Subject: Using ba.seminars or ca.seminars -- FAQ (v 1.13)
From: [email-masked] (Eugene N. Miya)
Date: 18 Aug 1997 12:53:20 GMT
Newsgroups: ba.seminars,ca.seminars

Intro
=====
Subject: field format
---------------------
Article Message Formatting
--------------------------
How far in advance should I place a seminar announcement? [Time/duration]
---------------------------------------------------------
Can I cross-post?
-----------------
Things which irk ba.seminars and ca.seminars readers:
-----------------------------------------------------
Regular Bay Area Meeting Schedules
----------------------------------
Misc.
-----

Intro
=====

The history of posting seminars across the net has its start on the ARPAnet.
Speakers might be able to send viewgraphs via snail mail post facto.
This tradition was carried for years.

Because the Bay Area represents as prominent a force in computing as it does,
it is common for some seminar attendees to travel from as far away as Tokyo,
or even more local flights like San Diego and Portland, Oregon.  Don't
discount it.  It happens.

Read this post and view a few other posts before posting yourself.
Netiquette: read news.announce.newusers (or de.newusers or similar newuser
groups).

If you need help, ask your news system administrator.

This FAQ should be unnecessary, but I get complaints.  I'll get complaints
for an FAQ, but I can take the heat.  8^) <- of course you know what
a smiley is......

Points
======

Subject: field format
---------------------

It is useful to have a Subject: field with the format
	Subject: When? Who? What? Where? 
	Subject: Date Time rest_of_useful_title
This is because these lines can be saved and easily placed in calendar files
for later additional access (like those systems which mail reminders to
their user/owners).  Any variation on Month Day, Year Time format for Date
will take flak, so just do it.  Choose something reasonably unambiguous.

BE specific on the date.  You can't say "Next Friday" or "Tuesday."
Messages are queued non-synchronously.  A person might receive it post-facto.
This doesn't help them.

rest_of_useful_title:
The readers of this group (one of the highest signal to noise groups in
the ba) want only the basics: who, what, where, when, why, how?
Try to check this information.  Keep it short, try to provide
directions.  The poster should be prepared to answer email information
requests.  Keep it to that.

The body of your message should also cover and have the 5Ws.
Don't just post:
	Subject: Seminar
We know.  It's the name of the newsgroup.

Article Message Formatting
--------------------------

Try to stick to pure ASCII.
People have posted TeX or PostScript (sometimes an ASCII and a TeX version).
Most human readers these days can't handle these.  If you include an
ASCII map, be aware of two things:
	1) variable width printer fonts lose all spatial meaning.
	2) Many systems like IBMs define variable spaced tabbing.
		Avoid using tabs.

How far in advance should I place a seminar announcement? [Time/duration]
---------------------------------------------------------

This depends on how long receiptant news systems keep news articles.
This varies from site to site.  Do not assume that other people see
what you see.  The old default was 2 weeks.  I know very few systems using
this value these days.  Some sites keep news articles one day.
Don't post once a day for multiple days.

One modification you can try is the Expires: line.  Basically it tells
the receiving host when to remove your announcement (like just after
the seminar's date).  The header syntax is:
	Expires: 1 Apr 19XX
This doesn't work on every site.  This needs to be kept in the header,
you can add it yourself on most systems without rejection.

Reminders:
If you would like to post a reminder shortly before the event,
that's not a bad idea, but use a very short lead time Expires: field (to get
rid of the article after the event but before the normal expiration).

Some people would say this is only common sense, but common sense isn't so
common.

Can I cross-post?
-----------------

Yes, if you do so intelligently.
The problem (this is how flame wars start) come from Followups to
controversial articles.  Edit the Newsgroups/Subject lines and use the
Followup-To: field with relevant groups without the *.seminars groups.
Followup-To: is not for email addresses (use Reply-To: or Sender:).

Avoid separate multiple posts when cross-posts will do.

Why?
----

Because if you don't remove the *.seminars groups from say a
talk.politics.abortion cross-post, you bring the flame wars into this
high signal to noise ratio announcement group.  Thus this group loses its
value.  And we all know that most people don't edit their Newsgroups lines.

It is the responsibility of the initial ripple poster to appropriately direct
follow-ups into discussion groups.

Things which irk ba.seminars and ca.seminars readers:
-----------------------------------------------------

1) Meeting announcements lacking information about fees.  This is illegal.
This is implies "bait and switch."  Say the cost right up front:
	Cost: Free
	Cost: $X
	Fee: $Y

1a) Donations are voluntary, if a donation is required, then expect the
local police.  "Fees" convey the requirement to pay.  Note fees in posts.
	Donation: $Z suggested
	Not a "Donation: $W required"

2) Mass cross-posts of Make Money Fast posts or Craig Shergold appeal messages
or Green Card lawyers.  Don't.

3) If the status of a seminar changes (like overbooked) and if possible,
cancel the announcement (See the ba/ca.general post on Canceling articles
[posted once a month]), and keep readers appraised of changes.
Seminar speakers have been known to die just prior to their speaking
engagements.  Accomodate this.

4) And of course, FAQs.  Learn to use Killfiles (See the ba/ca.general post
on Killfiles [posted once a month]).

Register Bay Area Meeting Schedules
-----------------------------------

It was suggested that we attempt to keep a monthly tally of regular
meetings to check for cases of conflict with similar meetings.  Okay.
I need to check for the other IEEE and ACM meetings.

Mondays
2nd Mondays: APL BUG (@ Allstate Research Center) (APL Bay Area Users' Group)
	Northern Calif. ACM SIGAPL

Tuesdays
2nd eve.: BayCHI (@ PARC)
# 4nd eve.: ACM SV SIGGRAPH (Apple) [except Dec. and July] (on hold)

Wednesdays

Thursdays

Fridays

Saturdays

Sundays

Misc.
-----

Doesn't ca mean Canada?

Canadian email addresses use the "ca" domain, but Canada was beaten out of the
use of "ca" in news.  Well, sorta, long story (like explain well.sf.ca.us).
The Canadian news groups are designated: can.* like can.general.
Occasionally you will see Canadian seminar posted here.
The poster is a confused Canadian.  Don't worry.

"I can't attend, are there proceedings, minutes, or notes available?":

If you are really cool, Please state in your announcement whether
meeting minutes, photocopies of viewgraphs, notes, or proceedings are
available, AND how? (who to mail, how to mail, cost, etc.) within the content
of your announcement.  The coolest readers will understand this.

Please include email addresses of speakers
and any other people or organizations
mentioned in your announcement.  This being akin to a signature except
relevant to the seminar.

Also, if any documents or other files are relevant,
please include complete www-style addresses for those.

Pissed off readers can forward this post to offending seminar posters,
but note that these are guidelines and not rules.