This Mac User Group and OS X Discussion List will be used *for the rest of us*..... Mac users who simply want to learn how to use OS X on their Mac, and its related hardware/software, without drowning in a sea of tech talk.

Rules and Conditions:

The List Owner, Janice Kempf, and List Dad Art Kelly, moderate this list and enforce the list rules. Being a member of this list is a privilege, not a right. If we decide that a list member is being abusive, or destructive to the flow of this group, you will be banned.

This list, like any active list, can generate a large volume of daily email depending upon the topics being discussed, at times generating dozens of email per day. If you cannot handle this amount of email, we strongly recommend choosing one of the daily digest options when you subscribe. Even better is to set up a filter in your email client and filter the list mail to its own folder within your email.

There aren't many conditions for being a member of this list... it all boils down to a matter of respect for the list, for the charter and for your fellow list members.

1) Etiquette 

1. a)Respect. Do not flame, abuse, troll, or act in a disrespectful manner towards your fellow list-members and/or the administration of the list. You will be immediately banned.
   
   

2. b)Be patient with the new user and those new to this discussion list! Always remember: You were once a new user.
   
   

3. c)No attachments, including V-cards. This also means screenshots of any size are forbidden. If you need to provide a screenshot to show what type of problem you are experiencing, please post it on a web site, or provide it to interested list members *privately*.
   
   

4. d)If you send an attachment, you will be immediately warned, and have your post deleted. Second time, you are banned! No exceptions.
   
   

5. e)YOU MUST CREATE A NEW EMAIL WHEN STARTING A NEW THREAD OR CHANGING THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION. CHANGING THE SUBJECT LINE ON AN OLD EMAIL WILL NOT WORK! Google will place your new topic in line with the old thread, and in all likelihood your question/help request will get lost. This means: Do not hijack threads. Thread hijacking is the act of taking a forum discussion thread off topic by discussing a subject entirely unrelated to the subject at hand.
   
   

6. f)EDIT EDIT EDIT! Please edit quoted material when replying to a post. We are all reading the same thing. You don't need to quote back the entire discussion.
   
   

7. g)Top/Bottom posting is always a heated discussion. Some forums demand one way or the other. The list parents have no preference on this. We DO NOT CARE so don't make a fuss about it and start a flame war on the list! You will be placed against the virtual pole and virtually flogged! We are tired of this pointless conversation. It is a matter of personal preference … leave it at that! We do not care how other lists and forums handle their rules on posting. Get over it and get on with life.
   
   

8. h)Do not cross post to multiple mailing lists.
   
   

9. i)Do not send admin requests (subscribe, unsubscribe, change my subscription) to the list. Send an email to either of the list parents. Don't waste the other list members time with these posts. They cannot help you, and you might not get the results you expect.
   

10. j)Signatures and catchy phrases are cute, but have no place on this list! We require that you use this area, below your name, to provide sufficient detail so others can help diagnose the problem and provide possible solutions. i.e....
    
    

11. •Version of OS X installed
    

12. •Computer hardware (iBook, iMac, PowerBook, MacBook, etc)
    

13. •Processor speed
    

14. •RAM installed
    

15. •Relevant computer peripherals (printer, hardware etc)
    

16. •Relevant software and versions as applicable.
    

11. k)Please keep your posts as short as possible. The longer your post, the more it rambles, and the harder for someone to figure out what your questions are. Most people will NOT read, or respond, to your long winded, rambling, posts.
    
    

2. 2)Topics that are valid for this list: 
   

1. a)Any version of OS X and related hardware or software. This includes the iPhone/iPod.
   

2. b)Problems being experienced with any version of OS X and related hardware. This includes the iPhone/iPod.
   
   

3. 3)The following types of posts are not appropriate for this list:
   

1. a)NO RUMORS of unreleased Apple software/hardware that has not been publicly shown. (no OSX Beta Software or hardware)
   

2. b)The official name of this list is "OSX Discussion List". Questions regarding any operating system other than Apple OSX or Running Apple OSX on non Apple Hardware are not permitted.
   

3. c)Do not post copyrighted material. It is illegal. Just because you have seen it done elsewhere on the Web does not make it right, or legal! If you do, you put yourself, and the list mom, at risk if the copyright holder decided to sue.
   

4. d)Never, ever, discuss piracy (software, music, movies, etc), jail breaking or unlocking of iPhones. It will not be tolerated.
   

5. e)Repeat after us: At this time there are no Mac viruses. If there were a virus for the Mac it would be plastered all over the news as a major breaking story! If you have read an article about a mac virus, please, check reputable sources first.
   

6. f)Political discussions will not be tolerated on this list! EVER. There are plenty of forums out there for you to vent. Political signatures, phrases, tags, etc., will get you a nasty warning from the list parents. Second offense will get you banned.
   

7. g)Off topic posts are just that …. off topic! They have no place on this list. We don't care about your cookie recipe, your last vacation, virus hoaxes, silly articles (non-computer related), your political or religious views, or who won the world series, world soccer cup, super bowl, etc..
   

8. h)Posting "I know this is off-topic but I couldn't resist"… will be ground for immediate removal from the list. If you are not sure if something is on or off topic, send an email to one of the list parents and ASK before you post. Always keep in mind the charter of this list (see Topics that are valid for this list) and you will be on topic.
   
   

4) Management details of the list:

1. This list is run as a service to the OS X community by Janice Kempf, List Mom/List Owner, and owner of Clear Link. As stated above, being a member of this group is a privilege, not a right!  That being said, the following criteria will substantially reduce the administrative overhead involved in running this list.
   

1. a) You MUST post from the address you subscribed from. If it hasn't shown up on the list within 30 minutes, chances are you are posting from an address that is not part of the list database and was automatically rejected.
   

2. b)If you need to suspend delivery of email for a short time, i.e. vacation unsubscribe from the mailing list: Send the email to the list parents with the subject titled 'suspend' or 'unsubscribe'. DO NOT POST ADMIN REQUESTS TO THE OSX DISCUSSION LIST!
   

3. c)If emails to you "bounce" your subscription to this list will be automatically put on hold and a verification email from google will be sent to you. Failure to respond within 48 hours will result in your subscription being canceled. You will then have to re-subscribe once your email problems have been sorted out.
   

4. d)The list of subscribers to this list is NOT available.
   

5) Digests:

1. We have two digest options available. One digest email for every 25 posts to the list, or a once daily abbreviated digest containing all the subject lines for the day. (note that while the abbreviated digest comes to your email, all conversations are read via your web browser, and you MUST be subscribed as a google groups member for the abbreviated digest option)
   

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3. If you would rather receive the digest version, send your request to the list parents with "switch to digest" in the subject line. DO NOT POST DIGEST REQUESTS TO THE OSX DISCUSSION LIST! You will be ignored.
   
   

4. IMPORTANT NOTE FOR DIGEST USERS: You MUST change the subject line when replying from this digest to the list. Be sure to set the Subject line to be the same as the thread to which you are replying, or set it to something meaningful if you are starting a new thread.
   

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6. Editing the digest when posting a *reply* to this list is extremely important. Select the topic/e-mail you are replying to and edit out the rest. Do NOT post a reply sending the entire digest back to the discussion list.
   

6) Questions?

1. If you have any questions or comments regarding this private discussion list, e-mail the list parents.
   

1. 7) To Subscribe or Unsubscribe
   To subscribe enter your email address in the box on the main page. Please note that YOU DO NOT NEED A GMAIL/GOOGLE ACCOUNT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS GROUP. To unsubscribe e-mail the list parents. with Unsubscribe in the subject line.
   

I hope you enjoy being a member of the OS X Discussion List!

I'm glad you're here. Now, lets have some fun! - Janice Kempf / List Owner-List Mom.