FAQ

 

CW-REENACTORS

 

REVISED 1/31/06

 

What is the list about?

 

CW-REENACTORS is for the discussion of American Civil War enacting. This covers a broad range of subjects such as clothing, weapons, food, first person impressions, event schedules, event reviews and more.

 

Do I have to be a Civil War enactor to belong to the List?

 

Absolutely not!  The List has many others on it; historians, Civil War buffs, researchers, librarians and even sutlers, vendors and merchants.

 

 

I am a Civil War enactor, or I wish to be one, but I know little or nothing about the hobby. What should I do?

 

ASK. There is a wealth of experience and information on this List. Put your request for help on the list and most assuredly someone will assist. The individuals on this list are generous and helpful to those genuinely seeking assistance. Should by some odd chance your question(s) not be answered, feel free to ask again or bring it to the list’s attention. Sometimes questions just inadvertently get overlooked.

 

Are there rules for posting to the List?

 

Aren’t there always? The following information will review the few simple rules we do have.

 

This list is for the discussion of the American Civil War. It is not a chat line, nor is it a place to re-fight any political issues, past or present. The list is moderated by the list owner and anonymous members of the list. Violation of the rules will subject the writer to action which can range from a private warning note to immediate removal from the list. Historically, the political discussion erupting into a flame war has been the quickest way to be removed from this list. The rules state no political discussions and that rule is set in stone.

 

Messages consisting of personal attacks either direct or veiled, or which have little or no relevance to the group or ongoing discussions are not appropriate and may be subject to censure. There is no charge for the list, but communications are not free as most list members pay for their access and many are limited to a specific volume of mail. Please be concise and show respect for other members of the list. ASCII ART, LONG SIGNATURE LINES and GRAPHIC BACKGROUNDS are strongly discouraged. It may cause some systems to crash or cause other problems for a fellow list member.

 

The list is managed by an automated server called Majordomo. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you do not include the words “subscribe, unsubscribe, list, or majordomo” in the first ten (10) lines of your message since Majordomo reads such words as commands, attempts to act on them, fails and bounces the message to the List-Owner. The List-Owner does NOT forward any bounced messages.

 

If you attempt to post a message from an address other than the one you subscribed with, Majordomo will bounce your message. This is a feature that guards against “spamming”. Some ISP’s may change your e-mail addresses on your outgoing mail without your knowledge. Keep watch for such an instance.

 

We expect folks to be germane in their contributions… keeping in mind the usual netiquette rules. Posting messages which read essentially “me too” or messages that are of a personal nature or off topic are discouraged. If the message is of no interest to the list as a whole, take it off line.

 

Messages must have a subject. This allows those with no interest in the topic to “delete” the message unread. A few headings are currently used by list members to denote broad subject categories, i.e., CIV=civilian, NT= non-topical, MIL = military, AAR= after action report and so on. By utilizing these headings it benefits the entire list.

 

If replying to another message, DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY QUOTE THE ENTIRE MESSAGE. This is rude! Many folks have limited mailbox capacity and this will blow them out, forcing them off the list. Members who continue to follow this practice will be subject to action, ranging from a private note to being removed from the list. If you are responding to a message, take the time to compose your reply with only the relevant portions of the original message quoted.

 

Always use a signature which includes your name. Some folks have mail programs which do not include addresses in their headers. It is common netiquette to include your email address also. People like to know who they are corresponding with.

 

Use smileys! J Often a statement meant in jest is taken seriously. Remember, no one can see your facial expression. 

 

NO SHOUTING!! Capital letters are abrasive to other email users. It is the same as shouting and equally as obnoxious.

 

Take time to compose your posts. This is NOT a chat line, nor is it IRC. Good, old fashioned letter writing skills are much appreciated on the list and are far more enjoyable to read.

 

Above all, civility MUST prevail! No bullying, name calling, MODERN political discussions or personal attacks will be tolerated. If you need to get heated in your opinions, don’t!!! Take it off the list.

 

Regarding the interpretation of any of the above rules, be advised that the list owner is the final authority.