[Stones] Revised FAQ .
Chris Tweed
chris at tweeds.org.uk
Mon Oct 29 22:26:43 GMT 2007
Just wanted to get something up here tonight. I will shortly be
updating all the different formats of FAQ linked from the homepage :
www.stoneslist.org.uk
The Stones Mailing List Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) File
Revision 021 - 29th October, 2007
FAQ availability
What is the purpose of the Stones Mailing List?
What are the rules for participating in the Stones Mailing List?
How can I subscribe to the list?
How do I post a message to the list?
How can I unsubscribe from the list?
How can I change my email address on the list?
How can I receive a "digest" of the mailing list?
Can I temporarily halt delivery of list mail without unsubscribing?
What other commands can I issue to the mailing list?
The Stones-Chat List
Is there a web archive of messages from the Stones Mailing List?
What relationship exists between this mailing list and the Stone
Circle Web Ring?
What is ASLaN?
What books exist relating to the subject?
Revision Details
Disclaimer
FAQ availability
This is the official FAQ for the Stones Mailing List. It is
maintained and distributed by Chris Tweed ( chris at henge dot org
dot uk). This FAQ file is posted to the mailing list periodically and
is also available online from http://www.stoneslist.org.uk where you
can choose between ASCII, HTML and MS Word versions of the document.
If you have any queries, comments, suggestions or additions for
either this FAQ or the mailing list then please send email to me at
stones-owner at stoneslist.org.uk.
What is the purpose of the Stones Mailing List?
The Stones Mailing List came into being at the end of September /
beginning of October 1997 as a facility for a small number of people
to take part in a broad and open conversation regarding anything that
relates to "ancient sites". There were various archaeological mailing
lists and news groups in existence, but nothing that reflected the
informal and open style of discussion that was envisaged by the
mailing list creator, Chris Tweed. The list has grown steadily over
the years and has attracted a knowledgeable and devoted membership.
Various list members organise occasional “meets” which typically
involve site visits.
The term "ancient sites" in the above context covers any type of
archaeological site from stone circles and burial mounds to brochs
and hill forts, pyramids and Nasca lines! The discussion is not
limited to sites within the British Isles, although it is likely that
correspondence will concentrate upon these sites for much of the time.
Also included are those phenomena that do not necessarily have a
substantive physical presence, for example leys and dowsing. These
are included because they are often relevant to the main topic of
discussion.
The administrator holds a tolerant view towards what is and what is
not "on topic" for this list. See "What are the rules for
participating in the Stones Mailing List" below. Also see "The Stones-
Chat List" - the place to go if you want to partake in any off-topic
banter with other folks from the mailing list community.
What are the rules for participating in the Stones Mailing List?
For the benefit of those who do-not wish to download excessive
amounts of "rubbish" the following rules and guidelines apply to the
posting of messages to this list : -
1.The posting of illegal or offensive material to the mailing list is
prohibited and will be dealt with by banning the offender from the
list and reporting his / her conduct to the appropriate authorities.
The judgement of what is regarded as offensive is entirely the
decision of the administrator.
2.In common with most other discussion groups the posting of binary
files to the mailing list is prohibited. If there is a binary file
that you would like to share with other list members there are other
ways of accomplishing this:-
a)Make the file available via either a web page or an ftp site and
then inform the list of the appropriate URL.
b)Ask interested parties to mail you directly (ie they should reply
off the list) so that you can send the file off the list to only
those people who request it.
3.Please try to keep quoting to a useful minimum. There is little
point in quoting a large message in full and simply adding "I agree"
to the end of it.
4.The administrator of the mailing list has a tolerant view towards
what may or may not fall inside the subject of the mailing list. His
decision will be final and he would ask you to take note of any
warnings he may issue regarding what he feels is "off subject" for
this mailing list.
5.If you do want to talk "off topic" to other members of the list
then you can always subscribe to the "stones-chat" list. This
provides people the opportunity to "opt in" to a mailing list where
they can talk off topic with other members of the main list without
filling up the main list with too much chatter. You can discover more
about the stones-chat list below.
6.People will occasionally fall out with each other and the medium of
email is notorious for miscomprehension of intent. Please be tolerant
when posting to the mailing list, treat others as you would like to
be treated yourself. A helping hand is more welcome than a slap!
7.The content of messages distributed via the mailing list is the
sole responsibility of the individual poster. The administrator of
the mailing list takes no responsibility for the postings of other
members.
8.The administrator reminds subscribers that the service provided by
the mailing list is in no way guaranteed. Whilst the administrator
will do his utmost to ensure smooth operation of the mailing list
there may be breaks in service. The administrator will in no way be
held responsible for any damages or loss of earnings resulting from
subscribing to the mailing list. (this is beginning to sound like a
Microsoft licensing agreement, but I have to cover myself).
9.As the subject matter of this mailing list often concerns ancient
sacred sites it is likely that some kind of discussion involving
religious and spiritual beliefs will arise from time to time. When
posting to the list please respect the beliefs of others as you would
want your own beliefs to be respected. If you disagree with a
particular view of the world then please try to do so in a reasoned
and civil manner.
How can I subscribe to the list?
You can subscribe to the Stones Mailing list either via the web or
via email :-
By Email
To subscribe to the Stones Mailing List via email you should send a
message to
stones-request at stoneslist.org.uk with the word "subscribe" (without
the quote marks) in the subject line or the message body.
When the list server receives your request it will reply to you with
a confirmation message. You can either visit the web link enclosed in
the confirmation email or simply reply to the message (making sure
that you do not change the subject header) to be fully validated as a
subscriber to the list.
By Web Browser
To subscribe to the Stones Mailing List using your web browser go to
the following URL :-
http://www.stoneslist.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/stones
and then enter your details in the form provided. Once you click on
the send button the list server will send you a confirmation message
to the email address you entered. You can either visit the web link
enclosed in the confirmation email or simply reply to the message
(making sure that you do not change the subject header) to be fully
validated as a subscriber to the list.
Whether subscribing to the list via the web or via email you will
receive a “Welcome” message once you are validated as a member of the
list. Please try to keep this welcome message in a safe place, it
contains a link to your personal mailing list configuration page
where you can change settings, get a reminder of your password
emailed to you, or unsubscribe from the list.
Note that by default the mailing list will email your password to you
every month (this can be disabled using your configuration page or
email).
How do I post a message to the list?
The address to send your messages for the list is
stones at stoneslist.org.uk
How can I unsubscribe from the list?
You can unsubscribe from the Stones Mailing List via either your web
browser or email :-
By Email
Send a message to stones-request at stoneslist.org.uk with the word
“unsubscribe” (without the quote marks) in either the subject line or
the message body.
By Web Browser
Visit your personal mailing list configuration page (the URL for this
is in the welcome message sent to you when you subscribed) and click
on the “unsubscribe” button.
You can also browse to the following URL, scroll to the bottom of the
page and enter your email address which will take you to your
subscriber options page. Here you can unsubscribe from the list.
http://www.stoneslist.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/stones
In either case the list server will send you an email to confirm your
removal from the mailing list. You can either visit the web link
enclosed in the confirmation email or simply reply to the message
(making sure that you do not change the subject header) to have your
list membership cancelled.
How can I change my email address on the list?
If you want to change your email address then head to your personal
mailing list configuration page and enter your new email address
there. A confirmation message will be sent to your new email address.
You should either reply to this email or visit the URL provided
within it in order to confirm your email address change. Please note
that your password and all your other settings will remain intact.
Note that you can get to your personal mailing list configuration
page by browsing to the following URL and entering your email address
into the text box near the bottom of the page :-
http://www.stoneslist.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/stones
How can I receive a "digest" of the mailing list?
Some people find it more convenient to receive one bundled up copy of
all the mail from the mailing list periodically rather than receiving
each individual message as it is distributed to the list. If you wish
to receive messages from The Stones Mailing List in this fashion you
can change the required settings via either email or a web browser.
By Email
Send a message to stones-request at stoneslist.org.uk and use one of the
following options in either the subject line or the message body :-
set digest plain
set digest mime
set digest off
When the `digest' option is turned off, you will receive postings
immediately when they are posted. Use `set digest plain' if instead
you want to receive postings bundled into a plain text digest. Use
`set digest mime' if instead you want to receive postings bundled
together into a MIME digest.
By Web Browser
Go to your mailing list configuration page and select the appropriate
options under “set digest mode” and “get MIME or plain text digests”.
Note that you can not receive both the normal postings and the
digests from the same email address. If for some reason you do wish
to receive both types of delivery then you will have to subscribe a
second email address to the mailing list and set your options
accordingly.
All digests are currently issued at 2 minutes past midnight, UK time.
Can I temporarily halt delivery of list mail without unsubscribing?
Sometimes it’s handy to be able to temporarily halt the flow of mail
from the mailing list if you are going away on holiday or will be
unable to read it for an extended period. This is particularly useful
if you have a limit imposed on the size of your mailbox.
You can suspend mail delivery my issuing a command via email or by
using your web browser :-
By Email
Send a message to stones-request at stoneslist.org.uk containing “set
delivery off” (without the quote marks) in either the subject line or
the message body. To recommence delivery of mailing list messages
simply send another command “set delivery on”.
By Web Browser
Browse to your personal configuration page and set the “mail
delivery” option to either enabled or disabled as required.
What other commands can I issue to the mailing list?
Please note that all of your settings can be changed either by email
or via the web configuration page. There are no options that are only
available via one or the other, it is simply a matter of personal
preference which method you choose.
By Email
Send a message to stones-request at stoneslist.org.uk with the word
“help” (without the quote marks) in either the subject line or the
message body. The list server will reply with a full list of settings
that you can change.
By Web Browser
Visit your configuration page and select the options you require.
The Stones-Chat List
The Stones-Chat mailing list was set up to enable people to talk off
topic with other members of the mailing list without inflicting such
off-topic messages on the rest of the subscriber base. If you would
like to join the stones-chat mailing list then please follow the
instructions for the main list as shown above but substitute “stones-
chat” for “stones”.
All other options and settings are identical to the main stones list
– just substitute “stones-chat” for “stones”.
Is there a web archive of messages from the Stones Mailing List?
The archives for the Stones Mailing List can be found at the
following URL :-
http://www.stoneslist.org.uk/pipermail/stones
Please note that these archives start on Sunday 11th July 2004 when
the mailing list moved to the Mailman list server system. I am
currently working on making all previous postings to the list
available via a similar web browser interface.
What relationship exists between this mailing list and the Stone
Circle Web Ring?
The "Stones Mailing List" and the "Stone Circle Web Ring" are two
entirely separate things. The creator of one just happens to be a
friend of the creator of the other. Andy Burnham often recommends
that members of the web ring subscribe to the Stones Mailing List as
a convenient means of keeping up to date with events. My web site
happens to be a member of the Stone Circle Web Ring. There is no
official link and membership of one does not imply or require
membership of the other.
What is ASLaN?
ASLaN is the Ancient Sacred Landscapes Network. The administrator of
the list, as an individual who cares about ancient and sacred
monuments is an advocate of the aims of ASLaN, however the mailing
list is in no way affiliated with ASLaN. Some ASLaN members use the
mailing list as a convenient method of communication and you are
likely to see the acronym banded around.
ASLaN currently appears to be without an online home, I am liaising
with Andy Norfolk to remedy this situation. Meanwhile a copy of the
ASLaN Charter can be found here :-
http://www.henge.org.uk/general/ASLaN_Charter.txt
Sorry, I need to get this back online after my server failure. It
will be back again shortly!
What books exist relating to the subject?
In short, far too many to list here! However there are bibliographies
available on the web. I would recommend the bibliography put together
by Alastair McIvor to be a very good starting place. Point your web
browser to http://www.geocities.com/athens/parthenon/6197/bib.htm.
Revision Details
Rev Date By Details
001 29/09/1997 Chris Tweed First draught of FAQ.
002 01/10/1997 Chris Tweed Clean up formatting + a few minor changes.
003 09/10/1997 Chris Tweed Converted to Word document and HTML.
004 01/11/1997 Chris Tweed Added mailing list archive details.
Updated URL index.
Tweaked the text a little :^)
005 03/12/1997 Chris Tweed Broch entry in glossary updated, thanks to
Martin
McCarthy.
Updated URL index.
006 01/02/1998 Chris Tweed Updated URL index.
007 08/03/1998 Chris Tweed Added snailmail address section.
Updated URL index.
Added instructions for joining the
mailing list (a
slight omission from previous versions).
008 14/04/1998 Chris Tweed Updated URL index.
009 06/06/1998 Chris Tweed Removed the glossary.
Added the ASLaN charter.
Added section 8 to Rules and Guidelines.
010 25/07/1998 Chris Tweed Updated Mailing List Commands.
Glossary re-included in FAQ by popular
demand!
011 19/09/1998 Chris Tweed Major update to Mailing List Commands
URL index updated.
012 21/11/1998 Chris Tweed Changed "Posting Rules And Etiquette" to
reflect the
change in policy regarding binary
attachments.
Updated mailing list commands section.
013 31/01/1999 Chris Tweed Total reformatting of the document.
014 21/05/1999 Chris Tweed Reformatting of the entire document (again).
015 11/06/1999 Chris Tweed Modification to allow for the move of the
mailing
list to symbolstone.org
Removal of the glossary.
016 Chris Tweed Updated URLs
017 19/02/2002 Chris Tweed Updated FAQ after move of mailing list
hosting.
Removed URLs, I mean, it's just a joke
trying to keep
up with them now.
018 14/01/2003 Chris Tweed Added information regarding "stones-chat".
Added information regarding the web archive.
Removed full text of ASLaN charter and
inserted
suitable links to ASLaN website instead.
019 13/08/2003 Chris Tweed General tidy-up.
020 19/07/2004 Chris Tweed Updated to cover the move to the new
“Mailman”
maintained list.
021 29/10/2007 Chris Tweed Modified to take into account new domain
name etc.
Disclaimer
The maintainer of this FAQ will take no responsibility for any
inaccuracy in this document.
--
Chris Tweed
www.flickr.com/photos/ctweed
More information about the Stones
mailing list