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Re: Discussion Formalities



>I hope the fight between two people (now:5) won't
>expand any further. I really hope so. I hope Doctor
>Quarterman will take it over now and fix the
>discussions (if you can).

Actually, I don't have a Ph.D., so I'm not a Doctor.
Anyway, to the topic at hand.

The Internet is large and varied.  People new to discussion
lists may not be familiar with long-established conventions.
One of them is that mail sent to private addresses is different
from mail sent to public lists, and that forwarding private mail
to a public list is a major violation of etiquette.

Perhaps there are lists where such bad manners are normal.
But this isn't the list for that.

All of you know already that personal attacks are not permitted
on this list.

Numerous people have asked that the recent spate of contention stop.
Yet it continues.  People are unsubscribing because of it.

I have been asked by several people to act.
In the past day I have taken two people off the list.

I remind you all of the terms of subscription to this list, which are
included in the introductory information that all of you have seen,
and which I repost here below.  The same information is visible at any
time through the web as

 http://sinclair.quarterman.org/sinclair/list.html

May I suggest that we return to civil conversation on interesting topics.

John S. Quarterman <jsq@quarterman.org>


Sinclair Discussion List

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     *

     ``Never attack the individual. One can be in total disagreement
     with someone without denigrating him as a consequence.''
     --Pierre Elliot Trudeau, [2]as told by Justin Trudeau

   Members of [3]Clan Sinclair U.S.A. are especially invited to
   participate, as are our cousins in [4]Canada, [5]Scotland, [6]England,
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The Digest

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How to Post

   To post a message to the list, send an electronic mail message to
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   [15]sinclair.quarterman.org/listpost.html

   When you subscribe, please also post a message to
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   these families. You don't have to be a relative to subscribe, and for
   that matter probably most of the subscribers have not completely
   identified exactly how we are all connected.

   Remember, this is not a moderated list. There is no moderator. There
   is no publisher. No one decides what to publish. Postings are
   automatic.

   When a list member sends a message to the list, it goes to the list.
   There is no manual intervention. When it goes, it goes. Everybody gets
   it. There is no going back. It's gone. There is nothing I or anyone
   else can do about it, no more than we can make the sun rise in the
   west.

   The only exceptions are messages which are too long, which bounce
   because of a size limit which is there to try to cut down on excess
   quotations, as we have discussed repeatedly in the list.

   But, in general, once you send it to the list, it goes to the list.
   Computers do all the work. Nobody intervenes. It's gone. It can't be
   stopped. It can't be taken back.

   Think before you post. Consider who you intend your message for.

     =>> Look at your To: header <<=

   to see who it will go to.
   See also the web pages Margaret has prepared about [16]plain text
   electronic mail, sinclair.quarterman.org/mail/. As a subscriber said:
   ``It appears that you have unwittingly learned the beauty of this list
   -- post and they will respond!''

How the List Works

   Whenever anyone sends a message to the list, sinclair@quarterman.org,
   each subscriber receives a copy of that message. Any subscriber can
   respond to that message, by sending another message to
   sinclair@quarterman.org. This way list subscribers can discuss topics
   of interest to the list.

Topics to Post to this List

   The topics that are of interest to the list are determined by the
   discussion in the list. Possible topics may include, but are not
   limited to:
     * Sinclair family [17]history,
     * Sinclair [18]genealogy,
     * Sinclair [19]organizations,
     * Sinclair [20]families.
     * Notable Sinclair [21]people.
     * Sinclair [22]pictures.
     * Related [23]publications.
     * [24]Events that Sinclairs are likely to attend, such as
       [25]Highland Games,
     * The [26]600th anniversary celebration of [27]Prince Henry
       Sinclair's voyage,
     * Places Sinclairs came from, such as [28]Roslin, [29]Caithness,
       [30]Orkney, [31]Shetland, [32]Argyll, [33]England, [34]Normandy,
       or [35]Norway.
     * Information about [36]religion can be helpful in determining where
       or when to search for an ancestor.

   I would like to encourage list subscribers to copy (Cc:
   sinclair@quarterman.org) answers to such questions to the list, rather
   than responding only to the person who asked the question. That way,
   other interested parties on the list may find additional information.

Topics not to post to this list:

   Certain topics are forbidden on this list.
     * Do not send virus reports to this list ([37]see below).
     * Do not send chain letters to this list.
     * Do not post lengthy excerpts (more than 50 words) from copyrighted
       material that is less than 50 years old.
     * Do not use this list to try to convert someone to your religion.
     * Discussion concerning the immediate ancestors of living people is
       not welcomed if it would discomfit the living.
     * Subscribers use this list to discuss both genealogy and history;
       arguments about which should predominate are fruitless.
     * If you want to send pictures for all on the list to see, it is
       often better to send them to the [38]maintainer of the web pages
       rather than posting them to the list.
     * Even better, post your pictures in your own web pages and post the
       URL to the list.

Archives

   The list is archived, and the archives are [39]available online. The
   archives are searchable via
   [40]kingcrest.com/Sinclair/dList_Search.cfm, courtesy [41]Paul
   Sinclair. The archives are also available to list members through
   Majordomo; for how, send mail to majordomo@quarterman.org with the
   word "help" in the body (not subject) of the message.

Guestbook

   Paul has also set up a [42]GuestBook,
   kingcrest.com/Sinclair/Guestbook.cfm, and he has arranged that entries
   in the guestbook are forwarded automatically to the list. He has even
   arranged for replies to guestbook entries on the list to be
   automatically forwarded to the person who made the original entry.

List Etiquette

   There are numerous online compilations of etiquette guidelines, such
   as for example:
   [43]www.quarterman.org/matrix/et.html
   Here is a compilation of etiquette guidelines that takes into account
   various topics that have come up on this list.

Civility

   The list is what you, the list subscribers, make of it, and in order
   for you to make anything of it we must all get along.
     * Be civil to members of this list.
     * Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by
       ignorance or unfamiliarity with the customs of the clan or of the
       list or by bugs in electronic mail programs.
     * Never assume a posting is a personal attack on you or slight
       against you unless you're directly named the affront is specific
       and unambiguous; and even then sleep on it first.
     * Just because a mail message is brief that doesn't mean the writer
       is being curt or insulting. Electronic mail has its own style,
       which is not the same as face-to-face talking, the telephone, or
       paper mail; brevity is the soul of clarity in electronic mail. Not
       to mention that people often write electronic mail in haste, or
       with two fingers.
     * Remember that everyone's opinion is valid as an opinion, even if
       you disagree with it, think it's stupid, and have facts at your
       disposal that can demolish it. If you disagree about what you are
       reading please do it in a polite manner.
     * Ad hominem attacks (personal attacks) are not permitted on this
       list.
     * Threats of bodily harm even off the list are not permitted by list
       members against list members even off the list, and if evidence is
       presented to the list owner of same, the person who sent them will
       be removed from the list.
     * Everyone makes spelling mistakes from time to time; there's
       usually no need to remark on them in the list.

Spelling, Quoting, HTML, and CAPS

     * If you use a spell checker on your postings, you won't risk
       spelling flames.
     * Use the Subject: line to really tell what your message is about,
       don't just use the previous subject line that might not be
       applicable now.
     * Quoting enough of a previous message for context is good.
     * Quoting all of one or more previous messages is usually not good,
       because it requires the readers to wade through old material
       again. Trim quotations and old headers. Preserve only what is
       needed for context for your new information.
     * When it comes to mailing lists, HTML can cause a lot of problems.
       Not everyone has the newest software; not all email programs can
       read HTML; and the HTML sent by many mail programs is not very
       good anyway. So, if you're on a mailing list, it helps to make
       sure that your email is going out in a fashion that everyone can
       read, and that means [44]plain text electronic mail,
       sinclair.quarterman.org/mail/.
     * Please DO NOT SEND MESSAGES IN ALL CAPS; people will think you're
       shouting.
     * Similarly, don't end every question in multiple question marks???
       It makes you look like an idiot??? And don't end every sentence in
       multiple exclamation marks!!! It makes you look like a shouting
       idiot!!! You may think it's cute and expressive, but it will cause
       many people to ignore you entirely.

Etiquette for posting genealogical information to this list:

     * Do some background reading on the web pages, especially the ones
       on [45]genealogy, which include links to many related web servers
       and pages.
     * Join a [46]clan organization so you will get a clan newsletter.
     * It is best to post a genealogical query to the entire list,
       because it is impossible to predict who among the many subscribers
       may know something about your query.
     * When you post your query, tell us all you can about dates or
       approximate dates of your oldest ancestor, where they lived and
       who they married. Include county names whenever you can. We hope
       to be able to search on locality one day and having county names
       will help to link up people.
     * Keep trying periodically. The person that could help you with your
       search might not not be able to answer you immediately or they
       might not yet be a subscriber to the list.
     * Also enter yourself in the web form [47]GuestBook, courtesy
       [48]Paul Sinclair.
     * Please don't just listen in and not let us know your information.
       You very likely have something important to share with others.
       Speak up!

Etiquette for posting historical information to this list:

     * Do some background reading on the web pages, such as those on
       [49]history, the [50]FAQ, and the [51]Sinclair 2000 gathering.
     * Join a [52]clan organization so you will get a clan newsletter.
     * Be careful with copyrighted information.
     * Cite your sources.
     * Speak up! Your historical tidbit may be just as fascinating as
       anything about a famous historical personage.

   Don't be afraid to ask; we're all learning here.

Viruses

   Do not send virus reports to this list. Most virus reports turn out to
   be hoaxes, so forwarding a virus report without examination is like
   shouting fire in a crowded theater. To find out which are real and
   which are hoaxes, myths, and urban legends, try these URLs. But do not
   send virus reports to this list.
   real viruses  [53]http://www.datafellows.com/virus-info/
      hoaxes     [54]http://www.datafellows.com/virus-info/hoax/
    more hoaxes  [55]http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html
       myths     [56]http://kumite.com/myths/index0.htm
   urban legends [57]http://www.urbanlegends.com/

  Related Web Pages

   Much related information may be found in
     * the [58]Clan Sinclair web pages, sinclair.quarterman.org/,
     * in [59]Paul Sinclair's history and genealogy pages,
       kingcrest.com/sinclair/,
     * in the [60]Clan Sinclair Trust web pages www.clansinclair.org/,
     * and in the [61]Clan Sinclair Association U.S.A. web pages,
       www.clansinclairusa.org/,

   or through the many links they contain.

List Maintainer

   The list maintainer is [62]John Sinclair Quarterman (jsq). Please
   note, once again, that what gets discussed in the list is determined
   by the members of the list. I am not a moderator; I do not decide what
   gets posted or not. I merely set up and maintain the mechanics of the
   list. The content of the list is up to you, the subscribers.

>From the List to the Web Pages

   [63][Clan Sinclair] Messages posted to this list often find their way
   into the [64]Clan Sinclair web pages, sinclair.quarterman.org/. In
   fact, the great majority of the material in those web pages came from
   the list. The [65]web page maintainer asks permission before using
   material in the web pages, with the exception of brief anonymous
   excerpts for use in the [66]comments about the list and the
   [67]comments about the web pages.

References

   1. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/list.html
   2. http://cbc.ca/news/indepth/trudeau/justin.html
   3. http://www.clansinclairusa.org/
   4. http://www.mids.org/sinclair/clancan.html
   5. http://www.mids.org/sinclair/scotland.html
   6. http://www.mids.org/sinclair/england.html
   7. http://www.mids.org/sinclair/se.html
   8. http://www.mids.org/sinclair/au.html
   9. http://www.mids.org/sinclair/nz.html
  10. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/
  11. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/phssna.html
  12. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/listsub.html
  13. http://www.quarterman.org/nospam/
  14. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/digest.html
  15. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/listpost.html
  16. http://www.mids.org/sinclair/mail/
  17. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/history.html
  18. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/genealogy.html
  19. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/organizations.html
  20. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/families.html
  21. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/people.html
  22. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/pictures.html
  23. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/publications.html
  24. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/events.html
  25. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/games.html
  26. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/600/
  27. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/henry.html
  28. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/roslincastle.html
  29. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/caithness.html
  30. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/orkney.html
  31. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/shetland.html
  32. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/argyll.html
  33. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/england.html
  34. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/normandy.html
  35. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/norway.html
  36. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/religion.html
  37. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/info.tmp#virus
  38. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/sinclair-web.html#pictures
  39. http://www.mids.org/sinclair/archive/
  40. http://kingcrest.com/Sinclair/dList_Search.cfm
  41. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/us-mi.html
  42. http://kingcrest.com/Sinclair/Guestbook.cfm
  43. http://www.quarterman.org/matrix/et.html
  44. http://www.mids.org/sinclair/mail/
  45. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/genealogy.html
  46. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/organizations.html
  47. http://kingcrest.com/Sinclair/Guestbook.cfm
  48. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/us-mi.html
  49. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/history.html
  50. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/faq/
  51. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/s2000.html
  52. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/organizations.html
  53. http://www.datafellows.com/virus-info/
  54. http://www.datafellows.com/virus-info/hoax/
  55. http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html
  56. http://kumite.com/myths/index0.htm
  57. http://www.urbanlegends.com/
  58. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/
  59. http://kingcrest.com/sinclair/
  60. http://www.clansinclair.org/
  61. http://www.clansinclairusa.org/
  62. http://www.quarterman.com/~jsq/
  63. http://www.mids.org/sinclair/index.html
  64. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/
  65. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/sinclair-web.html
  66. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/list.html
  67. http://sinclair.quarterman.org/sinclair-web.html
[ This is the Sinclair family discussion list, sinclair@quarterman.org
[ To get off or on the list, see http://sinclair.quarterman.org/list.html