Higher-Fire Netiquette

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Greetings Saints in Jesus name!

I've had a comment today about the dreaded "Netiquette" document.  Hopefully,
everybody gets this document when they receive the "welcome to Higher-Fire"
document when they are *added* to the mailing list.  But, because it's kinda
lengthy, people might not have read through the whole document or maybe the
document has been misplaced.  Technically, I should post it about once a 
month anyway as a reminder to how things should work around here.....

....with all of that said, here's the H-F Netiquette document.

 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


This document isn't an attempt to squelch the expression of the different
discussions of Higher-Fire. These guidelines are not meant to suppress 
good, honest, and healthy discussions and questions.  Rather, they are 
here to promote harmony and unity among all subscribers.  If a discussion 
deviates outside one or more of these guidelines then the parties involved 
should move that discussion off this list.

                        HIGHER-FIRE Netiquette

(This has been turned into a rant section.  Do you have an email pet peeve
 that you see on Higher-Fire involving netiquette?  Send it in.)
 
 1.  Have you captured more of the original post than is necessary?
 
If the first original word of your response isn't on the first page of your
post, you've got a problem.  Don't quote someone else's entire post to
reply to it.  Simply copy the relevant parts.  Many mailers have a function
that will automatically copy the entire post putting in the ">"s for you.
Use this function with caution, and if you do use it, delete the irrelevant
lines.  It's annoying to have to page down about 4 times before you can
read any fresh material.  It also takes up precious disk space because it
makes your post larger.
 
 2.  Is the title of your post consistent with the subject therein?
 
 3.  Is your signature file longer than six (4-6) lines long?
 
 4.  Would you say it to the person's face or at church sanctuary 
     or fellowship hall?
 
If not, don't say it on Higher-Fire.
 
 5.  Are you angry?
 
If the primary motivation for the post is vindication or revenge, 
cool off first. Go kick a file cabinet, bite your dog, grab a hamburger
and french fries and chocolate milk shake, eat some ice cream, have a
cup of coffee, and pray before you reply.
 
 6.  Is the other guy flaunting his ignorance?
 
Even when someone else's argument is stupid, to tell them so rarely causes
them to change their mind.  Instead, they can often become defensive and
flood the list with even more stupid arguments.  So don't inflict that on
the rest of us. The only thing worse than a stupid argument is the defense
of a stupid argument.
 
 7.  Has the message been spell-checked for errors?  

Sometimes, the thought-finger coordination doesn't produce perfectly spelled
documents sent to the list.  We've all endured our share of typographical
errors in reading and writing.  Is there a spell checking function built into
the emailing program?  Or could the document be produced and then checked by
invoking an spelling utility?  It might be in your best interest to find
out.  Spelling errors imply that the composer may seem to be ... "not smart."
I realize, that in all cases this isn't possible.  But I can only think
that correcting the spelling errors by re-reading the message before resending
it can only help.  I've heard that a good way to do that is to read the
document from bottom to top while reading left to right.  That might make
you look harder at what was just written so you might not miss anything.

 8.  Is the subject line relevant?
 
Subject lines like "What?" are cute, but not very helpful to those who have
to sort their mail by subject.
 
 9.  Keep subject lines up-to-date.
 
One problem that arises here is a matter of taste.  Some people want
Subject: lines to change as fast as the topic drifts; others complain that
when Subject: lines change, they can't follow the discussion.
 
One good way to handle this is to change the Subject: line when the topic
has drifted significantly, but to include a reference to the old Subject:
line.  This is an old Usenet tradition, and it might look like this:
 
>Subject: Jesus Name Baptism (was: Re: Baptizing in the Titles of God)
 
10.  Does your posting mention Hitler? Nazis?
 
         Godwin's Law:  When Hitler or Nazis are brought up in a 
                        thread, it has been going on too long.

If someone compares you to Nazis, Satanists, or some other repulsive form
of human being, you've won the argument, because they have nothing rational
left to say.  Leave it at that....
 
11.  Does your post repeatedly bash another's opinions, integrity, or 
     intelligence?

Such an action may result in an internalization of directed shame.  We're
all born in sin.  And shaped in iniquity.  And saved by grace.  We don't need
someone else (other than ourselves) heaping words that cause bad feelings.
In a world that is constantly picking and tearing down the saint with 
relentless fervor, do we need brothers and sisters of like faith to do the
same?

Does the casting down of another's belief system put you on the pedestal of 
a prizefighter that's just gone for the kill?  If you said it and later 
realized your error, would you willing and able to gather enough humility 
to apologize to that person and others on Higher-Fire? 

My pastor would quote scripture saying "Out of the abundance of the heart,
the mouth speaketh."  In this case, "Out of the abundance of the heart,
the fingers type."  A man is defiled by what proceeds out of his mouth.
Does the potential poisonous post you're about to submit reveal something
that might show an inner condition of the heart that needs more attention
than the submission of the post?

 ----------------------------other considerations----------------------------

A.  Does your post contain WORDS that are in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS!!!

Caution should be used when posting in ALL CAPS because it is commonly
equated to SHOUTING very loudly.  Many folks can be offended by CONSTANT
or ABUSE OF CAPITAL LETTERS in a MESSAGE because of its STRONG EMPHASIS.

If you want to emphasize words in a sentence.  Maybe you should try
using double-quote marks "like this" to draw attention, or maybe 
asterisks *like this*, or possibly even underscores _like this_.  

There are times when writing in a CAPITAL LETTERS may be appropriate.
If you need to find out how it would sound, write the message with the
choice words in CAPITAL LETTERS.  Then read it back to yourself.  If 
the words or phase that is EMPHASIZED by the capital letters sounds a
little peculiar when you repeat the CAPITALIZATION at a "shouted level"
in your mind, it's probably too strong of an emphasis and you need to
choose a different way to *emphasize* words without _shouting_ at the
other saints.

B.  Are you monopolizing the conversation by posting too much?
 
Instead of replying at length to each message in a thread, compile 
your replies into one post.  This forces you to think about such 
things as structure and reasoned argument as you pull together the 
many lines of thought in a thread.  It is also much more pleasant 
to read.
 
C.  Are you writing to the list, or just agreeing with the sender?
 
If the main message of your post is to say "Amen!" or "I agree totally,"
please send the post privately.  Readers don't usually do a tally to
see how many people agree with a particular point of view.  The point of
posting to Higher-Fire is to add to a discussion, blessing people on the
list, or other reasons of saint edification.  Sending a post that quotes
someone else at length and then just saying "Amen" at the bottom does not
add to the discussion.  It merely adds volume to the list.  If you want
the person to know you support them, tell them so in private mail.

If you feel an "Amen!" is absolutely necessary, please include something 
fresh as to how the previous post blessed you, effected you, caused you to
think more deeply about something.
 
D.  Has someone else already said what you want to say?
 
Read all the posts from HIGHER-FIRE (at least with the subject you want to
reply to) before you reply.  It's nice to be the first to offer a suggestion, 
or make a reply, or ask a question in response to a post, but because we are 
all from different parts of the world and we don't all get mail at the same 
time it is impossible to always be first.  Make sure someone hasn't beaten 
you to the punch, and if they have, keep quiet and just follow along in the 
thread until you CAN add something unique.
 
E.  Are you posting an opinion on a topic, or have you become the topic?
 
F.  Are you being disruptive?
 
G.  Has the discussion ground to a halt?
 
Sometimes, a discussion reaches the point where it is clear that neither
person is going to convince the other.  It is often best, in these instances,
to bow out gracefully.
 
Finally, do not subscribe to the theory that "some things just demand a
reply!"  Nothing demands a reply.  Sometimes it requires restraint to keep
from replying, but there's nothing wrong with remaining silent.  I only
know of one time that Jesus got angry and started shouting, even though
there were many provocations.  And when he did, he wasn't defending
himself, he was defending the sanctity of the house of God.

--------------------------This Netiquette Document------------------------

This document will be on-hand by the moderators of the list.  Eventually,
it'd be a good thing to add this document to the Higher-Fire archives 
at Prairienet for quick and near-immediate retrieval.  This document 
will also be sent automatically to the composer of the message when the
spirit of the message goes against the spirit of the Higher-Fire list upon 
the rejection of a post.  That will give the poster a chance to retract, 
reword, rethink, rebuild, re-whatever is necessary to the message so that 
it will comply with the above mentioned guidelines and bring glory to God.  

I recommend you keep a copy of this document as a tool of measure to judge 
what you are about to write and send to the recipients of the Higher-Fire 
list.