Re: HELP! notes/tips on posting to this list-a response

[Guest guest]

--- In , slethnobotanist@y...

wrote:

> I have a ton of posts from this list that I have yet to read, but as I

> am perusing them I have noticed a few things that makes

reading them

> much more difficult. So below I have listed some suggestions

that might

> make handling the volume on this list much easier.

------------, I had several different semi-neurotic reactions

to your post on posting:

1. " Oh no, I hope since my posting was only a few before this

one that I wasn't the main inspiration for this criticism! " This

response is based on my own overactive people-pleasing guilt

complex! Any perceived scolding brings out this in me. Of

course I checked my post to see which of your tenets I violated...

a few, but to my relief I didn't think it was THAT bad.

2. Relief and gratitude that I was finally being told what was

expected of me. As a group newbie, I try to emulate others and

not be a nuisance, but when you aren't sure what is irritating and

what is not, this can create a low-level anxiety. ( " What if no one

likes me? " " Am I doing this all wrong? " ) Your suggestions all

seem like obvious common sense things, but when you're new

you don't always notice things that might be glaring to the

experienced. For example, top posting never bothered me, but

not being able to tell what was reply and what was original

message did. Also, leaving the whole previous post at the end

never bothered me unless the new stuff was way at the bottom of

it. However, after reading your post, I agree with every

suggestion you made. I think whenever a new person joins the

group, a list of these suggestions should automatically be sent

to them.

3. Fresh anxiety when I realized I didn't understand what

wrapping your text means. " Oh no! What if I'm doing something

annoying and don't even know I'm doing it? " Are you referring to

when the writing travels off the page to right in a long horizontal

line instead of being contained in the parameters of the page?

I've noticed a message or two like that in the past. My posts don't

do that, so what are those people doing wrong? And how

should they prevent that?

4. Determination to follow the guidelines. I hope I'm doing so...

check out my last post! Notice I slightly altered the subject

heading on this post by adding " a response " ... (though obviously

it's a response... so what I added is tautologous, redundant and

makes me look like every kind of idiot... and saying both

tautologous and redundant IS tautologous and redundant... and

did I spell tautologous correctly? I don't want people on this list

to think I'm stupid...)

So there you have it. Now you know what kind of mental

convulsions you cause in some of us with a little well-placed

criticism. Don't stop, though. Your advice really is appreciated!

(And please don't think I'm an idiot... I really am trying to be

humorous as well as honest).