Netiquette Guidelines

1. Be extremely careful when replying to the sender of an OZTL_NET message. Many email systems will send your reply to the OZTL_NET list address if you simply use a reply command. This could be embarrassing if the message is of a personal nature.

NEVER post a reply message to the list address which would not be of interest to most members. Just send it to the individual who posted the original message to which you are responding.

2. Use the Subject Line Keywords wherever possible. It is considered a waste of time for list members to be pestered with meaningless (to them!) messages which are of value only to a small number of people. Using the Subject Line Keywords can alleviate this problem.

3. Think before you post. Do I really want to say this to the entire world (OZTL_NET)? Reread what you wrote. Did you really say what you intended to? 

Sending to the individual or to the entire group is an important consideration. Normally one can send replies to the entire group, however, an individual person who requests the information may offer to post a HIT to the list. This will mean that all replies should be send to the individual requester and it is their responsibility to collate and post the collective response to the group.

4. When replying to an OZTL_NET message, please do not include the entire message quoted. Paraphrasing or quoting selectively are both kinder to people's eyes and email boxes.

5. Many OZTL_NET members are not able to identify the address of the message sender unless it is included in the body of the message. At the end of your message, include your name and your electronic mail address (this is your Internet signature) and because it can be difficult to interpret email addresses, we request that you include the name/address of your institutional affiliation.

Long email signatures are discouraged. They may be humorous the first time, but get old quickly (and take up bandwidth). Some people tire of the time spent having to skim over them. No more than 6 lines should be sufficient to include any necessary information.

6. Please include a subject line in your postings (it's a good idea for ALL email).

Note: When sending commands to the listserv address
OZTL_NET-request@listserv.csu.edu.au subject line commands must be used.

7. Be sure of the address you have typed.
Did you intend it for all OZTL_NET members to read? Or were you sending a command to the listserv (eg. to UNSUBSCRIBE, etc.) ?

The administrative list (server) address is OZTL_NET-request@listserv.csu.edu.au

To post to the public OZTL_NET list, use OZTL_NET@listserv.csu.edu.au

8. Chain letters will not be tolerated on OZTL_NET. Please refrain from sending such messages to this list. Offenders may be removed from the list.

9. Please refrain from sending messages as attachments. Successful extraction of attachments is dependent upon the type of mailing software used by members -- not being able to successfully open attachments is a major cause of frustration for some members, and there is no guarantee that the attachment can be read by Digest subscribers. Attachments can also be a major cause of spreading computer viruses. We, therefore, request that OZTL_NET do not send messages as attachments, but rather paste their complete message as text in the main body of an email message.

10. Flames: a 'flame' is an emotionally charged posting, and is often directed at someone. Be sure you really want to post it, and remember that OZTL_NET does not tolerate flames. We will immediately remove members posting rude, inflammatory or grossly inappropriate messages.

11. To signal humorous intent, use some sort of 'smiley', such as :-). Facetiousness and sarcasm can be misunderstood easily in online communication.

12. Please be considerate of others. Through inexperience or limited local software, list members may inadvertently violate the above suggestions. A private message to the offender from an experienced friend or from the list administrators is more appropriate than a public flame.

13. Keep each line in your message shorter than 70 characters by pressing <Return> or <Enter> at the end of each line. Longer lines can cause problems with some email systems. Before sending, check your message for 'typos' and other errors that may make it hard for others to read or understand.

Tip: USING ALL CAPS IS CONSIDERED YELLING.

14. OZTL_NET has its own character, just like any 'real' group of people (such as a party, or a meeting). The list will function best when people respect the character of the list. It's also good to respect the differences among list members and have a certain tolerance for our individual eccentricities. While the majority of OZTLs are Australian, some OZTLs are from other countries and cultures, so please aware of the needs or nature of different cultural groups on the list.

15. Please participate! Your ideas are important. Just because you think everyone knows something, doesn't mean that they do. If you're not sure, send the posting to an experienced friend on the list (or one of the OZTL_NET Administrators) to see if the information may be valuable.

16. Producers, authors, speakers, consultants, and other vendors who wish to advertise their products/services are directed to the Policy for Commercial Activity on OZTL_NET .

However, if a user posts the question "Does anyone have information about program X?", the producer of program X should send information
DIRECTLY to that person by email, rather than posting the information to the list. If the person finds value in your products/services, they will probably share their pleasure with other OZTL_NET members.

And, if a user posts the question "I'm looking for a program that does X, Y, and Z", reply directly to the individual .

Producers should avoid negative comments about their competitors' products. If producers, or any list member, are uncertain of the appropriateness of a message to be posted, they should feel free to contact one of the OZTL_NET Administrators .