At 11:18 AM 8/17/97 -0600, you wrote:
>At 02:04 AM 8/15/1997 +0000, Cynthia wrote:
>>Some people are questioning why I am so bothered by this and being an
>>unreasonable listowner. I've worked hard to keep flames off my list
and I
>
Greetings,
We have incorporated these values into the introduction letter that a new
subscriber receives
Dan
Times New Roman
Recognize and Accept Cultural and Lìnguistic Differences
The Intemet is interational, and while English is generally accepted as
the common
language of the network, list owners and list subscribers cannot afford
to take the position
that everyone on the Intemet understands English well. In a medium that
is invariably
connected to language, special understanding is required to deal with
questions or
statements from people for whom English is not the primary tongue.
Often today (at least
in the US) a person's first sustained ínteraction with others on an
internatíonal basis is via
the Intemet. It is imperative that this interaction be on the highest
level of cordiality and
respect from the outset in order for all concemed to benefit.
Additionally, care should be taken when usíng local idiom and slang. A
common word or
phrase used by Americans in everyday speech, for instance, might be
taken as profanity
or insult by those in other English-speaking countries, and may not be
understood at all
by non-native speakers of English. When a list has a high international
readership, it is
probably best to avoid non-standard English so as to provide the
clearest and least-
objectionable exchange of ideas.
Private Mail Should Dictate Private Responses
If someone on a mailing list has sent a private message to you (i.e.,
not to the list at
large) and you have lost that person's address but want to respond do
not post private
mail to the list. The review command will give you a copy of the list
membership that
you can search for the person's address. If this approach does not
work, contact the local
postmaster or the list owner for help.
Flaming is (Usually Inapropriate)
Flames (insults) belong in private mail, if they belong in mail at
all. Discussions will often
result in disagreements. Rebuttals to another person's opinions or
beliefs should always
be made in a rational, logical and mature manner, whether they are
made publicly or
privately. What is a flame can range from the obvious (ranting and
raving, abusive
comments, etc.) to the not-so-obvious (comments about how many
"newbies" seem to be
on the list these days, "RTFM!" exhortations, etc.).
Foul Language
Subscribers should refrain from abusive or derogatory language that
might be considered
questionable by even the most liberal and open-minded of networkers.
If you wouldn't say
it in front of your mother, don't say it in electronic mail.
>