Thank you!!!! I was away for almost amonth and mysteriously ended up on
this mail list.  I'd like to stay, and will try it a while, but it sure
was overwhelming to find 100 messages in my mailbox upon my return.

On Wed, 26 Mar 1997, gregory j. rosmaita wrote:

> aloha, y'all!
>
> recently, a dispute has arisen between subscribers over the nature and
> function of this list...  while i, as listowner, encourage the free
> exchange of ideas, it is also my responsibility to remind all of you that
> extensive quoting of past posts is not only unecessary, but violates the
> spirit, if not the letter, of one of VICUG-L's ground rules...
>
> here's what the welcome message has to say on the topic:
>
> 4.  QUOTING
> Please avoid overquoting previous posts--often, a brief summation of a
> previous post or the thread to which you are contributing is sufficient.
> Those who object to another listmember's overquoting should send their
> complaints directly to the poster, and Cc them to the listowner
> ([log in to unmask])  Complaints about and criticism of
> other listmembers and/or the organizations to which they belong should be
> handled off-list via private email.
> --- end of quote
>
> and, so, i beseech you--when responding to posts, please ask yourselves a
> few simple questions:
>
> 1.  am i guilty of the behavior i am condemning?
> 2.  can i make my point effectively _without_ quoting?
> 3.  do i have my mailer set to automatically include the message in my
>     reply?  (and if so, please either disable it, or set it to prompt you
>     before inserting the text of the message to which you are replying in
>     the body of your reply)
> 4.  should i respond to the poster publically or privately?
>
> it is also a wise policy to read/listen to your post in its entirety
> _before_ sending it to the list...  listen and reflect...  try to
> listen to your post in an objective matter...  if, for instance, you find
> yourself skipping large portions of your post in order to get to the
> juicy parts, then the portion you skipped should probably be cut...
> if you find your attention wandering while you listen to the quoted
> materials included in your post, cut them...  in a word, try to listen to
> your post as if it were written by someone else--if you find any part of
> it unlistenable or irrelavant, chances are others will, too...
>
> remember--the strongest arguments are often the briefest...  long-windedness
> does not a persuasive argument make (and who should know that truth better
> than i, your long-winded listowner?!?)
>
> all i ask of you as individuals is that you exercise the same judgement
> and restraint in responding to other listmembers that you would have them
> extend to you...
>
> the golden rule of list membership is: think before you post...
> the vast majority of you do, and for that, i thank you...
>
> gregory.
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