what
X it should be called, whether it is really needed, and so forth.
X Try to resolve all objections, and take into account all sugges-
X tions and comments; finally, have everyone mail you a "yes" or
X "no" vote on whether the group should be created. Try to get at
X least 40 or 50 "yes" votes before creating the group; if you want
X to be safe, get around 100.
X
X 4.6. Watch out for newsgroups which have special rules about
X posting
X
X Some newsgroups have special rules. This section summarizes
X them.
X
X rec.arts.books Do not post anything revealing a plot or a
X plot twist without putting the word "spoiler"
X somewhere in the "Subject" field. This will
X let those who do not wish to have a surprise
X spoiled skip the article.
X
X rec.humor If you want to post an offensive joke (this
X includes racial, religious, sexual, and sca-
X tological humor, among other kinds) rotate
X it. (If you do not know what this means,
X look in the section Writing Your Posting.)
X
X rec.arts.movies Do not post anything revealing a plot or a
X plot twist without putting the word "spoiler"
X in the "Subject" field. This will let those
X who do not wish to have a surprise spoiled
X skip the article.
X
X news.group Discussions about whether or not to create
X new groups, and what to name them, go here.
X Please mail your votes to the proposer; don't
X post them.
X
X comp.sources Source code postings go here. Discussions
X are not allowed. Do not post bug fixes here.
X
X comp.sources.bugs Bug reports and bug fixes to sources posted
X in comp.sources go here.
X
X comp.sources.wanted Requests for sources go here.
X
X misc.test Use the smallest distribution possible. In
X the body of the message, say what you are
X testing.
X
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
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X
X
X
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X
X
X misc.wanted Requests for things other than source code go
X here. Please use the smallest distribution
X possible. Post offers here, too.
X
X 5. Writing the Article
X
X Here are some suggestions to help you communicate effective-
X ly with others on the USENET. Perhaps the best advice is not to
X be afraid to consult a book on writing style; two of the best are
X How to Write for the World of Work by Cunningham and Pearsall,
X and Elements of Style by Strunk and White.
X
X 5.1. Write for your audience
X
X USENET is an international network, and any article you post
X will be very widely read. Even more importantly, your future em-
X ployers may be among the readers! So, try to make a good impres-
X sion.
X
X A basic principle of all writing is to write at your
X readers' reading level. It is better to go below than above.
X Aiming where "their heads ought to be" may be fine if you are a
X college professor (and a lot of us would dispute even that), but
X it is guaranteed to cause people to ignore your article. Studies
X have shown that the average American reads at the fifth grade
X level and the average professional reads at the twelfth grade
X level.
X
X 5.2. Be clear and concise
X
X Remember that you are writing for a very busy audience; your
X readers will not puzzle over your article. So be very clear and
X very concise. Be precise as well; choose the least ambiguous
X word you can, taking into account the context in which you are
X using the word. Split your posting into sections and paragraphs
X as appropriate. Use a descriptive title in the "Subject" field,
X and be sure that the title is related to the body of the article.
X If the title is not related, feel free to change it to a title
X that is.
X
X 5.3. Proofread your article
X
X This is a matter of courtesy; since you want others to read
X your article, the least you can do is check that it says what you
X mean in a clear, concise manner. Check for typographical errors,
X silly grammar errors, and misspellings; if you have a spelling
X checking program, use it. Also be sure the article is easy to
X read. Use white space - blanks, tabs, and newlines - and both
X upper and lower case letters. Do not omit the definite and inde-
X finite articles, either; not only do "a", "an", and "the" make a
X posting much easier to read, their omission can make a posting
X ambiguous.
X
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X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
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X 5.4. Be extra careful with announcements of products or services
X
X When writing a product or service announcement, bear in mind
X that others will be paying most of the telephone bills. So, if
X you are announcing several things, combine all the announcements
X into one article. Mark the posting as a product or service an-
X nouncement in the title in the "Subject" field. Advertising hy-
X perbole is not appropriate here; remember that your audience is
X to a large degree technically literate, and your product will
X stand or fall on its technical merits. Be aware that posting ob-
X noxious or inappropriate advertisements is very serious and if
X you do it, you may find your neighbors yanking your USENET ac-
X cess.
X
X 5.5. Indicate sarcasm and humor
X
X Remember that people cannot see you when they read your
X posting; hence, all the subtle nuances of body and facial motion
X are hidden. It can be quite difficult to tell when you are being
X sarcastic or humorous. To deal with this problem, the USENET
X readers and posters have developed a special sign. Mark passages
X you intend to be taken as humorous with the "smiley face", while
X looks like this: ":-)". (Think of a head facing you lying on its
X right side and look again if you don't understand why that symbol
X was chosen.) As for sarcasm, there is no universal symbol for
X that (unless the sarcasm is meant humorously, in which case use
X the smiley face again.) But mark your passage so everyone will
X realize you are being sarcastic.
X
X 5.6. Mark postings which spoil surprises
X
X High on the list of obnoxious messages are those that spoil
X the plot of a book or movie by giving away an unexpected detail.
X If you post such an article, please put the word "spoiler" in the
X "Subject" field of your posting, so people who do not wish to
X have a surprise ruined can skip the article.
X
X 5.7. Rotate offensive postings
X
X If you feel you must post a message that may offend people,
X you can take steps to be sure the message will only be read by
X those who explicitly ask for it to be shown to them. The USENET
X convention is to encrypt these messages by shifting each letter
X 13 characters, so that (for example) "a" becomes "n". (In more
X precise terms, this is a Caesar cipher of shift 13; on the
X USENET, it is called rot13.) When you do this, put the word
X "rot13" in the "Subject" field. The news reader you are using
X almost certainly has a command to encrypt and decrypt such mes-
X sages; if not, use the UNIX command
X
X tr a-zA-Z n-za-mN-ZA-M
X
X
X
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X 5.8. The shorter your signature, the better
X
X Keep signatures concise; 2 or 3 lines are usually plenty.
X Include your name and addresses on any major networks (such as
X ARPANET, BITNET, or CSNET). This helps people contact you quick-
X ly and easily, usually more so than by following the return path
X of the article. Do not include pictures, graphics or clever quo-
X tations that make the signature longer; this is not the appropri-
X ate place for them, and many sites resent paying the phone bills
X for such signatures.
X
X 6. Conclusion and Summary
X
X Here is a list of the rules given above:
X
X => Deciding to post
X
X + Do not repeat postings
X
X + Do not post anything when upset, angry, or intoxicat-
X ed
X
X + Be sure your posting is appropriate to USENET
X
X + Do not post other people's work without permission
X
X + Don't forget that opinions are those of the poster
X and not his company
X
X => Where to Post
X
X + Keep the distribution as limited as possible
X
X + Do not post the same article twice to different
X groups
X
X + Do not post to news.announce newsgroups
X
X + Ask someone if you can't figure out where to post
X your article
X
X + Be sure there is a consensus before creating a new
X newsgroup
X
X + Watch out for newsgroups which have special rules
X about posting
X
X => Writing the Article
X
X + Write for your audience
X
X + Be clear and concise
X
X
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X + Proofread your article
X
X + Be extra careful with announcements of products or
X services
X
X + Indicate sarcasm and humor
X
X + Mark postings which spoil surprises
X
X + Rotate offensive postings
X
X + The shorter your signature, the better
X
X The USENET can be a great place for us all. Sadly, not
X enough people are following the customs that have been esta-
X blished to keep the USENET civilized. This document was written
X to educate all users of the USENET on their responsibilities.
X Let's clean up the USENET, and turn it into a friendly, helpful
X community again!
X
X Acknowledgements: The writing of this document was inspired by
X Chuq von Rospach's posting on USENET etiquette, and it draws on
X previous work by Mark Horton, A. Jeff Offutt, Gene Spafford, and
X Chuq von Rospach.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X Appendix A. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
X
X originally from Jerry Schwarz (jerry@eagle.UUCP)
X modified by Gene Spafford (spaf@gatech.UUCP)
X modified by Matt Bishop (mab@riacs.ARPA)
X
X
X This document discusses some items that occur repeatedly on
X USENET. They frequently are submitted by new users, and result
X in many follow-ups, sometimes swamping groups for weeks. The
X purpose of this note is to head off these annoying events by
X answering some questions and warning about the inevitable conse-
X quence of asking others. If you don't like my answers, let me
X know and I may include revisions in future versions of this note.
X
X 1. What does UNIX stand for?
X
X It is not an acronym, but is a pun on "MULTICS." MULTICS is a
X large operating system that was being developed shortly be-
X fore UNIX was created.
X
X 2. What is the derivation of "foo" as a filler word?
X
X The favorite story is that it comes from "fubar" which is an
X acronym for "fouled up beyond all recognition," which is sup-
X posed to be a military term. (Various forms of this exist,
X "fouled" usually being replaced by a stronger word.) "Foo"
X and "Bar" have the same derivation.
X
X 3. Is a machine at "foo" on the net?
X
X These questions belong in news.config if anywhere, but in
X fact your best bet is usually to phone somebody at "foo" to
X find out. If you don't know anybody at "foo" you can always
X try calling and asking for the "computer center." Also, see
X the newsgroup mod.map, where maps of USENET and the UUCP net-
X work are posted regularly.
X
X 4. What does "rc" at the end of files like .newsrc mean?
X
X According to Dennis Ritchie, "The name rc comes from RUNCOM,
X which was the rough equivalent on the MIT CTSS system of what
X UNIX calls shell scripts. Of course, RUNCOM derives from run
X commands."
X
X 5. What do "- (nf)" and "Orphaned Response" in an item's title
X mean?
X
X It means that the item was created by "notefiles," an alter-
X native news handling interface that many people prefer. If
X you want to find out more you can read the Notesfile System
X Reference Manual" or contact uiucdcs!essick.
X
X
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X 6. What does ":-)" mean?
X
X This is the net convention for a "smiley face." It means that
X something is being said in jest. If it doesn't look like a
X smiley face to you, flop your head over to the left and look
X again.
X
X 7. How do I decrypt jokes in rec.humor?
X
X The standard cipher used in rec.humor in called "rot13." Each
X letter is replaced by the letter 13 further along in the al-
X phabet (cycling around at the end). Most systems have a
X built in command to decrypt such articles; readnews(1) and
X vnews(1) have the D command, rn(1) (another popular public-
X domain full screen news reader) has the X or <CONTROL-X> com-
X mands, notes(1) has % or R. If your system doesn't have a
X program to encrypt and decrypt these, you can quickly create
X a shell script using tr(1):
X
X tr A-Za-z N-ZA-Mn-za-m
X
X On some versions of UNIX, the tr command should be written
X as:
X
X tr "[a-m][n-z][A-M][N-Z]" "[n-z][a-m][N-Z][A-M]"
X
X 8. soc.net-people: Is John Doe out there anywhere?
X
X I suspect that these items are people looking for freshman
X roommates that they haven't seen in ten years. If you have
X some idea where the person is you are usually better off cal-
X ling the organization. For example, if you call any Bell
X Labs location and request John Doe's number. They can give
X it to you even if he works at a different location.
X
X 9. sci.math: Proofs that 1 = 0.
X
X Almost everyone has seen one or more of these in high school.
X They are almost always based on either division by 0 or tak-
X ing the square root of a negative number.
X
X 10. rec.games: Where can I get the source for empire(6) or ro-
X gue(6)?
X
X You can't. The authors of these games, as is their right,
X have chosen not to make the sources available.
X
X 11. comp.unix.wizards: How do I remove files with non-ASCII char-
X acters in their names?
X
X You can try to find a pattern that uniquely identifies the
X file. This sometimes fails because a peculiarity of some
X shells is that they strip off the high-order bit of charac-
X ters in command lines. Next, you can try an "rm -i", or "rm
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X -r" (see rm(1).) Finally, you can mess around with i-node
X numbers and find(1).
X
X 12. comp.unix.wizards: There is a bug in the way UNIX handles
X protection for programs that run setuid.
X
X There are indeed problems with the treatment of protection in
X setuid programs. When this is brought up, suggestions for
X changes range from implementing a full capability list ar-
X rangement to new kernel calls for allowing more control over
X when the effective id is used and when the real id is used to
X control accesses. Sooner or later you can expect this to be
X improved. For now you just have to live with it.
X
X 13. soc.women: What do you think about abortion?
X
X Although abortion might appear to be an appropriate topic for
X soc.women, more heat than light is generated when it is
X brought up. Since the newsgroup talk.abortion has been
X created, all abortion-related discussion should take place
X there.
X
X 14. soc.singles: What do "MOTOS," "MOTSS,", "MOTAS", and "SO"
X stand for?
X
X Member of the opposite sex, member of the same sex, member of
X the appropriate sex, and significant other, respectively.
X
X 15. How do I use the "Distribution" feature?
X
X When postnews(1) prompts you for a distribution, it's asking
X how widely distributed you want your article. The set of
X possible replies is different, depending on where you are,
X but at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey, possibilities
X include:
X
X local local to this machine
X mh Bell Labs, Murray Hill Branch
X nj all sites in New Jersey
X btl All Bell Labs machines
X att All AT&T machines
X usa Everywhere in the USA
X na Everywhere in North America
X world Everywhere on USENET in the world
X
X If you hit <RETURN>, you'll get the default, which is the
X first part of the newsgroup name. This default is often not
X appropriate - please take a moment to think about how far
X away people are likely to be interested in what you have to
X say. Used car ads, housing wanted ads, and things for sale
X other than specialized equipment like computers certainly
X shouldn't be distributed to Europe and Korea, or even to the
X next state.
X
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X The newsgroup misc.forsale exists for postings of sale an-
X nouncements. Its distribution is limited to North America;
X posters should restrict this distribution even further, if
X possible and appropriate.
X
X 16. Why do some people put funny lines ("bug killers") at the be-
X ginning of their articles?
X
X Some earlier versions of news had a bug which would drop the
X first 512 or 1024 bytes of text of certain articles. The bug
X was triggered whenever the article started with white space
X (a blank or a tab). A fix many people adopted was to begin
X their articles with a line containing a character other than
X white space. This gradually evolved into the habit of in-
X cluding amusing first lines.
X
X The original bug has since been fixed in newer version of
X news, and sites running older versions of news have applied a
X patch to prevent articles from losing text. The "bug-killer"
X lines are therefore probably no longer needed, but they
X linger on.
X
X 17. What is the address or phone number of the "foo" company?
X
X Try the white and yellow pages of your phone directory,
X first; a sales representative will surely know, and if you're
X a potential customer they will be who you're looking for.
X Phone books for other cities are usually available in li-
X braries of any size. Whoever buys or recommends things for
X your company will probably have some buyer's guides or na-
X tional company directories. Call or visit the reference desk
X of your library; they have several company and organization
X directories and many will answer questions like this over the
X phone. Remember if you only know the city where the company
X is, you can telephone to find out their full address or a
X dealer. The network is not a free resource, although it may
X look like that to some people. It is far better to spend a
X few minutes of your own time researching an answer rather
X than broadcast your laziness and/or ineptness to the net.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X News Version B 2.11 October 19, 1986
X
X
X
X
END_OF_FILE
if test 41486 -ne `wc -c <'man/Standards.ab'`; then
echo shar: \"'man/Standards.ab'\" unpacked with wrong size!
fi
# end of 'man/Standards.ab'
fi
echo shar: End of archive 13 \(of 16\).
cp /dev/null ark13isdone
MISSING=""
for I in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 ; do
if test ! -f ark${I}isdone ; then
MISSING="${MISSING} ${I}"
fi
done
if test "${MISSING}" = "" ; then
echo You have unpacked all 16 archives.
rm -f ark[1-9]isdone ark[1-9][0-9]isdone
else
echo You still need to unpack the following archives:
echo " " ${MISSING}
fi
## End of shell archive.
exit 0
--
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Comments, questions, and suggestions should be addressed to ``amiga-request''
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