[sumo] [List Administration] List FAQ Draft

[Joe Klemmer]

Fellow list members,

	I have started a draft for a list FAQ that could be posted monthly
(insomnia is great for getting things done sometimes).  I would greatly
appreciate any and all feedback, both positive and negative, on it.  I'm
sure there are a ton of questions I am missing so chime in if you know
any.  Just remember this isn't supposed to be a FAQ about Sumo itself.
Just one for the list.

Thank you,
Joe

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SUMO MAILING LIST FAQ

"List Admin" <sumo-owner at webtrek.com>
Last updated 30 Oct 2006

Welcome to the Sumo Mailing List (SML) FAQ.  This will, hopefully,
answer some of the more common questions asked on the list as well as
provide a few resources for the Sumo aficionado.


General Questions
-----------------

Q: What is the SML?
A: It is an email list where fans and supporters of the Martial Art of
Sumo can discuss and learn about the Culture, History and Sport of Sumo.

Q: Do I need to know Japanese to participate on the list?
A: No.  The language for this list is English.

Q: Ok, so why are there so many Japanese words popping up all over the
place?
A: Sumo is inherently Japanese so it follows that the language of Sumo
would be, too.  However, there are a number of places on the web where
you can find the definitions for any words you don't understand.  See
the Resources section[1].

Q: How do I subscribe to the list?
A: (1) You can subscribe by going to the list website.  See the
Resources section[2].
   (2) You can send an email to 'sumo-request at webtrek.com' with a
subject of "subscribe" (without the quotes).  You can also send a
message to the same address with a subject of "help" to get a complete
list of commands you can use.

Q: What are the rules for posting on the list?
A: There aren't any hard-and-fast rules.  However, there are some
generally accepted conventions.  

   o It is preferred that you use plain text, but HTML messages are not
forbidden.

   o It is preferred that replying be done below the lines you are
quoting (i.e. top quoting) but it is much more essential that you trim
your posts.  Whether you quote on top or on bottom, remember to delete
any extraneous lines not specifically needed to keep the flow of the
conversation going.  Quoting signatures or list info lines is considered
bad form and should be avoided whenever possible.  That being said,
there are no "style Nazis" here so don't panic if you don't toe the line
for every post you send.  See the Resources section[3] for more info on
this topic.

   o As with all text based communication, it is often difficult to
judge the emotional context of someone posts.  It is not uncommon on any
list for someone to post a statement in jest or as an off-hand comment
and it end up starting a flame war.  A good rule of thumb is to always
read all posts as if they were sent to you by your mother (or any person
you have a strong, loving relationship with).  Even the harshest
criticism is blunted and eased if you read it with the mindset that it
is a caring and friendly comment from dear ol' mom.

   o The most important thing to remember that this is all about fun.
We're not trying to solve world piece.  It's for the joy and excitement
of all things Sumo.

Q: Is there an archive of this list?
A: There are two, actually.  The list was hosted from 1994 to 2005 on
Banzuke.com but now is hosted on WebTrek.  See the Resource section[4]
for URLs.



Resource Section
----------------
[1] Glossary of Sumo Terms
    http://www.sumoforum.net/glossary.html
[2] Subscribe/Unsubscribe
    http://www.webtrek.com/mailman/listinfo/sumo
[3] Email etiquette
    http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
    http://www.gweep.ca/~edmonds/usenet/ml-etiquette.html
[4] List archives:
    '94-'05 - http://www.banzuke.com/ArchiveIndex.html
    '05-Present - http://www.webtrek.com/pipermail/sumo/

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