magnum@cs.umd.edu (05/20/91)
My predecessors here at rec.guns would routinely post the 'charter'. I have
finally put together an updated version of our charter, which is appended
below.
CHARTER
The charter of rec.guns is:
1. To discuss shooting sports, reloading, hunting, and other recreational
activities involving firearms.
2. To discuss training and safety information involving firearms.
3. To discuss home and personal defense with firearms.
4. To discuss other types of weaponry, such as bows, knives, military
hardware, bricks, etc.
5. To announce weapons and accessories to buy/sell/trade, though the
moderator takes no responsibility for this and expects that all
parties will file the appropriate paperwork. Non-commercial only,
please.
6. To discuss current laws pertaining to firearms ownership and use.
7. To *occasionally* discuss important political events that can or will
affect weapons ownership. The emphasis is on "occasional" because
such issues can be quite sensitive, filling the newsgroup with a
deluge of heated postings. Since we don't give the anti-gunners much
(if any) voice in this group, it's only fair that we curb the more
vocal pro-gun elements who would use this group to blast the other
side. Both the talk.politics.guns newsgroup and the firearms-
politics mailing list are more appropriate forums for such
discussions. Political articles are best kept short and to the point
with a minimum of rhetoric. To wit:
"Congress will vote on a bill to ban all firearm sales in the
United States, retroactive to last year. This could be very
inconvenient. It's bill #666, please call your congressdroid."
MODERATION
My goal is to moderate in moderation, that is, unintrusively. I hope to
post anything that falls within the charter of the group. On occasion, I
will touch up the headers, formatting and "included" text of articles, but
prefer to avoid extensive hacking of the text. On rarer occasions, I will
ask the poster to shorten an article that would be inconveniently long for
the forum; in such a case, I would suggest the poster send a short note to
announce where on the net a reader could find the main text body. One of
the benefits of being moderator is of course that I get first crack at wise
cracks, so on what I hope are innocent occasions I may insert some piece of
direction, guidance, witicism or wisdom; in such a case, I always label my
contribution as MODERATOR.
The software I have written to assist in processing messages will excise
almost all but the essential NNTP fields; this is to keep things uniform for
the world and sane for me. Apologies if you miss seeing your own favorite
frivolous field in the headers.
I do not reject an article without returning it to the author with a brief
explanation of why it was rejected. In such a case, I almost always give a
suggestion of alternate groups where it could be submitted. Often I find
messages from `regulars' that need redirection; in these cases, where I have
an understanding worked out ahead of time, I will redirect the message to
another forum without checking with the poster first. Finally, we often get
requests for very simple pieces of information, such as ``How do I apply for
membership in the NRA?'' I often answer these directly without using up the
net bandwidth of a full posting.
If you submit an article but neither see it in the newsgroup nor receive an
acknowledgement, then either your article or my reply disappeared was lost
in the Great Network Void. Therefore, it's a good idea to keep a backup
copy of any long article you submit. Currently I am able to process most
messages within hours of their arrival here, so wait a day or two (to give
the net a chance to catch up) before sending a follow up query. Whenever I
know I will be tied up with meetings (or matches!) then I will send out a
message a day or so ahead of time warning of sporadic response.
Comments and suggestions for improvement are always welcome.
LEGAL MATTERS
We are not lawyers here, and even if so then we could not know the laws of
all 50 states, plus numerous foreign countries. Some items offered for sale
in this group may not be legal in certain jurisdictions. Similarly, some
activities discussed here may be illegal in some jurisdictions (e.g.,
concealed carry of firearms). It is the reader's responsibility to learn
the relevant laws before acting. No one in this group, and certainly not
the moderator, can be responsible if you act illegally. If in doubt,
contact a good attorney.
A similar disclaimer applies to firearms safety. Be sure you understand
what you're doing before following any advice posted to this group. THIS IS
ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN HANDLOADING AMMUNITION. Though many knowledgeable
and experienced people post to this group, typographical errors do occur,
and your situation may not be identical to that described in the posting.
YOU have primary responsibility for your actions. If in doubt, check with a
competent gunsmith.
ADDRESSES
Most news software should be set up to submit postings via email to
gun-control@cs.umd.edu
`Out of band' communication and requests not for general distribution should
be sent to
magnum@cs.umd.edu
A digestified version of rec.guns is sent out to those who may not have
regular access to the netnews version. Send an out-of-band request to me if
you find yourself in such a situation and I will add you to this list. But
please, please, please --- only use it if you cannot get rec.guns at your
own site! My mailer is loaded enough as it is.
Archives of previous rec.guns discussions are available on the Internet.
Using "ftp", login in as "anonymous" to "flubber.cs.umd.edu" (that is
128.8.128.99 on your Internet listening dial.) Change do the "rec/" sub-
directory and grab what you like. We also carry back reviews, databases,
programs and other materials donated by the net. We are not responsibile
for the accuracy or value of this donated text, but we provide it to those
who may wish to have it.