WRITING ALL IN CAPS is considered shouting and will get you flamed. Putting *asterisks* before and after a word represents boldface, and is the preferred way to stress words. Likewise, _underscores_ can be used to represent underlining or italics.

When replying to a post you should quote the relevant portion so that everyone knows what the hell you're talking about. Please be careful to attribute words to their correct author. Click here for more information on Quoting so you can post like a pro and not get flamed for not following long established r.m.h conventions.

"Top Posting" means that you post your new message on top, and put all the quoted dialog on the right. Don't do it. Threads on r.m.h run many replies deep, and it's critical to follow the path of a conversation, to see the earliest post in the reply on top, followed by the reply, followed by the next reply, etc., until it gets to your new post.

When you top post, you violate the natural order of conversation. Even though most software is set to display posts in the original order, most people mark the original article "read" and it doesn't appear the next hour or day when you've replied.

You don't argue with this logic. The group has been around longer than you've been on the group, you're the newcomer, follow the conventions established by the community or get the fuck off r.m.h. You've been warned.

If you're an Outlook Express user, already know that you shouldn't top post, but can't figure out how to avoid it, then you might want to install OE-QuoteFix.

Remember to respond as if you were sitting face-to-face with the person, and not as an anonymous propeller head a thousand miles away.

Here are some links to newsgroups where you will find:

- Interesting Information about Usenet.

- Answers to your questions about Usenet.

- FAQs from many of the Usenet newsgroups.

 

"USENET is not AOL. It is truly The Savage Jungle - the Freudian Id personified. A place where the benefits of semi-anonymity serve as a brutal millstone that democratically grinds the bloated egos of all participants to the lowest common denominator of civility.

It should come as no surprise that the common grease of the millstone is understanding and respect for your fellow men (women, whatever). And here, as in face-to-face life, humility garners the greatest respect." -- Kerry