1.0 welcome to the newsgroup alt.gothic.fashion!
--please read this first--

Here's a few dos and don'ts for posting in alt.gothic.fashion. These suggestions will make your life happier and will make the other a.g.f.posters appreciate you more.

Do observe basic Netiquette. This includes:

• DO read the newsgroup for a week or more before you post. This will show you the tenor and attitude of the group. Also, it doesn't hurt to check out Google's archive of a.g.f. posts for at least the past month (the past six months would be dandy), so you get an idea of what topics have been talked to death recently.
• DO keep your signature to four lines or less.
• DON'T post in HTML. This seems to be a big problem with WebTV and newsreaders built into web browsers. It's really hard to read for the rest of us.
• DO make sure your posts are no wider than 80 characters per line. In some newsreaders (such as AOL's), you may need to manually insert carriage breaks at the end of each line. If you don't do this, it won't wrap around and your post will read like onelongunendingsentence.
• DON'T post binaries/pictures to this newsgroup. There's a separate newsgroup called alt.binaries.gothic for that.
• DO quote from a previous post if you are replying to it, so that subsequent readers will know what you are talking about. Quote only the relevant part of the previous post, not their signature or anything else unnecessary to the discussion. Remember to include the writer's name too. If you are unclear about quoting, read the Quote, Dammit! page.
• DO make sure the subject line of your post is specific, direct, and gives people an idea of what the post is all about. For example -- instead of "help, what should I do?," use "help, looking for pointy shoes in Nebraska." Also, if the discussion within a thread changes, DO change the subject line accordingly.
• Spelling and punctuation DO count, so read over your posts carefully before you send them. Everyone makes occasional typos, but rampant mistakes make posts very hard to understand.
• DON'T post a question to the newsgroup and demand that people email the answer directly to you. Questions and answers are what the newsgroup is all about. If you don't have the time to check back here every so often, then why should someone take the time to answer your question?
• DO avoid signing your posts with a net.name that is very similar to names already in use. Even if it is your real name, try to modify it so that people can tell everyone apart. This is another good reason to lurk first.
• If you have a question for or a problem with one specific person on the newsgroup, DO email that person directly and DO NOT post it to the entire group. If you can't find the person's email address, search Google for their last post. It can really waste other people's time to wade through personal chats and/or name-calling.
• DO NOT feed the trolls. Read the Troll FAQ -- it applies to a.g.f. just as well.
• Remember that sarcasm and facetiousness DON'T translate very well in the text-only world of Usenet newsgroups. If your words can be misunderstood, they *will* be. Don't assume people will 'know' what you mean. Instead, *write* exactly what you mean.
• If your post is not really about gothic fashion, DO put OT (for "off-topic") in the subject line. But first, think long and hard and ask yourself if there's really a good reason to post it here at all. If the post is about general gothic topics, post it in alt.gothic instead of here.

Now, about Gothic Fashion:

• Before you do anything, please DO read the faq (frequently asked questions) file. It's on the web -- sorry, no-one can email it to you. The info. in the faq does indeed cover all of the basic questions that have been asked a billion, jillion times before. Old-timers on the newsgroup are tired of posting this stuff again and again, so it's all been collected here for your use.

  The faq lists gothic stores, sewing how-tos, craft tips, room decorating ideas, makeup tricks, websites, etc., etc., all culled from the past and present members of this newsgroup. If you're wondering where to buy something, how to make something, or have questions about hair dye/makeup, this is an excellent place to start looking.

• While you're at it, DO read all the gothic faqs (they're linked in the resources section). They can be pretty handy for both general goth info. and for general newsgroup tips.
• DO keep your posts on-topic. The topic at hand is "gothic fashion." Yes, it's a broad topic and can include everything from pointy boots to slipcovering a couch. But this is not alt.gothic, and we don't generally get into the old "is this gothic/what is gothic" debates or "what's your favourite band/movie" type polls.

  Think carefully before you post this kind of stuff, and, if you must post it, make sure the subject line begins with OT (for "off-topic"). If it's particularly silly, you could preface the subject line with [fluff], and if it's especially opinionated, you could put [rant] in the subject line. If your post is a question meant for general opinions, you could put [poll] in the subject line.

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