Informix mailing list FAQ

I have just finished updating the FAQ listing for the Informix mailing list. This file is sent to new list members when they subscribe. Since parts of it may be of interest to readers of comp.databases.informix, I'm posting it to the newsgroup as well as to the mailing list. Let me know if you have any suggestions for additional items or notice any errors. Thanks, Walt. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Informix Mailing List Frequently Asked Questions Last Changed: April 29, 1993 This listing explains some of the finer points of posting and reading messages on the Informix mailing list. It also presents instructions on how to send a follow-up to the entire list or a reply to an individual member. The text is organized into a series of questions and answers. The questions discussed are: 1. What is the Informix mailing list? 2. What kind of information should be posted to the list? 3. How do I post an original message to the list? 4. Do I need to include any special information in a posting? 5. How do I reply to the author of a message? 6. How do I post a follow-up message to the entire list? 7. What is the mailing list's Usenet gateway? 8. What are List-ID's? 9. How many people are on the list? 10. What is the average level of traffic on the list? 11. Is there an archive of past list messages? 12. How do I join the list? 1. What is the Informix mailing list? An electronic mailing list is a collection of e-mail addresses for a group of people who share a common interest in a particular topic. The mailing list allows the group to discuss the topic among themselves easily via e-mail. An e-mail alias (address) is established on one system to allow messages to be posted to the list. When a message is mailed to the posting alias, a separate copy of the message is automatically mailed to each address on the list. A mailing list itself does not usually employ any special hardware or networks, but merely uses the existing e-mail facilities of systems around the Net for automatic distribution. The Informix mailing list is just such a list. It is maintained on the system "rmy.emory.edu" located at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. 2. What kind of information should be posted to the list? The Informix mailing list is a forum for the discussion of Informix database management software and related subjects. Topics include all aspects of using and supporting the various Informix offerings, from C-ISAM to Wingz, and other products designed to operate in an Informix environment. Membership in the list is open to anyone, including end-users, vendors and employees of Informix Software, Inc. The list is unmoderated, so members are solely responsible for its content. All contributions are welcome, so long as they emphasize substantive information. The question of whether a particular posting is appropriate for the list is sometimes difficult to answer. While the main focus of the list concerns the technical aspects of using Informix products, news and discussions related to the availability or support of those products are also welcome. Often, it's not so much the subject, but the approach to it that will dictate whether a posting is appropriate. For example, a brief technically oriented announcement of a new product with an address for more information would probably be welcome on the list. However, an extravagantly worded press release more than likely would not be well received. Geography should also be considered. The mailing list is distributed world- wide via direct e-mail addressing, aliases and mail/news gateways. There is no way to restrict the distribution of an individual message. So, if a topic is of interest to only a limited region, it's probably not a good candidate for posting to the list. Since most of these considerations are subjective, there are no hard and fast rules. The best idea may be simply to be conservative if you are in doubt whether to post a particular message, especially if you are new to the Net. If you're concerned that a message might not be appropriate, you may contact the list manager at "informix-list-request@rmy.emory.edu" to discuss it prior to posting to the list. 3. How do I post an original message to the list? To post a message to the entire list, send a normal e-mail message to the address "informix-list" on the system "rmy.emory.edu". When it reaches rmy, it will immediately be sent out to each member of the list and through the gateway to Usenet (see #7 below). If your mailer understands domain-style addressing, the address for posting is "informix-list@rmy.emory.edu". If you must use UUCP-style addressing, use "...!emory!rmy!informix-list". Replace the "..." with the path from your system to a major site linked to emory such as rutgers, gatech or uunet. 4. Do I need to include any special information in a posting? Technically, no. However, as a matter of etiquette you should include your e-mail address within your message to help other list members reply directly to you. Many people put this information in a standard signature block that they include at the end of each outgoing message. By convention, this block should be no more than 4 lines long. You must have more new lines in your message than you have included (copied) lines. This restriction is placed on list messages since they are gatewayed to Usenet, which has this requirement. An "included" line is any message line that begins with a ">". This character is used by many mailers to flag lines copied into a message from other messages or files. 5. How do I reply to the author of a message? If you want to send a reply to the someone who originated a message, you should send mail directly to their e-mail address. The "reply" command in your mailer should work correctly, but it's always best to check the reply address to make sure it's correct. 6. How do I post a follow-up message to the entire list? If you want to post a follow-up message to the list, send it like you would an original message, as outlined in question #3 above. Before doing so, consider whether a follow-up to the entire list or a reply to the original author is more appropriate. The answer to question #2 may help in this consideration. 7. What is the mailing list's Usenet gateway? "Usenet" is the name given to a collection of thousands of computer systems that are connected world-wide into one large network. Some systems are linked by various physical networks, some by satellite, and some by dial-up links. The Usenet NetNews facility could be characterized as a merging of the concepts of an electronic mailing list and a bulletin board system. A single newsgroup is analogous to an individual discussion forum on a typical BBS. News software on each member system allows users to read and post articles on their own system. When a News reader posts an article (the News term for an individual message) to a given newsgroup, th