Frequently-Asked Questions for EMUSIC-L *** How do I get on this list? *** Send mail to listserv@american.edu with the text SUB EMUSIC-L should be replaced by your first and last name (at a minimum; LISTSERV insists on at least two blank-separated words here). Do not send subscription requests to the list address, as they only serve to annoy the other list members. *** How do I post to the list? *** Send your posting to emusic-l@american.edu. It will be automatically sent to all of the other subscribers. You will not receive a copy of your own mail; LISTSERV does this to decrease mail traffic. *** How do I sign off this list? *** Send mail to listserv@american.edu with the text UNSUB EMUSIC-L as the body. No special subject is required. If this does not work, you will get a message saying that no entry was found for your ID. Please contact either Joe McMahon (xrjdm@farside.gsfc.nasa.gov) or Mike Metlay (atomic@netcom.com) directly. Do *NOT* post unsubscribe messages to the list. They don't help, and simply irritate other readers. *** What happened to EMUSIC-D / How do I get digests? *** EMUSIC-D is no longer in service. I am, as time permits, putting together digests of the traffic for each month and storing them on a WWW site at sunsite.unc.edu. To access the ones that are currently available, use the URL http://sunsite.unc.edu/emusic-l If you would like to get daily digests of the mail to EMUSIC-L, send the following mail to listserv@american.edu: SUB EMUSIC-L SET EMUSIC-L DIGEST should be replaced by your first and last name (at a minimum; LISTSERV insists on at least two blank-separated words here). *** So, can I post anything I feel like? *** Well, no. The basic thrust of EMUSIC-L is to provide a forum for the discussion of music made by electronic means. The actual means is secondary. What we are concerned with is the music, composing, and related topics. Therefore: 1) Ads are not permitted. Advising someone as to whether they are getting ripped off *if they ask the list* is permissible; otherwise, use private mail. Requests for addresses of mail-order firms, etc. are OK. Cutting deals on your own personal equipment is not OK. Please do it privately, or subscribe to SYNTH-L, where you'll reach a more responsive audience. Requests for advice as to whether a price is good or not are marginally OK, but would probably reach a more knowledgeable audience on SYNTH-L (see below). Prices really aren't so much of interest unless either the entire world (literally) should know about this great deal, or you have inside information on a new product or upgrade. Exception: if someone has gone through the trouble of composing, recording, and pressing a CD or tape, submitting an article describing the process and their experiences and mentioning that the tape or CD is available for purchase is OK. Posting repeated ads for the CD is not. (A single mention is marginally acceptable; a 1-line mention in a signature file is fine.) 2) Discussions as to the relative merits of hardware/software/etc. are permissible, as long as the reviewers state evidence supporting their opinions. Ad hominem attacks will not be tolerated. Arguments based solely on personal taste are not acceptable. It is preferable to request private mailings, which you can summarize and post back to the list. Reviews are useful. Mutual admiration societies are not. 3) All members *will* be treated with kindness and respect. There is no such thing as a dumb question on this list. If you can answer, answer, and be nice about it. Otherwise, say nothing. If you've got a problem with what someone has had to say, discuss it in a civil manner. If you can't do that, take it to e-mail, or just forget about it. 4) EMUSIC-L is meant to be for the discussion of electronic music, in the studio, the classroom, in performance, and on recordings, including techniques, resources, user reviews and experiences, and speculation on futures. Some divagations will be tolerated, as it's rather nice to have a little humor on the list; however, the list owners (Mike Metlay and Joe McMahon) maintain final say as to the subject matter on the list and will move to terminate off-topic, pointless, and (especially) rancorous discussions. 5) Please refrain from adding to the noise level by commenting about accidental private posts to the list or the accidental sendings of SUBSCRIBE requests or suchlike to the list. That's the administrators' job. If you must pour out your wounded feelings ;-), either to Mike, Joe, or to the offender, use private mail. 6) The listowners are permitted to be as arbitrary as they please. We have only once had to take action against a member of the list for breaking these rules, even when they hadn't been stated explicitly. We will notify offenders via private mail and will wait for a response. But we don't have time to play Politeness and Germaneness Monitors. We will remove users from the list only if we must, and we always give people the benefit of the doubt when possible. But be assured that we will act to preserve the quality of discussion on this list. --- Joe M. (xrjdm@farside.gsfc.nasa.gov)