RARA-AVIS: Admin: List now 3 years old

From: William Denton ( buff@pobox.com)
Date: 06 Jan 2000


RARA-AVIS was announced on 5 January 1997, so it's now three years old. Please read this, because it includes some rules everyone should know and follow, and some information about how to leave the list in case you lost the instructions when you joined.

Rules
-----

I quote from the introductory message sent to new subscribers:

        - No flames.
        - No binaries.
        - No MIME attachments.
        - Trim as much quoted text as possible from your replies
          (this definitely includes the footer added to the bottom
          of each message).

The first three rules are almost never broken, but I have had to remind a number of people about the fourth point lately. Please keep it in mind when you're sending something to the list--it's important.

The topic of the list is hardboiled (and noir) fiction, and things related. Related things include adaptations, the lives and other works of hardboiled writers, literary theory about it, and so on. I think of it as anything that's one step away from actual hardboiled fiction. I try to keep the list focused without restraining discussion, and do send out messages in private that the list as a whole won't see, so please don't think I'm picking on you if I remind you of the list's focus. I do it to keep the list from degrading into a free-for-all pen-pal club of mystery fans.

Inappropriate topics include: anything that isn't hardboiled or one step away. This is not the place to discuss mysteries in general, whether they're novels, TV shows, or movies. You should go to rec.arts.mystery or DOROTHYL, where much the latitude is much wider.

But don't let that discourage you from sending out a message! I notice several new subscribers or old lurkers have been posting lately, and I'd like to welcome them. Nice to see new people. It's also nice to see that several real writers are here, to go with the crew of experts and walking encyclopedias.

Subscribers
-----------

How many subscribers are there?

Subscribers Date
-------------------- Jan 1998 163 Jul 1998 196 Jan 1999 237 Jul 1999 272 Jan 2000 288

Unsubscribing
-------------

If you're on the regular version of the list, you can leave by sending the following in the body of an e-mail message to majordomo@icomm.ca:

        unsubscribe rara-avis

If you're on the digest version of the list--you are if you get a whole bunch of messages grouped together in one e-mail, one or more times a day--then do the same, except say

        unsubscribe rara-avis-digest

But I know you saved the instructions you got when you joined the list, so you don't really need this reminder.

iComm
-----

Finally, please don't forget that the list is brought to you through the good graces of iComm, a non-profit corporation that gives out free Internet services to non-profit and community groups. I'm a board member. If you'd like to make a donation, they're very welcome and very needed. Instructions on how to do so are on the web site at www.icomm.ca. If you're part of a non-profit group who needs a web site or mailing list, go by and see if you'd like to apply for an account.

Cheers,

Bill

-- 
William Denton : Toronto, Canada : http://www.miskatonic.org/ : Caveat lector.




-- # To unsubscribe, say "unsubscribe rara-avis" to majordomo@icomm.ca. # The web pages for the list are at http://www.miskatonic.org/rara-avis/ .



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