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| Guidelines for using the echomail conference (area) PENPAL (European) |
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revision 26 December 2000
Original by : Eugene Robertus
From=20       : 2:5100/13.12
Date        : May 05 1995, 00:08
Title       : Hints for newcomers (new revision)
> begin
Hello my dear newcomer!
You are new on this echo, right? If so, you should read this message,
because I think that information below is valuable and it can answer
some questions.
*** Epigraph on **********************************************************
"Welcome to the Penpal echo!  This is a very cool echo, where there is no
moderator, where the people are governed by their own collective instinct,
dictated by good nature, kindness, and love" (c) Raphael Neve ;)
******************************************************** Epigraph off ****
1. How many countries this echo covers?
It's difficult to say. For the moment there are representatives from (in
alphabetical order): Austria(?), Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Latvia (I am :)), Lithuania, the
Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland(?), Ukraine. Well, it seems like
European echo... :)
2. What's the language of this echo?
It is assumed that everyone in this echo understand English. So, the
better choice is to write in English. However, it is not an obligation.
You can write in any language you want but subtitles in English are
kindly appreciated. It makes the possibility for other people to follow
the subject.
3. What about this echo?
It's about everything... It's looking like private netmail, but it
isn't. You can write to everyone when looking for a computer penpal.
There is no moderator at all, so there are no strict rules...
BUT:
*** and it is VERY important ***
4. There are few common newcomer-made mistakes :) Please, avoid them.
First is a chain letter - the letter with a list of people
participating in this echo. REMEMBER! If you want to become a member of
this list you must send a *NETMAIL* message to a person who compile such
a list! PLEASE, don't send chains in the echo, even if the source message
asks you to do that. (if you don't quite sure either your message NETMAIL
or ECHOMAIL then ask your boss or BBS SysOp about the difference before
posting it. This message is ECHOMAIL, by the way :))
Second is an excessive quotes and/or signatures. It's rather
boring to read overquoted message and then found that you just wanted to
correct the last word of it :)
That's all I have to say you for now... I'm not a moderator but I intend
to post this message to PENPAL area twice a month, probably.
Hope it helps, Eugene
=FE Posting e-mail can give you athlete's tongue.
+++ Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.
@ Origin: * Believe in something. Why not believe in me? * (2:5100/13.12)
> end
Addition by : Lodewijk Otto
From=20       : 2:284/420
Date        : Aug 7 1997, 20:48
Title       : Additions to the Guidelines for using PENPAL
> begin
Hi to you all,
This text is in addition to the guidelines as they are written down by
Eugene Robertus. Things change, so an update was needed. I post this
information twice a month, and often comments did follow these postings.
Especially on the contents about the countries where PENPAL can be found.
So here you are.
1. What countries does this echo go to?
This echo used to be distributed in Europe only, so the writers in this
echo all were living in European countries. The distribution in fidonet is
constantly changing however. So one day you can read messages from one
country, and the other day there will no longer be messages from people
living there. Because one of the fidonet nodes in the USA is part of the
distribution, other countries on other continents are able to carry the
echo too nowadays. The echo is still not part of the North American
Backbone distribution of echomail, so the USA, or Canada, cannot be found
among the readers and writers here.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
> --> *** List of Contributors to PENPAL  (the PENPALian list) *** <-- <
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
2. Who used to be writing here, and who is writing here?
Once every month I make up a list of all people that have written in this
echo for the past half year. This list is posted, with the number of
messages from them and to them. If you write here, you will have to do
*nothing* for that to happen. It is all done automatically. If you _only_
_read_ here, and do want to be in that list, simply send me a netmail, and
I will answer you that you will be in the next list. If you do not get an
answer, the netmail has not reached me. Write me on the following fidonet
address 2:280/1126 (Mad Cat), or e-mail <lpotto@xs4all.nl>.
If for one or another reason you do *not* want to be in that list, please
write me also a netmail telling so, and you will be left out of that list.
3. Questions, no quetions? Good! Let's get on with reading and writing!
If you have *anything* to ask, please feel free to do so. I or others will
try to answer you.
Have fun! Lodewijk
=2E.. With a little help from my friends
> end
(11-Nov-95 formatted orininal)
(23-Feb-96 deleted personal information)
(15-Nov-96 added information about distribution and Penpalian list)
(7-aug-1997 updated information)
(3-nov-1999 updated information)
(26-dec-2000 updated information)
Lodewijk Otto,
non-moderating moderator of PENPAL
2:280/1126

Via 1:261/1551 20010531.172702.UTC gigo 099.970109+