Please read the entire document before your first post to the forum, as it explains UGAF’s policies and contains a few words about the culture of this group. In order to keep the list a useful and annoyance-free place for everyone, there are a few policies to observe. These policies are intended to make the lives of everyone on the list easier, including you, so please take them to heart.

The following represents good netiquette among most user groups, mailing lists, the internet, and digital communications in general.

general policies

• While we’re interested in announcements of new art tools, software, designs, publications, and other resources, don’t send advertisements to the list. In other words, a one-time announcement like “I just published a new book on typography” is okay, but “Buy my book at 30% off and get a free back massager!” is not.
• No solicitations of employment or requests for applications directly to the group. Please see the employers page for instructions on notifying members of employments opportunities.
• We encourage discussion and debate, and don’t mind if it gets a bit heated. However, this does not mean you can flame other list members. If you think someone’s flaming you or being needlessly offensive, take it up with them in private e-mail. If they get abusive, discuss it with the list administrators (the e-mail address is in the headers of every list message). Don’t take it onto the list. Regardless of how long you’ve been online, I highly recommend a reading of the following article.
• If you’re asking for help with a problem, then remember this: A description of your problem is good. A URL to a page showing your problem is much, much better. The two together are sometimes referred to as “mythical” or “legendary.” Be a part of the legend.
• Try not to offend other list members, or to feel offended by them. See the section below titled “offensensitivity” for more.

mailing list policies

• Please use these instructions to unsubscribe. Instructions are/were also emailed to you when you joined the list. Don’t make the whole list sad over your departure by mailing them about it.
• Do not crosspost between lists. Send individual copies of a message to each list if you must, but do not send a single message to multiple lists. That holds true for any mailing list, not just this one.
• Trim your replies. If you have more quotation than original text, think about cutting down on the quoted stuff. The list members can look at the message to which you responded, or check the archive. Prune that quoted text with ruthless abandon. Everyone else will thank you for it, especially the list admin(s). Don’t forget, thankful list admins are less hasty with the unsubscribe button.
• The list admin(s) will scowl heavily in the direction of any Jeopardy-style quotations—that is, putting your answer before the quoted question to which you’re responding— but won’t actually unsubscribe you for doing it. Unless you keep doing it without trimming down your quoted text (see above).
• Do not hijack threads. Hijacking a thread is starting a new thread by replying to a message and changing the subject. If you are going to start a new thread, compose a new message instead of replying. Part of the headers of an email message contain information that is used to group messages together as a thread. Simply changing the subject does not detach a message from grouping. Many email clients sort message via the messages thread and therefore will falsely categorize or even “rule out” a hijacked message.
• Keep your signature file short. Five lines should be more than enough for anybody, but the fewer the better. One-line signatures automatically get good karma points from the admins.
• No HTML or RTF (rich text) e-mail. Your mail client should let you configure it so you can send plain text messages. Make use of this ability. If it does not, there are plenty for free ones that do.
• Do not send attachments to the list, except for digital signatures. All other content should be put on a web server with a URL included instead.
• If you post from an address other than the one you subscribed, your message will bounce. What we do at that point will probably depend on our mood. Don’t risk it. Send messages from your subscription address and avoid the hassle.
• If your address starts bouncing, you will be removed from the list. You will not be notified of this, as we don’t keep a list of secondary addresses. It’s your responsibility to resubscribe once the problem with your address has been fixed. “Bouncing” includes vacation autoresponders that e-mail either the list or people who post to the list. If we notice or get complaints about either, you’ll be unsubscribed right away.

offensensitivity

(The word “offensensitivity” was, so far as I’m aware, first used by Berke Breathed in Bloom County.)

When posting to the forum, remember that your message can be sent to (literally) hundreds of people anywhere in the world. They all have likes and dislikes as individual as your own. They will also be offended by certain things which you may not find remarkable. While you can’t foresee every potential area of conflict, there are certain guidelines that are fairly obvious: avoid swearing, cultural insults, blasphemy, proselytizing, and things of that nature. If you wouldn’t say it out loud in front of your grandmother while in a place of worship, then you probably shouldn’t say it in the forum either.

At the same time, recognize that you are receiving messages from (literally) hundreds of people all over the world. They all have likes and dislikes as individual as your own. They will also not find remarkable certain things by which you may be offended. Odds
are that they probably didn’t set out to offend you on purpose, so try taking a deep breath and counting to a nice high number if you feel a rising sense of offense. If, after this calming break, you still feel you must say something, e-mail the poster directly (and not through the forum) to explain your feelings calmly, reasonably, and above all clearly without attacking them. They may be unaware of the effect of their words, so this is your chance to educate them. If you just slag them for being “insensitive,” you may get flamed in return and create a resolve to keep offending you just for being so uptight and irrational (from their point of view).

Above all, remember that other people are about as likely to change their basic natures and habits as you are to change yours.You may at some point have to make a choice between tolerating other people’s views and participating in the list. Please make
this choice privately, and follow through quietly. Thank you.