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A Guide to Newsgroup and Email Etiquette

When you make posts to newsgroups, You need to be polite and to the point, Always post in the correct Newsgroup and browse (”lurk in”) the group for a while before you post. Your query may already have been answered.

Avoid making long posts without good reason. Other users may have a totally different set-up to you (especially if you have a Cable Modem - most people are still on dial-up), and it should not be necessary for them to download a large file just to get to a simple question or answer.

Never post attachments unless the newsgroup is a “binary” group (and says so in its title), and never post in HTML unless you are posting to a newsgroup where this is explicitly stated to be acceptable behaviour.

The following links will help you to maintain Netiquette

• Usenet Netiquette
• Writing Style
• Getting started with netiquette
• Yahoo directory for netiquette links
• Imp’s Internet Guide covers Netiquette and much much more.

The address-munging FAQ should be read in conjunction with the Anti-address-munging FAQ:

• Address Munging Considered Harmful

E-mail Netiquette (but with much that is also true of Usenet) is detailed at:

• World Wide Webfoot Press

For a fine example of what not to do, please take the following with a large pinch of salt…

• Dear Emily Postnews

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