Usenet posting guidelines
Based on the article "Rules For Posting To Usenet", as periodically re-posted to the newsgroup news.announce.newusers.
Read the newsgroup before responding
Some newsgroups are intended for discussions, others for announcements or queries, and so on. It is a good idea to read the newsgroup and get a feel for the tone and purpose of the group before you post to it.
Avoid flame-wars
If you disagree with something someone has posted, and believe you must respond, send that person e-mail about it and politely state your case. Do not continue the discussion in the newsgroup. Taking the disagreement "offline" (in other words, out of the public forum) prevents the conversation on the newsgroup from deteriorating into off-topic squabbles, or "flame-wars" (which is sometimes just what a person who posts potentially inflammatory comments is looking for).
Before you decide to engage in debate with someone, whether in private or on the newsgroup, keep in mind that this is a world-wide forum, and you will meet people with strong opinions which are the exact opposite of yours. Sometimes the best course is to "agree to disagree" on such matters.
Where not to post
Limit your post to the newsgroup (or newsgroups) to which it is relevant. For example a book review for a new Tom Clancy novel may be applicable to alt.books.reviews and alt.books.tom-clancy, but is not relevant to rec.arts.books.childrens. If you don't read one of the newsgroups in which you are planning to post your message, do not post your message there.
What not to post
Do not post:
- commercial advertisements for a company
- identical or nearly identical posts to huge numbers of newsgroups (often called "spam")
- "Make Money Fast" or similar pyramid schemes (which are not only annoying but illegal).
Posts of this kind are not only seen as unwelcome intrusions but can result in the revocation of your account or other disciplinary action. See the UT Austin Acceptable Use Policy document for more information.
