- Lurk for a while before posting.
- The best way to determine the tenor of any newsgroup is to lurk first. On the other hand, if you feel comfortable posting immediately, go for it!
- Don't be afraid to write to other posters.
- On the AMC side of RATSA, there’s a Newbie sponsorship program that pairs newbies with a mentor for their first month of RATSA posting; this is not mandatory, but merely helpful. RATSA/OLTL doesn't have a formal program, but many on the OLTL side of the group will be happy to help -- just ask!
- Know how (and when!) to reply on and off the newsgroup.
- Make sure you know the difference between Reply to Group and Reply to Sender. Different newsreaders act differently, so make sure when replying that it's going to the right place.
As a general rule the following should be taken to e-mail:
- ITA ("I totally agree") responses -- these don't really add to a discussion and are considered a waste of bandwidth.
- Thank yous -- these should be directed in private mail, unless you are also going to share something that will amuse or edify everyone.
- Flames -- flame wars generally do not add information to a discussion and are quite ugly to watch. Sure, we could all killfile or ignore the thread, but why waste the bandwidth to begin with?
- Personal conversations -- because the Usenet is no one's personal mailbox.
- Don't insult actors' appearances or any other non-controllable characteristics.
- There's no need to post that John Doe looks like a gigantic cactus with the nose of a beagle. However, it's appropriate to post that you hate Mary Poe's new hair color (because that's a controllable decision), or that can't believe the dressers are making Jane Roe wear miniskirts while riding horseback because that's an artistic descision, not an actor's, as would be comments about the makeup, writing, etc. Comments about lack of acting talent are also acceptable because that speaks to job performance.
Caveat: There was a virtual flamefest on the AMC side of RATSA a few years ago when a pregnant actress stopped dyeing her hair during her pregnancy. A few posters started complaining about the actress' roots; other, more numerous posters, defended the actress' right to abstain from hair color because she felt she was protecting her fetus. Unfortunately the actress and her (co-starring) husband didn't see the defenses so now see red when you mention to them that you're "from the Internet." Before you post something ask yourself, "Would I want someone to say that about me?"
- If you're going to publish a rumor, name your source.
- A rumor like "Robert Woods is leaving!" is enough to get the newsgroup in a flutter. But where did you hear this rumor? There are some sources that are known to be less reputable than others, so don't post a rumor as truth and let us know where you got it (so we can decide for ourselves).
- Ignore trolls.
- A troll is someone who posts inflammatory attacks against ideas or posters with the desired goal being some sort of reaction. The best defense against a troll is to ignore him/her/it. Trolls generally go away if you don't feed their need for attention. If the troll doesn't go away, another option you have is to complain to the troll's ISP (usually by writing to abuse@troll's_ISP.com). Most ISPs have a published Terms of Service agreement to which users agree to abide when they sign on.
- Don't insult other posters.
- A great rule of thumb to remember is, "Attack the idea, not the person." On Usenet it's easy to forget that there are real people behind the words and computer screens. Before you send your message ask yourself if what you want to say is something you would actually say face-to-face. If the answer is "no," then perhaps you'd better rethink your response.
- Disagreement is not a flame.
- You shouldn't take it personally when someone disagrees with your opinion. That someone disagrees with you is not an indictment against your personality, your family, your way of life, etc. If you don't want to hear opposing viewpoints, then RATSA/OLTL may not be an appropriate forum for your opinions.
- Don't let mass opinion sway you or dissuade you from posting your opinion.
- Many OLTL posters dislike the Rappaport family for a variety of reasons. But that's not an "official" RATSA/OLTL platform, that's just their opinion. And just as others have the right to their opinions so do you have the right to state yours.
- Be creative.
- Guess what's going to happen next. Write poems to your favorite character or actor. Propose worthy storylines. Mostly, post about what interests you.
- Respect the FOC policies.
- Don't just call yourself a character’s FOC without going through channels (described on the FOC List page.
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These guidelines are adapted from the FAQs of fellow RATSAfarians Julia Hayden (julia@julen.net) and Christine Meyer (christine@mahnamahna.com). Many thanks to both!