(meteorobs) PLEASE READ: List Etiquette (Posting Guidelines) for 'meteorobs'

[Lew Gramer]

Certain recent threads of discussion on 'meteorobs' have been very informative 
and interesting - to me, and I'm sure to many of our readers.

However, it seems an appropriate time to review the Etiquette of our list, 
which is VERY STRICTLY enforced, for the convenience of our 1100+ subscribers 
and for the thousands of others who read our list via the Web...

First, what is 'meteorobs'?

1) 'meteorobs' is about meteors: any discussion directly relating to meteors 
(including meteor photography, fireballs, meteor showers, meteoroid streams, 
meteor spectroscopy, radio meteors, questions about basic meteor observing 
and recording, etc.) is ALWAYS WELCOME here.

Certain other topics - meteorites, comets, asteroids, weather, observing gear, 
etc. - are also welcome if they are at least related to meteors; but only if 
our list is not currently too busy with our main topic - which is meteors. :)

(Note again: "meteors" are sky phenomena which are observable by any amateur. 
Discussion of meteors is always welcome here. On the other hand, "meteorites" 
are material that reaches Earth's surface: they are much rarer, they may have 
commercial as well as scientific interest, and discussion about them is ONLY 
encouraged here on 'meteorobs' when our list traffic is otherwise light...)


2) 'meteorobs' is a diverse community - meteor science and other astronomy 
professionals, experienced meteor amateurs, and total newcomers (as well as 
members of the press) are all welcome and very much present here. And our 
membership encompasses most of the countries of the world. Some readers have 
older mail systems that don't handle HTML well. If possible, post plain text.


As a consequence of both of the above points about our forum, our rules of 
decorum MUST be enforced on this list: otherwise, a community like ours could 
not survive, let alone thrive as it has done over the past 11+ years...


With that said, here are some things which are NOT welcome on our list:

 o discussion of the relative merits of one astronomy club or another;

 o short-comings (real or perceived) of an individual observer or group;

 o discussion of individual member opinions on "what this list is for";

 o any communication which is - or may be SEEN as - disrespectful to other
   list members, e.g., profanity, "lighten up, Mac", religion, politics, ...


Any of the above discussions may be directed to the List Administrators at any 
time (except the profanity! :>). We, your "list elves" will always try to 
listen respectfully to your views. Here is the address for your List Admins:
   owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org

Please take note of this address!


Note that in the very rare occasion when one of our readers chooses to direct 
unwelcome communications to the list itself, and if they persist in doing so 
after having been notified, we may moderate that individual's posts; and if 
it still persists, a subscriber can be removed and banned from our list.


If you have any questions, concerns or comments about any of the above - 
please DO let us know at "owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org". But please do NOT 
reply to this message directly over the list, with any such comments.


Thanks to all, and clear skies around the world!


Lew Gramer
owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org
http://www.meteorobs.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/meteorobs