[X-Newbies] Newbie Lessons

[Steven Rogers]

On May 23, 2005, at 9:53 AM, carwesg at aol.com wrote:

>> "but I didn't *know* that top-posting vs. bottom-posting was even  
>> an issue"
>
> Sometimes one doesn't know what he/she doesn't know, then can't ask  
> the proper question.  You can't compare licking ketchup from the  
> table with basic kowledge of netiquette.  I am new to posting and I  
> did not understand (still don't) what top-posting means versus  
> bottom posting...  Until this all discussion about <Adios!> I had  
> no idea there was such a thing as netiquette.

That's the cool thing about the net - you can find out about linoleum  
or zebras or electrons, or even about netiquette. Just do a google  
search on top-posting or netiquette and you'll find out everything  
you could possibly want to know.

> Generosity and sharing seem to be what this list is all about.  So  
> let's all be calm, understandig and friendly as Brian D. recommend.

But what does it mean, in practice, to "be friendly"?  That's what  
etiquette is all about - it gives you some basic expectations for a  
common ground. Its how you become aware that the little things you  
might be doing that seem of no consequence to you might be really  
inconvenient for someone else. It doesn't work to just smile and  
ignore what everyone else does. That just winds up with some people  
making the common area unbearable for some others without ever  
knowing that a tiny change could have made all the difference.

There is such a huge influx of people to the net that netiquette  
isn't as widely observed as it used to be "back in the day", but it  
still is a good idea to read up on the basic idea.

SR