List Members FAQ

And last but not least, flames, trolls and other list monsters...

Flames are derogatory or implied derogatory responses to any given post. Most listowners prefer that people post in a mature manner and may enforce strict rules about flaming. If you really can't restrain yourself from telling someone they're an idiot, it's best to do it off the list, in a private email, rather than on the list.

And bear in mind that the person you think is an idiot may actually be a troll. Trolls are people who spend their time trolling lists (like trolling for fish), ready to incite flames and stir up trouble just because they can. If you respond on list or even in private, you're simply satisfying the troll, giving him or her what they want. Some trolls even aim to destroy a list by causing so much trouble that the members who post regularly simply give up and leave and the group dies. There's a newsgroup for these people (and no doubt lists, too) where they plan these attacks and then boast gleefully when they successfully destroy a group. So don't feed the trolls!

Then there's spammers, people who join a list only to sell something or promote their website that sells something. Most lists have strict rules about spam and generally strive to keep spammers off their lists and remove and ban them if they do manage to join. Most of the schemes that spammers promote either in email or on a website are fraud, they work by getting you to buy some kit or package which promises to help you get rich but all it does is give the spammer your money instead. Robert Heinlein said it best, TANSTAAFL, There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch! So don't be taken by these con men and don't pass on their trash to anyone else.

And then there's the ordinary, garden variety psycho which can turn up on a list in many different guises and cause all sorts of ruckus. The seeming anonymity of the internet can bring out the best and the worst in people. So exercise caution and common sense, don't give out personal details, name, address, phone number, etc. even if you really think you know someone, it's very easy to be fooled on the net.