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TexasCzechs - E-mail 'Netiquette Tips |
| This document is a summary of the e-mail etiquette tips posted on Louis Mills' web site. We, on texasczechs@egroups.com, try to follow them but not always successfully. Don't worry if you don't. They are simply a guide for making your experience on the TexasCzechs mailing list a more rewarding experience and not hard-and-fast rules. |
Abstracted from the web site of Louis Mills at http://users.ap.net/~lancelot/gen/newbies.html
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Welcome “Newbie” |
| Welcome to an exciting hobby! More people are researching their families. This is great but the downside is that more sloppy work is being done. So here are a variety of tips for those new to Genealogy. And my personal philosophy is that the goal isn’t in finding every relative back to Adam, but in the quest itself. Learning history, social issues and about the people themselves - putting flesh on those bones. |
E-Mail Etiquette |
| Addresses and personal names - A “Personal Name” is a text string that most e-mail packages allow you to define as an option. It is attached to your e-mail address as an identifier. Always provide a personal name if your mail system allows it. A personal name identifies you better than your e-mail address can on it’s own. You may find that using your real name is a legal requirement either of your business or where you live. |
| Example: The address skippy@techy.com conveys less information than if it were written
as “Charles S. Smith” |
| Some email packages also support an “Organization” field where you can put
your firm name. |
| Subject Lines - The key to getting your e-mail read quickly is the subject line. Always include a subject line in your message. It is often the only clue the recipient has about the contents when filing and searching for messages. Make the subject line meaningful. For example, sending a message to a Rootsweb mailing list with the subject being the list name is practically as unhelpful as having no subject at all. |
| If you are replying to a message, but are changing the subject of the conversations,
change the subject too. Better still, start a new message altogether. The subject line is
the easiest way to follow the thread of a conversation, so changing the conversation
without changing the subject can be confusing and can make filing difficult. And if people
have lost interest in the subject, they could ignore your message. |
| Message Lengths, Content and Format - Match your message length to the need of the message: if you are only making a quick query, then keep it short and to the point. In general, keep to the subject as much as possible. If you need to branch off onto a totally new and different topic then it’s better to send a new message, which allows the recipient the option of filing it separately or replying only to the one needing an answer. |
| Don’t type your message in ALL UPPERCASE - it’s extremely difficult to read and considered shouting. (Although a short stretch of uppercase may serve to emphasize a point heavily). Try to break your message into logical paragraphs and restrict your sentences to sensible lengths. |
| Use correct grammar and spelling. Electronic mail is all about communication -
poorly-worded and mis-spelled messages are hard to read and potentially confusing. Just
because e-mail is fast does not mean that it should be slipshod, yet the worst
language-mashing I have ever seen has been done in e-mail messages. If your words are
important enough to write, then they’re also important enough to write properly. |
File Attachments - If the list allows file attachments never send the
attachment without describing it in the first paragraph of your message. Example:
This goes for attached or inserted photo files. Practice safe computing. Do not send
*.com, *.exe, *.vbs or other active-content files as this is one way unscrupulous
individuals use to propogate viruses. Better yet, if you receive an unidentified
attachment do not open it. Instead, write back to the sender and ask if they meant to send
this file and to please describe its contents. If they simply forgot to identify the
attachment they will be more than willing to respond to your request. |
| Avoid public “flames” - messages sent in anger. Messages sent in the
heat of the moment generally only exacerbate the situation and are usually regretted
later. Settle down and think about it for a while before starting a flame war. |
| HTML - If your e-mail program supports fancy formatting (bold, italic and so
on) in the mail messages it generates, make sure that the recipient has a mail program
that can display such messages, known as HTML formatted or rich formatting. |
| Security - Be careful about including credit card numbers in e-mail messages.
E-mail can be intercepted in transit and a valid credit card number is like money in the
bank for someone unscrupulous enough to use it. Same goes for your home address and phone
number. These should only be sent in a private message to the specific recipient. |
| Copyright - Treat all material that you receive as if it were copyrighted.
Don’t forward material willy-nilly just because it is cute or insightful. The author
may want to preserve their rights in court. |
| Replies - People are proud of their names. Make sure you spell it correctly if
you use it in an e-mail. Make sure you are using the correct name because this shows you
are paying attention to details. |
| Include enough of the original message to provide a context. Remember that e-mail is not as immediate as a telephone conversation and the recipient may not recall the contents of the original message, especially if they receive dozens of messages each day. Including the relevant section from the original message helps the recipient to place your reply in context. Example: |
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| Include only the minimum you need from the original message. It annoys me to have my original 5-paragraph message quoted back in it’s entirety, with the words “I agree” added at the bottom. Quote back only the smallest amount you need to make your context clear. You may need to learn how to cut/copy and paste. |
| Use some kind of visual indication to distinguish between text quoted from the original message and your new text - this makes the reply much easier to follow. “>” is a traditional marker for quoted text (see example above), but you can use anything provided its purpose is clear and you use it consistently. Some people like to bracket extracted text with the words “-snip-”. Example: |
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| Learn the difference between Reply and Reply All. Don’t send “I agree!” messages to everyone on the original distribution list. These are annoying. Send these only to the originator. |
| Pay careful attention to where your reply is going to end up: you can embarrass yourself if a personal message ends up on a mailing list, and it’s generally annoying for the other list members. |
| Ask yourself if your reply is really warranted. Too many messages are sent that have
no informational value. If you don’t know, don’t guess. |
| Signatures - A “Signature” is a small block of text appended to the end of your messages, in which you put your contact information. Many mailers can add a signature to your messages automatically. Signatures are a great idea but are subject to abuse; balance is the key to a good signature. |
| Always use a signature if you can: make sure it identifies who you are and includes alternative means of contacting you (phone, alternate e-mail addresses are usual). |
| Keep your signature short - 4 lines is a handy guideline for maximum length. Unnecessarily long signatures waste bandwidth (especially when distributed to lists) and can be annoying. |
| Some mailers allow you to add random strings to your signature: this is well and good and can add character if done carefully. You should consider the following basic rules though: Keep it short. The length of your quote adds to the length of your signature. |
| Definitions of “offensive” vary widely: avoid quotes that might offend people on the grounds of religion, race, politics or sexuality. |
| Avoid topical or local quotes, since they may be meaningless to recipients in other towns, countries or cultures. Remember, too, that humor is often cultural. |
| Variable signatures are usually best if they’re cute or amusing. Outbursts on
politics or other such topics will turn most people off, but a one-liner that brings a
smile can make someone’s day. |
| Courtesy - E-mail is all about communication with other people, and as such some basic courtesy never goes amiss. If you’re asking for something, don’t forget to say “please”. Similarly, if someone does something for you, it never hurts to say “thank you”. While this might sound trivial or even insulting, it’s astonishing how many people who are perfectly polite in everyday life seem to forget their manners in their e-mail. |
| Don’t expect an immediate answer. The fact that you don’t get an answer from someone in 10 minutes does not mean that he or she is ignoring you and is no cause for offense. E-mail is all about dealing with your communications when you are able to do so. |
| There is no such thing as e-mail privacy. In the US, courts have held that e-mail is a document that can be seized and used as evidence. Never send very personal or sensitive information by e-mail unless you encrypt it using a reliable encryptor. Remember the recipient, too - you are not the only person who could be embarrassed if a delicate message falls into the wrong hands. If you wouldn’t want your mother to read it in the newspaper, don’t send it. |
| Include enough information: if you are asking a question to which you expect a response, make sure you include enough information to make the response possible. When requesting family history data, include a short bio of the person(s) you’re researching and the places they lived. |
| If you lose interest in a newsgroup or list-serv, unsubscribe from it so that the
postings or messages do not clog up the server at your ISP. |
“Smiley faces” (Emoticons) - E-mail has the immediacy of a
conversation, but is devoid of “body language”. the Internet counter-culture has
come up with an answer using ASCII (text) characters that are meant to look like a face
turned on its side. The most common smiley faces are probably these:
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| There are hundreds of others. Do an internet search on “smiley” to find more. |
| Using the common smiley faces carefully can markedly improve the clarity of your message, since they convey nuances which approximate “body language”. Like any embellishment, however, overuse of smiley faces destroys their value - use them sparingly. |
| You can also use the asterisk to surround a word for emphasis. I am *very* happy... Or use capitals to shout: “NEVER forward my e-mail without asking...” |
| The bottom line is to remember that e-mail is about communications with other people.
When you compose an e-mail message, read it over before sending it and ask yourself what
your reaction would be if you received it. any time spent on making our e-mail clearer is
time well-spent, so let’s start taking the time. |
| E-mail requests for info or assistance - Always identify yourself and tell the recipient how you got their e-mail address. Put surnames in CAPS and nothing else, except abbreviations. Limit abbreviations to accepted usage: State codes in the US, Canadian province codes or Chapman codes for British counties. The recipient may not be familiar with other abbreviations. |
| Remember that genealogists are global. You don’t know what part of the world they
live in or come from. So keep the ”Americanisms” or regional expressions to a
minimum. |
| Ask for specifics. “I am researching Zeb TAYLOR, born 1813 in Whatsis, NJ.
Do you have any information on his wife Zelda”? Do not ask for *all* data on anyone
named Taylor. You can expect such requests to be ignored. |
| Keep it brief, but include everything that you know to help the researcher identify the correct individual. |
| Do not request information on living persons. It puts many genealogists in an ethical or legal quagmire. |
| Don’t get offended if someone asks for specifics of how you are related and why you want the date before they give you information. Too many people have seen their data published in books with no credit and no reimbursement, often merged with other erroneous data. |
| Before hitting that SEND button, proofread and spellcheck. It’s so easy to type 1913 when you meant 1813. And who wants to get e-mail from a prospective relative who appears barely literate? |
| Don’t expect an immediate answer. Not only does it take time to research your
request, but also the recipient may only download their e-mail once a week. |
Commonly used genealogical “Net” abbreviations: |
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| AFAIK | As Far As I Know | |
| AKA | Also Known As | |
| ASAP | As Soon As Possible | |
| BTW | By The Way | |
| CR or CZ | Czech Republic | |
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions. These are normally kept in a file, organized by topic, and available online. | |
| FHC | Family History Center | |
| FHL | Family History Library (normally the one in Salt Lake City) | |
| FYI | For Your Information | |
| IGI | International Genealogical Index at the FHL (see above) | |
| IMHO | In My Humble Opinion | |
| IMO | In My Opinion | |
| ISP | Internet Service Provider | |
| LDS | Latter Day Saints (Mormons) | |
| LOL | Laughing Out Loud | |
| ONS | One Name Study (this person has registered to track ALL people with a particular surname) | |
| OTOH | On The Other Hand | |
| ROTFL | Rolling On The Floor Laughing | |
| SKS | Some Kind Soul (the timid may use SKP for Some Kind Person) | |
| TIA | Thanks In Advance | |
| TTFN | As Tigger in Winny the Pooh would say, “Ta Ta For Now” | |
| URL | Uniform Reference Locator (an Internet web site) | |
| <VBG> | Very Big Grin | |
| YMMV | Your Mileage May Vary (You may not have the same luck I did) | |
| YWIA | You’re Welcome In Advance | |
Some other terms you will see or hear: |
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| Flame | an angry or hostile e-mail, typically sent during a lapse in emotional maturity. | |
| Home Page | The starting point when you visit a web site. | |
| List Owner | Someone who has offered to maintain and monitor a mailing list, (see next entry) | |
| List Service | An e-mail handling service (or mailing list). There are many kinds. | |
| Lurker | Someone who subscribes to a mailing list but doesn’t participate. | |
| Net Potato | A Couch Potato with a computer. | |
| Protocol | Agreed-upon rules for communication. | |
| Snail Mail | Traditional postal service | |
| Spam | Unsolicited e-mail. | |
| Web Master | A person who maintains the content and/or layout of a web site. | |
Documenting your sourcesThe most common mistake for Newbies is to take all the information they find and to add it to their family tree without documents. For each individual you add, indicate where you got the information. If you got it from Mom and Dad, it’s OK to cite them as the source. If you got it from e-mail or the Internet, cite that source. Give enough information so that another researcher can go to that source to verify what you’ve got. Don’t be afraid to cite conflicting resources. In some cases, I have 2 or 3 different people who could be a particular ancestor. I list all the references, and why I think a particular person is THE ONE. Some software allows you to give preferences to documentation. It’s OK to use that feature, but your notes should tell us why. If you speculate on a date, indicate that in your source information. “Presumed married in 1820 based on birth of first child”. Don’t leave an important date field blank. I’m particularly concerned about death dates because a lot of people say “I don’t know when he died...”, when the date should be, say, “Aft 1850” since you knew from the census that he was alive in 1850. Don’t feel threatened if someone challenges your work. Some people take this hobby far too seriously and like to point out the mistakes you may have made. Take the criticism with a grain of salt and see if you can learn from it. If you can cite sources, you can deflate a lot of these gas bags. On the other hand recognize that some sources have high error rates. I’ve seen some people claim that the typical census has more than a 10% error rate. Use more than one source. Find the christening, the marriage registration and EVERY census. Don’t be surprised if the ages don’t always match. Women tended to under-quote their age while men are unsure unless they do the math. Odds and EndsThere are a lot of online resources these days, but don’t forget your best place to start is the local library. Get a book on genealogy and plan your research. Keep track of where you’ve looked and what you found. And have fun. Don’t spend too much time on an individual but when you hit a brick wall, stop, research a different line for a month or a year then come back to the brick wall and try a different approach. |
Sharing. It's what it's all about!
The Help Team, TexasCzechs@eGroups.com
Richard, Lois, Sir John, Steve & Rick
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23.02.2000
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