Manners FAQ

Note: This FAQ was written for the newsgroup alt.religion.momon but it remains topical for this newsgroup as well.

(Rev 1.0)

Contents

Purpose

These guidelines are provided to help you understand the type of etiquette that is appreciated on alt.religion.mormon (or, a.r.m). Please take the time to read these rules, particularly if you are thinking "Etiquette?, I don't need no steenking etiquette!" right now. The closer you can follow the general concepts presented in the FAQ, the closer attention people will pay to your post.

Rule 1: Watch your Words

Writing a post provides a sense of anonymity. You may be tempted to write things in anger, in defense, or with the intention to hurt. Four hints on how to avoid it:

a) What if the person were standing in the room with you, would you still say it to them? If not, then do not post it.

b) Why do you want to post? To prove yourself right? To prove the other one wrong? Stop, take a deep breath, and chill. If the other poster is a fool, others will have noticed, and you don't need to reply. If he or she isn't, and you post anyway, others will notice and assume you are the foolish one.

c) Where does your post go? All over; your message will pass through hundreds or thousands of computer systems where all can read what you wrote. This may include your boss, your friends, your family and even Hard Copy. Don't write anything you wouldn't want to see quoted in the media.

d) Whom are you addressing? If your post starts out with "Jim," or "Sue," or if your subject line reads "Response to <insert name here>", send it in private mail. Don't post it for thousands to read. If you don't get the difference between e-mail and posting, don't send anything, yet.

Rule 2: Quoth the Raven: Nevermore.

Nevermore? You can do better. When replying to a previous post, including a portion of the previous text is called "quoting". How much should you include? Here are a few thoughts:

a) You need to include enough of the previous text to allow the readers to understand the context of your reply. If your post starts with: "Yes, I agree, and I want to add..." then no one is likely to comprehend your thought.

b) Sometimes enough is too much. Find the essential part of the post to which you're replying. If the first original word of your response isn't on the first page of your post you've gone too far.

c) Most newsreaders use a symbol to show quoted text, like a ">". When previously quoted text is re-quoted, you get two symbols, like ">>". It should be a rare case, indeed, that you would need to quote lines more than two previous articles deep.

d) Never, ever, ever quote e-mail you received privately from someone in a post without asking and receiving their direct and explicit approval to do so.

Rule 3: Silver Threads and Golden Subjects Can't Mend Your Topic.

When you reply to a post, and then someone replies to you, and so on, that set of posts is called a "thread" (they tend to branch and divide, so they look more like frayed twine than a thread). Threads are easier to track if they stay close to one topic: the one described in the Subject line. Below are some suggestions for improving the quality of threads:

a) When starting a new thread, make your subject lines relevant. Subject lines like "What?" or "Did you Know..." are cute, but not very helpful to those who sort their mail by subject.

b) When following a thread, if someone else already posted what you're about to write, restrain yourself. Everyone has already read it, they don't need to read it twice. And, sorry to say, quoting someone else's entire post just to say "Me, too!" or "Amen." breaks most of these rules and only makes others think you are incapable of forming a complete thought without help.

c) If your reply changes the topic, change the subject line. It's confusing to read a post titled "BoM Archeology" and discover you're reading about dog breeding in China.

d) If you have 40 posts in your reader, and you read the oldest one first, don't respond until you've read the other 39. Then refer to Rule 3b.

e) Learn to use your newsreader and editor. A post that quotes someone else's entire article and contains no follow-up text is a sure indication that you are new to the net, and have not yet learned how to use your software. Make a trial posting to an alt.test.* newsgroup first, to be sure you know how things will turn out.

Rule 4: Stupid is as Stupid Posts

Stupidity is quite obvious. You should avoid posting it, and should avoid like the plague replying to it.

a) Finding a stupid argument is a no-brainer, to point it out rarely causes one to change their mind. They likely will become defensive and flood the group with more stupid arguments.

b) The only thing worse than a stupid argument is the defense of stupid argument.

Rule 5: Signature Files

The odd, witty, pithy comment that may appear at the bottom of a post is called a "signature", often shortened to .sig. If you want one, too, then remember:

a) You don't have to have one to be cool.

b) "Four Line .Sig." It's an old rule, but a good one. It conserves bandwidth, it avoids boring your readers, and it shows you to be a 'net polite person.

c) Don't put pictures in .sig files. They are cute, but a waste of space. 

Rule 6: User Interfaces Were Not Created Equal.

Compare any two newsreaders, and one will be greater than the other. Be considerate of all readers, by:

Rule 7: All You People Who Have A Lot To Say, And Like To Write In A James Joyce Style Of Run On Thoughts That Go On Forever And Never Seem To Come To A Point, Please Raise Your Ha

[Sorry, I had to stop typing while I raised my hand.] If you can't keep track of the other rules, write this one on a yellow sticky and attach it to your keyboard:

a) Make it brief.

Rule 8: When All Else Fails

If you are confused by the terms used in the rules, or don't think they apply to you, then please search for Lee's Two Laws, Bowie's Corollary, and Woods' Words on Wisdom and follow them to the letter. If, after all that, you still don't think these rules apply to you, then please wrestle the keyboard from your grasp, and go off in search of a clue; you really need one.

References

Official A.R.M FAQ: http://www.columbia.edu/~ylee/a.r.m.faq

a.r.m MicroFAQ: http://www.olsonhome.com/srm/micro.html

this doucment: http://www.olsonhome.com/srm/manners.html

Advanced reading:

"I made it a rule to forbear all direct contradictions to the sentiments of others, and all positive assertion of my own. I even forbade myself the use of every word or expression in the language that imported a fixed opinion, such as "certainly", "undoubtedly", etc. I adopted instead of them "I conceive", "I apprehend", or "I imagine" a thing to be so or so; or "so it appears to me at present".

When another asserted something that I thought an error, I denied myself the pleasure of contradicting him abruptly, and of showing him immediately some absurdity in his proposition. In answering I began by observing that in certain cases or circumstances his opinion would be right, but in the present case there appeared or seemed to me some difference, etc.

I soon found the advantage of this change in my manner; the conversations I engaged in went on more pleasantly. The modest way in which I proposed my opinions procured them a readier reception and less contradiction. I had less mortification when I was found to be in the wrong, and I more easily prevailed with others to give up their mistakes and join with me when I happened to be in the right.

-Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (from alt.quotations)

But let everyone be quick to read,

slow to post

and slower to anger;

for the anger of flames

does not achieve

the righteousness of God.

James 1:19-20 (sort of)