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| Factalk is a listserv meant to promote discussion among the Ramapo
College faculty, including full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, and librarians.
Instructions on using factalk: Subscription and unsubscription : oTo subscribe to the list, simply send an email to mailserv@ramapo.edu with the exact words ësubscribe factalk-list your-email-addressí in the body of the email (of course, replace the words ëyour-email-addressí with your email address). For example, ësubscribe factalk-list jlipkin@ramapo.eduí. This will be sent to the list moderator, who will approve the subscription. This is so he or she can limit access to faculty and librarians. oTo unsubscribe from the list, simply send an email to mailserv@ramapo.edu with the words ëunsubscribe your-email-address factalk-listí in the body of the message. You will be automatically unsubscribed from the list.Sending and responding to messages: oTo send a message to the list, once you have subscribed, send an email to factalk@ramapo.edu. oThere are two ways to respond to an email you have received from the list. If you want to respond to the entire list, use the reply to all function on your email client. This will send your response to factalk@ramapo.edu. If you want to respond only to the sender, use the reply function in your email client. is considered good listserv etiquette to ask that responses be sent to you directly in certain cases.General info about the list: oThe subject line of all email from the list will begin with ë|FacTalk|í, so you can set the filter on your email software to place it in a special folder. oIf you have questions about how to use the list (sending messages, subscribing or unsubscribing), send an email to the list moderator: ftmod@ramapo.edu. oIf you have questions about your email account, using email software, or other general questions, please direct them to CCIS: help@ramapo.edu, or campus extension 7777. Below are some guidelines to keep the list healthy: 1. The list is not moderated for content. Responsibility for the content of messages lies with those who send them. 2. Keep your messages short: listservs are not the place for long messages. If you are replying to a message, try not to include the whole message, only the section you are responding to (a brief summary works also). 3. Messages should be of interest to the Ramapo College faculty. Please do not post personal messages. 4. It is good etiquette when asking a question of the members of the list for you to ask that people send their answers to you directly. You can then summarize to the list. 5. Please try to avoid ëflamingí people (see below). Factalk should not be used for personal attacks, insults and so on. This is not to say that strong opinions should be avoided, only a reminder that this list is not moderated. If it turns into a forum for nasty arguments, we run the risk of discouraging dialog. Remember, the ultimate success or failure of factalk lies in the hands of its participants (you). 6. Do not attach files to your email. There are other ways of distributing documents (the web, campus fileservers) which are more efficient, and do not carry the risks of spreading viruses. 7. It is better to provide a link, along with a brief summary, of an article than to cut and paste the entire article into your email. Example:Reflections on America Twelve Americans, including Tom Daschle, Muhammad Ali and William J. Bennett, write about a changed America. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/08/opinion/08ROUN.html 8. Remember that email and other electronic documents are easy to re-distribute, and that they are easily re-sent to the wrong person. Avoid including personal information in your messages. 9. In the interest of minimizing the amount of email, avoid sending messages such as "I agree." If you feel you must support anotherís opinion, at least avoid quoting the entire message. 10. Be responsible with your messages. Remember that they will not be screened, that they will go to everyone on the list, and that there is no mechanism to remove people from the list, other than if they request to leave. 11. Avoid sending warnings about email viruses, child abductions and get-rich schemes involving Nigerian or Serbian refugees without first verifying their accuracy. A good place to start is simply a search at http://www.google.com for the word ëhoaxí and a phrase from the email warning. http://urbanlegends.about.com is also a good resource. NETIQUETTE: Guide for the Perplexed Reproduced with the kind permission of Brad Cahoon, Ed.D., Georgia Center for Continuing Education Like other frontier societies, the Internet is a wild and wooly place where few formal rules or sanctions exist. However, there is a "code of the Net" to which considerate users try to adhere. Knowing and conforming to these guidelines will allow you to take advantage of the Internet in a civilized manner that does not impose on other users. These guidelines are also designed to spare you painful learning experiences which Net neophytes often endure. Notions of netiquette center around a few simple realizations about the Internet. INTERNET RESOURCES ARE LIMITED. This idea may seem to conflict with the image of the Internet as a sprawling global network that ties together almost unimaginable amounts of computing power. Keep in mind, however, that use of the Internet is growing at a rate of 15 to 20 percent every month. Bandwidth, the capacity of the network to carry information, is a precious resource that should be used efficiently. Consequently: * Keep e-mail messages short and to the point. * Avoid sending "me, too" messages. A "me, too" quotes a previous message in its entirety and adds a comment such as "Me, too," "I agree," or "Good point" at the bottom. Quoting may add needed background for discussion participants, but don't reply to a posting unless you have something new to contribute. * Use personal e-mail to follow up on a posting if your questions or comments are not likely to interest the other participants. Remember that your postings end up on computer disks all over the world; disk space, like bandwidth, is a precious commodity. ELECTRONIC INFORMATION CAN END UP ANYWHERE. The Internet is not like postal mail; you should not assume that it provides the same degree of privacy. The ease with which e-mail can be forwarded and answered (and stolen) means you should be cautious about what you write. * Think before you reply! The tendency when we read a message or posting that makes our blood boil is to fire off an angry response. This reaction is so common it has a name: "flaming." Though you will often see "flame wars" in mailing lists and news groups, they are considered both rude and asinine--somewhat akin to having a loud private argument in front of a large, bored audience. Take time to reflect before you mail an emotional response. If feelings are particularly hot, wait overnight before you mail--you'll be glad you did. * Ask the writer's permission before forwarding a personal e-mail message to a mailing list, news group, or third party. * Don't assume that others will remember to ask your permission! Write nothing in your e-mail that you would not want to see on the front page of tomorrow's newspaper. Be particularly cautious about comments about other people, which may find their way to the persons in question. * Use privacy tools responsibly. If you need to post a message anonymously, you can do so through special anonymous mail servers. If you need to send a private message that must be secure from other readers, you can encrypt it with a tool such as PCP before mailing. Neither of these options should be used lightly or in any way that might harm other people or computer systems. IN CYBERSPACE, NO ONE CAN SEE YOU SMILE. Communicating through an all-text medium like e-mail requires special care. Social cues like tone of voice, expression, and body language that help convey meaning in normal conversation are unavailable making it especially important to write clearly and carefully. * Use a descriptive subject line for your messages. Many programs for reading mail and news display only the subject line of incoming messages, so provide a clear headline to signal what you're going to say. It's nice to use a question mark if you are asking for rather than providing information, e.g. Free Internet access in Utah? * In the bodies of your messages, use normal capitalization and lower-case. TYPING IN ALL CAPS = SHOUTING. You can use _underscore_ or *asterisks* to emphasize words you would normally underline or italicize. * Signal sarcastic and humorous comments with a "smiley" symbol. Consider the difference between the following: Don't you know you're supposed to read the manual? Don't you know you are supposed to read the manual? ;) * Use block paragraphs (no indentation on the first line) and separate paragraphs with a blank line. * If you are following up on an early message or discussion, quote or restate judiciously to establish a context for your reader. * At the end of your message, include your name and e-mail address. Don't assume that readers will see this information in the header of your message, which may be stripped off by their mail or news software. |