mailing lists vs chat rooms
This is an all-too-common case of mistaken identity. Mailing lists, in general, are usually information resources for a particular, specific subject. In the case of the painter-list, the subject is the exchange of tips, tricks, and techniques for using Painter.
Keep in mind that when you send a post to the list, it is being read by several hundred people who have subscribed to the list with the intention of learning something about using Painter. Posting messages (or replies) to the list that are directed to only one person is not only rude and inconsiderate, but can be very embarrassing.
Ask yourself if it's necessary to post to the entire list. If you aren't sure, e-mail it privately to the person to whom you are responding. The painter-list has been configured to make the private reply the default "Reply-to" address.
BEFORE you hit the 'send' button, make certain that the content of your post will be on topic, that the "Subject" header is indicative of the content, and most importantly, that the intended recipient addresses are correct.
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research your questions first
Before you post to the list, make a quick check to see if the question has already been answered — the painter-list has a searchable archive at Topica that can be accessed once you have registered with them. Also, be sure to use a search engine like Google or Alta-Vista to see if what you're looking for has already been made available by someone else.
Five minutes of basic research can answer a large number of questions without having to ask the list, because the answers may already be out there waiting for you to find them. The Internet, on the whole, is a very rich resource of information; to get the most out of it, learn how to utilize the tools to the best of your ability, rather than expect others to do all the work for you.
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stay on topic
The sophistication and complexity of Painter should, on its own, be more than sufficient as source material for discussion; for that reason, topics that waver from this seemingly narrow focus are strongly discouraged. In short, if it is not directly related to Painter, then it should not be posted to the painter-list.
Questions about hardware (scanners, printers, digitizing tablets, etc.) and other software, even though they are used in conjunction with Painter are considered off-topic for the painter-list. Queries of this type, including recommendations of same, are better directed to another forum, such as the digital-artist list. Subscription information for the digital-artist list can be found at:
http://www.topica.com/lists/digital-artist/
Discussing preferences of operating systems, computer platforms and other personal opinions unrelated to Painter are strictly forbidden.
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public service announcements
From time to time, a list member may come across some information that might seem of vital importance to the rest of the painter-list community. This might include: computer virus warnings, sending (E-mail, snail mail, business cards, get-well cards) to a child dying of cancer, etc. While the sentiment and compelling nature of this type of information is real, most often the information itself is not.
It only takes a few moments to check a site like urbanlegends.about.com to verify the facts of messages of this type. By the time you receive such a message, you can be sure 99% of the time, they've already done a write-up on the very subject.
Even on the rare occasion that the information is true, you must resist the urge to use the painter-list as a community-service bulletin board. Mailing lists, for the most part, have a very specific and narrow purpose. The painter-list is no exception in this respect, regardless of how well-intentioned or useful the announcement may be.
This is not a blanket statement about the factual nature of these types of posts; however, it IS a very strong recommendation that you not abuse the painter-list by proliferating them.
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quoted text in replies
This is one of the biggest pet peeves of list administrators and list subscribers alike.
If you include quoted material, edit it RUTHLESSLY!
When you respond to a message, quote the relevant part(s) as part of your message, but only that part. That way the other readers will know what you're referring to, but your message won't be hidden in a mass of irrelevant material. There will be hundreds of messages on this list, so this practice will help members track of trains of thought without irritating other list members who have to wade through pages of excess material that didn't need to be in your reply in the first place.
Simply including the entire message makes it hard for users to find your response, it wastes bandwidth on the network and costs people download time (and therefore money), and it shows a sloppiness in your postings that makes many people disregard the message (and possibly any future messages from you as well).
Make sure you trim the message footer and any signature block from the original message you're quoting. Don't include this kind of text in the reply — it wastes bandwidth and makes it that much harder to find your comments.
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"Subject" header relevance
Keep the "Subject" header relevant to the message content. If the topic in the thread changes, then change the "Subject" in your outgoing reply. Often, it is useful to include some or all of the original "Subject" in the revision, such as:
Subject: new topic (was: [p] Re: original topic)
This is especially true if you're receive the list in the digest form, and you are sending a reply to one of the posts contained therein. Initially, the "Subject" of your outgoing reply will look something like:
Subject: Re: [p] Digest for painter-list@topica.com, issue 23
...which means nothing to the other 950+ members of the list, except that you are advertising that you read the digest version of the list's traffic. As a courtesy to the others on the list, as well as for clarity's sake, it is well worth the extra few seconds it takes to make the correction to the "Subject" header of your outgoing reply to the list. Simply cut the text to the right of the "Re:" in your reply, and paste the content of the original message's "Subject" field (or a modification thereof, as described above).
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HTML and styled-text
Please do not use any text-stylings of any kind when communicating with the painter-list or Topica. As a courtesy to others, keep in mind that not everyone reading your message is using an e-mail client that is HTML- or styled-text-savvy. If you are using a browser-type e-mail client such as Netscape's Mozilla (Navigator or Communicator) or MicroSoft's Outlook Express), you have the option to configure your outgoing messages to the painter-list so that they do not contain HTML- or otherwise-styled/formatted text.
Mailing lists are text-based environments, and to reach the maximum number of readers, keep your messages in PLAIN TEXT format.
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spelling and grammar ARE important
Lots of folks like to think spelling and grammar aren't important. They're wrong. This is a written environment, and how you write something is at least as important as what you say — because if you say it incoherently or format your message to be unreadable, nobody will be able to find your comments, or won't bother trying to decipher them. Bad spelling and bad grammar are signs of laziness on the part of the sender. If you don't care enough about your contribution to make it as clear and legible as possible, why should anyone else care enough to bother reading it?
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critiques/editorializing
Occasionally, someone will post a "hey, check out my web page" or "I just uploaded some new images to my web page" announcements. On their own, they're fine, as long as they are non-commercial sites (as in, they don't advertise any goods or services for sale or hire).
Or, let's say, someone posts something that you personally find annoying, or may, in your estimation, infract the guidelines of the list.
In any of these, or similar, cases, make sure that you address your replies and comments to the original author in private using the simple "Reply" function of your e-mail client (or, if you read the list via Topica's web interface, click on the "From" name/link in the message header). If you believe it is appropriate, be sure to include the URL for this FAQ:
http://www.kima.net/painter-list/
If it is your desire to receive open feedback/discussion of your work, thoughts or comments, a forum such as the digital-artist list will probably be more to your liking. Subscription information for the digital-artist list can be found at:
http://www.topica.com/lists/digital-artist/
In the case of comments, questions, complaints or suggestions about the list's administration, please direct these privately to the list-administrator at the administrative address:
owner-painter-list@kima.net
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advertising
Don't. At all. Ever. Really.
No, REALLY.
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file attachments/embedded file encodings
Same as above regarding advertising, but even moreso.
REALLY, REALLY.
Just say NO.
This also includes those goofy v-card ("[username].vcf") attachments that are generated by some e-mail clients. Make sure to configure your e-mailer to not include v-cards (or any other attachment of any kind) when submitting a message via e-mail to the painter-list.
If you have an image you would like to share with other members of the list, put it up on a web site and direct interested parties to it via the URL (web address). Forcing people to download your attached file is not only rude and costly (to those unfortunates who still pay for their Internet service by the byte), but it can also invite serious disaster (and be even more costly) if you unknowingly send a virus along with your attachment.
Therefore, this guideline is STRICTLY enforced, and is completely non-negotiable. You may only get one warning, or none at all, before you are removed from the subscriber list and blocked from rejoining.
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signatures
Keep signatures as short as possible. Two or three lines is okay. Four or five is questionable. Anything more is completely out of the question. Keep your signature content within good taste so you don't offend the other members of the list. ASCII art is definitely not acceptable. Advertising (beyond the name and contact information of your organization) is also not acceptable.
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keep up
Read all of the replies before replying yourself. Before you post a response to a message, read the rest of the messages related to that topic. A message answered doesn't need to be answered ten times, just once.
One of the nice features of reading the list mail via Topica's web interface is the ability to sort the messages by thread (or topic, or "Subject"). Registering with Topica gives you access to this convenient bandwidth-saving feature.
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me, too!
If someone else has already made the comment you want to make, don't make it again, and please don't post "me, too" or "I agree" messages. They just waste bandwidth and clutter the list's archive. The painter-list is not a public opinion poll.
Concurring with someone or giving them moral support should be kept in private e-mail by using the simple reply via e-mail, or by clicking on the "From" name/link if reading the list via Topica's web interface.
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guessing vs knowing
If you don't know the answer, please don't just GUESS. If you aren't positive what the answer is, don't speculate or make up something that sounds reasonable. Let someone who does know answer it instead, or go research the answer. Search engines like Google or Alta-Vista can easily and quickly help you verify what you think to be the correct answer.
You will be of better service to the other list members if you leave a question unanswered rather than to answer it incorrectly. Even a stopped watch is right more often than one that runs slow or fast.
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line length
Please keep the length of lines in messages posted to the list to no more than 72 characters. If your e-mail client doesn't automatically wrap text, then learn how to do it, or make sure you play typewriter and hit returns at the end of lines (if you don't know if your e-mail client does this, then assume it doesn't and do it yourself...or RTFM for your e-mail client to find out how to make it do it for you).
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mind your manners
This is a public forum. Never send anything to the list that you don't want the entire world to see, because the world IS watching. Don't say anything that you wouldn't say directly to the person, unless you like getting yelled at...and even if you do like getting yelled at, save the rest of us on the list the hassle of having to watch. Bloody noses stain the carpet, and we faint at the sight of blood.
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You are new to the list. We aren't.
Please be aware that a topic you think is neat, nifty and new has most likely been rehashed endlessly already. If the list shows little enthusiasm for rehashing it again for your personal benefit, don't get angry. Instead, look through the painter-list's searchable archive (via Topica's web interface), and check with a search engine like Google or Alta-Vista to see if what you're looking has already been made available. (This is the "don't walk into a room of science fiction fans and say 'have you ever heard of this guy named Heinlein?' and expect to leave alive" rule...)
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humor is in the eye of the beholder
Humor is a very useful and important part of network communication. It is also a very easily misused or misinterpreted thing. You may think you're being funny, but unless you are very careful to make it clear that it's a joke (through use of smilies or some other way of flagging things as a joke), don't be surprised when people don't notice you're joking and get upset. Humor is easily lost in written discussion, so you have to use it with great care and prudence.
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