--- Newbie Fest --- La Fiesta de Nuevenos --- La Fete des Neufs --- Yenilerin Bayram ---
The Newbie Fest is a document giving information and answers to various questions concerning the Mercedes-Lackey mailing list. It was originally a series of bits and pieces of information put together by Deniz Sarikaya in order to help newbies fit in better, and it has evolved with the contribution of several listsibs and the list owner and become a FAQ-like document.
Here's a quick table of contents for what's included in this NewbieFest.
Part the First: On getting the FAQ and other official documents and important pieces of information.
Part the Second : On some list-iquette issues that have evolved through usage
Part the Third: On the titles people have and some frequently asked questions.
While the NewbieFest IS itself a FAQ kind of document, here are a few
different ways to get the list owner's official FAQ by mail, FTP, or the
web.
The following part is quoted from the FAQ, itself:
get mercedes-lackey lackey_faq.1
get mercedes-lackey lackey_faq.2
get mercedes-lackey lackey_faq.3
get mercedes-lackey lackey_faq.4
get mercedes-lackey lackey_faq.5
The listproc will send the FAQ to you, in 5 separate messages.
You can use Fetch or some other FTP program to access the FAQ at the
address above.
You can use your favorite web-browser to access the FAQ at the URL above.
The Council of Mist is an official group of List-Members who have been authorized by Melanie Dymond Harper, the list owner, to help regulate the Mercedes-Lackey mailing list. The Councilors remind people of the rules of the list and offer help to new list-members when it is needed. They are also willing to answer questions about appropriateness of postings, etc. Members of the Council can be identified by the title "Councilor of Mist" or "Member of the Council of Mist" in their signature files. Membership in the Council is by invitation only and this title cannot be used by other list-members. Official postings from the Council or from a Councilor usually have "MIST" in the subject line and all list-members should read these postings. Mel has officially endorsed the Council's work and, hopefully, this will cut down on a lot of the little irritations that occasionaly crop on this list. The Council strives to make the Mercedes Lackey mailing list a more amicable and enjoyable place. Should you have any suggestions, please let one of the Council members know.
The official announcement of the group was made to the list on Wed, July 9, 1997. In that announcement, Melanie Dymond Harper, the list owner said:
"The Council of Mist is being set up with my full cooperation and blessing; they are doing what I wish I had more time to do myself. They speak for me in these matters."
As Cennydd commented on that same message:
"If you have problems or complaints about someone's behavior on
the Misty list, you can contact one of these people. Hopefully, this will
reduce the amount of flaming and animosity that occasionally creeps onto
the list".
Ele's note:
As some of council members become swamped by real life, or get different
schedules or commitments, there are changes with councilors leaving duty
and new ones being recruited.
On July 9, 1998, as I am writing this, the Council is formed by:
"Meg" <SEANSQ@aol.com>
"Deniz Sarikaya" <dsarik@PO-Box.McGill.CA>
"Cennydd" <Kenny@Udel.edu>
"Ailsa Reid" <P0051885@BROOKES.AC.UK>
"Carla" <GodesCarla@aol.com>
"True" <pixel@capecod.net>
"Dax" <tntgray@sprintmail.com>
"Wintershard" <minterra@frontiernet.net>
"Ele" <eleonora@infodynamics.com.uy>
Each Councilor normally handles a day a week, but these days vary depending
on personal commitments. But in any case, should you need assistance, you
can contact any of the above.
Also, Cennydd has done some research on copyright issues, so he is normally
the Council spokesman on these matters. Copyright issues and concerns are
normally handled by posting about them on the list, since it is a serious
problem that we do our best to clarify for all concerned.
There's also a really helpful document called "Auntie Mel's Rules of Thumb." Unfortunately that isn't available as its own seperate e-mail message. You can get it by going to the web-site that's the home of this list, and either read it online, or better yet, save it for future reference. Actually, you can also get the digest it was reposted in most recently by e-mail. So, here are the two methods:
Go to the following URL: http://www.herald.co.uk/local_info/rules_thumb.html
You can access this using your web-browser of choice.
send mail to listproc@herald.co.uk
blank subject line
message of: get mercedes-lackey rules_thumb.txtSeeing as this is really easy to do, please just hit compose, switch between windows, and copy and paste the relevant lines into your message. Copy and paste the address, and send off your message. While you're waiting, go on and finish up the rest of the NewbieFest. Within around 20 minutes (at the *most*) you should have all the documentation you requested. Take the time to read it and mull it over. If you pay per byte of e-mail, then visit the URL's listed above, or use the FTP process.
Any way you slice the cake, you ought to read these things as they're here to help you out.
A Warning from Melanie Dymond Harper!
The following message (in typewriter text) is a direct quote from Melanie Dymond Harper. Please read it.
Summary: Don't post executable files to the list, or Auntie Mel will rip your limbs off and feed you to the wyrsa.
Longer version: Once again I have to clean up after someone who thinks it's bright to post a large executable file to the list. (To add insult to injury, it looks like it was the same executable file as last time.)
There are many, many reasons why this is Just Not On. Let me give you a few.
1) Size of individual postings
I dare say I have a copy of that file waiting in my home mailbox. (In fact I think I already downloaded it -- I wondered why checking mail took so long this morning.) There are plenty of people on this list who have to pay for one or more of: online time, phone calls to their service providers, each byte of mail received. That has therefore wasted not only their time but their money.
2) Size of postings to the whole list
As of this morning there are 416 names on the subscriber list, of whom probably 350 or so are currently active. 430Kb x 350 people == a busy morning for Vanyel. I remind you that this machine and the leased line on which it sits are not dedicated solely to the running of this mailing list (nice though that would be); they are essential to the running of my business, and the list comes a fairly distant second to that.
3) Uselessness to many people
I don't run Windows 95, and from the last go-around of this one I seem to recall it was Win95 specific. However, that leads me on to ...
4) Downloading executables from the net is not necessarily a good idea
..unless of course you have the most up-to-date and thorough virus-checking software known, and even then you won't necessarily be safe.
5) Auntie Mel has better things to do than clear up messes of people who cannot or will not read and understand things like the Newbiefest, the FAQ, the Rules of Thumb, and the like.
Do not do this again. Do not send large attachments of any species to the list, they are not welcome. THINK BEFORE YOU POST.
I trust I am making myself clear?
[Cennydd comments: I heard that! =) And I would like to add my own
two cents. Everyone, please remember that we are Mel's guests. It is one
thing to disagree and argue about "done to death topics" etc.
It is quite another to argue with our hostess or refuse to abide by her
guidelines. The latter is the worst sort of bad manners and will probably
result in all sorts of messages from those of us who consider Mel to be
a valued friend.]
One of the issues that has been a recurring problem on the list has been the issue of Misty's copyrights and the legality of fanfic. So, here is a quick statement of the basic issues and the list policy written by Cennydd.
The basic issue is whether it is okay to write and share fanfic based on Misty's work. Fanfic is fiction that is based on or derived from the works of a particular author and written by fans of the author/works. The U.S.Code Title 17 (the US Copyright laws) grants an author exclusive right to create derivative works based on their original work. This means that unless Misty gives you a copyright release and explicitly authorizes you to write fanfic, any and all fiction that you create based on her work (stories about Vanyel, etc.) are illegal; they are an infringement on Misty's exclusive rights.
Many authors and corporate copyright holders (such as the Star Trek people or Anne Rice) do not choose to prosecute fanfic authors and even encourage them. Other authors, however, are a bit more strict. Marion Zimmer Bradley and Misty are two examples of authors who will not allow fanfic based on their works. Misty has stated, through her lawyers, her willingness to prosecute anyone caught publishing fanfic based on her writing. To give you an idea of how serious she is, several people on the list who have had Misty related web-pages or humor have received "cease and desist" letters from Misty's lawyers, requiring them to take their work out of the public eye. That is her decision and her legal right and there is really nothing that we can do on the list to change these facts of life.
Now, the list policy. The basic policy is Misty-based fanfic cannot be posted to the list, nor can announcements about it (publicising it). This is because the list is hosted on Melanie Dymond Harper's business computer and she cannot afford to have it tied up because of a copyright infringement lawsuit. It is not clear what her legal liability would be if the list were used to announce or distribute Misty-based fanfic, but there is reason to think that, under US laws, Mel's business could be listed as an accomplice. To those of us on the list who consider Mel to be our friend and hostess, this is an unacceptable possibility. So, the basic policy on the list is: Just say no to Misty-based fanfic.
[Ele's note: Likewise, don't call yourself Herald
or other Misty-related personae unless you have a persona developed
through Queens Own.]
Below we have included some more list-iquette guidelines that have evolved from usage on the list, together with the email addies of people who can help you out with them.
Okay, there seems to be a lot of debate on this topic. Basically, the reason braids were invented was because too many one-liners and similarly short posts will cause Vanyel (the listprocesser) to break down. However, the problem with braids is that sometimes they get too long and make people feel like they're reading digests. Basically, if you're going to write a one-liner, either don't, incorporate it into another message, or send it privately. If you want to respond to several posts on the same topic then please BRAID. It is really irritating to see several short messages by one person in a row on the same topic. It's so much more convenient to have them all together. However, some people don't like braids because they can grow to epic proportions, often covering more than 10 topics and easily taking 1000 bytes of memory--not fun. But there are reasons for this latter type of braid, as well. Some people only write once in a while, and contribute to many of the discussions... so rather than respond to each seperate message seperately, or seperate the different topics for different braids, they combine it to form a mega braid.
In any event don't forget about the need for including a person's name along with their quoted stuff. Otherwise, sometimes you will not even be sure if you wrote a sentence or not that someone is responding to, since so many have also added their opinion to the conversation.
If you want more arguments for braids, write to: Emily the Invisible or Cennydd.
If you would like instructions for how to braid, find your server and contact these wonderful volunteers(remember, cut and paste :)):
Not listed? State your server on list and we'll see what we can do.
If you would like instructions on how *not* to braid, write: Tensen
This section lists some guaranteed ways of joining the Drifting Ashes Club as well as the topics/things that may get you flamed by other listmembers (although, hopefully off the list, since flaming is a no-no). In case you don't already know, "flaming" is a Internetiquette word that is used for any message that consists of yelling at a person. Basically, "flaming" is yelling at someone via email.
Ele's note: Cennydd is our resident linguist as well as Mage of Green Silences and God of Karma. He is by popular acclaim our defender against those who advertently or inadvertently waste bandwidth, and will normally pay them a private visit (i.e. email). In some cases, his well-intentioned, semihumorous flames are public (as in Aistes' case). He is also a great guy and we love him very much, so don't get the impression that he is some kind of monster who will flame whoever steps marginally out of line. He will not. He is very tolerant, and anyway if you get flamed by him, I would suggest your enjoying it. Most list members treasure his flames ;) [Deniz adds: She (Ele) makes me wish I were a member of the Drifting Ashes Club too, Sheesh!]
In the Mage's own words:
Also, several people (I won't name names because you will know who you
are) are on the list of Soon To Be Drifting Ashes. Please, snip and braid,
or the list becomes unmanageable, Auntie Mel becomes testy, and I become
downright bitchy (as list-members will attest, I am sure). [Believe him!
Please! --Deniz =)] BTW, in case you are not familiar with the terms:
snip means to delete the quoted material in a response that is not relevant
to the response. Braiding is when you combine responses to several postings
in one message. A rule of thumb is "your quoted material should never
be longer than your response." Another rule of thumb is "One-liners
are *EVIL*!" [emphasis mine]. BTW, in case you are wondering how to
join the Drifting Ashes, just post a response with 2 or more pages of quotation
and less than one screen of response commentary. That generally will get
the job done. =)
I am not going to say that TINAF, because that would be obviously misleading. Rather, this is a friendly shot across the bow with a high-powered blow-dryer. Real flaming will be done on an individual basis in the privacy of your own home. =)
We couldn't say it better ourselves. And I [Deniz], for one, won't try, because I don't think my asbestos will last an assault from Cennydd, because I'm sure he doesn't fight with just fire.
FLUFF: Fluff is basically what it sounds like... this is a Mercedes Lackey Discussion List. Fluff is anything that is not Misty related. If we had no fluff at all on this list, we'd be bored silly. If we had too much fluff, though... we'd wonder why this list is called mercedes-lackey and not just something like good-times (the virus does NOT exist! You can't get a virus by reading a text-based e-mail message!!!!!). It's actually because of fluff that we had two new groups formed. These would be the Lilac Fairy's Bower and the Mage Wars, both of which are now separate mailing lists. For information on the responsible use of fluff you can get in touch with the Knights of Fluff at http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Rampart/4994/
ONE-LINERS: As we've said before, and will probably say forever, one liners are annoying. Also, they give Vanyel (the list server) fits, and make him break down. It's like getting a letter in the mail consisting of a slip of paper saying, "Hi! Write me! Bye!" or something inane like that.
WARNINGS ABOUT VIRUS/CHAIN LETTERS/ATTACHED FILES/EXTRA HTML CODE: This is taken from Auntie Mel's rules of thumb, the document we mentioned in the first part and which is a really excellent piece that you should all read at: http://www.herald.co.uk/local_info/rules_thumb.html
Other things not to post:
Almost anything that you have found online, unless it's obviously and specifically Lackey-related. Especially if it says "Please post this to anywhere you can".
Notable examples:
anything saying "Make Money Fast"
any mention of the Good Times virus (it doesn't exist)
any request for postcards/business cards/get well cards to be sent to a little boy who's dying of cancer (he didn't die; he's still alive, and he really, really doesn't want any more cards. Neither does his local Post Office, which is also my local office at home!)
anything about forthcoming legislation (this is an international list, and as such any legislation is likely to apply to no more than half of the people on the list)
If you think that there should be an exception, mail the item concerned to me -- mel@herald.co.uk -- and if I agree with you, I'll forward it to the list. But I'm an unreasonable bitch, as you probably already gathered by reading the rest of this post, so don't get your hopes up.
</soapbox mode>
*end of quote from Melanie Dymond Harper*
Ele's note: please don't post chain letters of any sort to the list, and don't post virus warnings (even if they are a virus other than the Good Times virus). Most (or maybe even all) of those warnings are hoaxes. If you really think it should be posted, then email it privately to Melanie Dymond Harper (mel@herald.co.uk) and she'll decide if it should be posted or not. If there is something really, really cool that you found on the net and you feel you simply must share with the list, then post the URL as part of a Misty related post, or include *in a Misty-related post* a note saying that people can email you privately so that you can share with them whatever it is you want to share.
Something else that often happens is that people using Netscape Mail or Outlook Express, or other email softs, do not use the send as simple text option, and have "send as HTML" as default. That causes a lot of junk with HTML code to appear at the end of their messages. I know cause it happened to me, when I started using Outlook <sheeeeeps>. This is basically an unnecessary waste of bandwidth, so please, try to send only plain text to the list. If you don't know how to do this, email someone with Councilor of Mist as part of their sigs, and we'll prolly be able to help you or find someone who can. =)
PUBLIC/PRIVATE MESSAGES: Many times, I find myself reading a message from a newbie, and wondering if they had wanted to send it private mail, and that they should have done so. Remember, because this is a discussion list, when you hit reply, your message will automatically be addressed to the Misty List. If you want to send a private message but want to use the text from their message, just delete the List's address and write in the person's address into the To: line. [Cennydd comments: as Mel points out in the FAQ, the current configuration for this mailing list is as a discussion list. This means that when you hit reply in most email programs, the default is to send the reply to the entire list. If you are replying directly to a particular person, be sure to select "reply to From:" and not "reply to Reply-to:" so that your message gets sent the person, not the list.] [Deniz adds: However, seeing as not all mailers have this option *glare at obsolete Spry mailer*, please double and triple check when you intend to send privately]
SPOILERS: Remember to use spoilers, please... currently, Fire Bird, Sword of Ice, Oathblood and Owlflight are in spoilers. If you want to ask about them, either write a seperate message with SPOILER in the title, and the name of which book. If it's in a post, please put it at the end, because many people will, upon encountering a spoiler, disregard the rest of the message. Besides, it's the polite thing to do. [Cennydd comments: also remember that Babylon5 and Star Trek: Voyager are under spoilers too. Mel, in particular, has threatened dire and horrible fates to anyone who discusses either of these programs' recent seasons on the list (remember that many people are not in the US and are only now seeing seasons that are almost 2 years old in the US).]
RELIGION: In the past, discussions of personal religious beliefs have caused no end of grief. Frequently, in a discussion of Misty's books, people will start discussing where (in real life) some of the ideas may have come from. This is fine. But when these discussions start moving into the area of "Well, I don't believe in that" or "That is against my religion" or "But the [holy writ of choice] says that things are like this...", the discussion has strayed on to dangerous ground. Remember, this is a forum for discussing Mercedes Lackey, not for airing one's own personal views about religion or spirituality, particularly in a way that denies the validity of other religions or beliefs (and in case you were wondering how serious this is, the only person who has ever been removed from the list was removed because he would not stop telling people that his religion was right and theirs was wrong). Among other things, this means that religious beliefs do not constitute an argument for a particular interpretation of Misty. The rule of the list is definitely "There is *no* one true way."
Okay, here is a list of topics that have been hashed and re-hashed over the last year or so. In order to get on this list, a topic has to have come up several times. None of these topics are "forbidden" and people are certainly welcome to discuss them, but you may hear little plaintive sighs from the older members of the list. [Deniz adds: Don't let that discourage you *grin*] Most of these topics will hopefully find their way into the FAQ at some point, but that has not been done yet. BTW, if you would like to research the archives and summarize the answers to any of these questions, you can send the results to Cennydd for inclusion in the FAQ. You will get a by-line and everything. =)
There is now a web page with a list of the most common abbreviations used in discussions on the Mercedes-Lackey mailing list. The original list was compiled by Stormwind (ChenChen).
Gods and Goddesses, Clergy, Heralds and other Misty-specific personae, Knights and Dames, and other Assorted Titles.
Cennydd, once again, eloquently stated:
>>There has been a decided upswing in the use of faux divinity on the list recently. Remember that Lady Thess is the only one who can actually name a god or goddess on the list (She is the Goddess of Nomenclature). Unless she names someone to be her avatar in her absence (she seems to have disappeared into the obscurity of work-induced lurkerdom), everyone will just have to wait until she gets around to a Naming. Until that time, it is customary to use "soon-to-be (I hope)" in front of any godhood that you have requested.<<
Actually, Cennydd has been named Thess' Avatar until she may return. Please send your requests for Divinity to him off-list at kenny@udel.edu. If there is a conflict of overlapping domains, he will so inform you.
[Deniz adds: He's also a wonderful guy, and you really shouldn't be
scared of him. I've been on the list for almost four months, and the one
flame I saw him write was while I was gone (had to trawl the archives for
that one), and the flamee enjoyed the experience (after she got over the
initial shock).]
[Deniz has been a member of the list for a lot longer than 4 months, but
we have left much of the original Newbie Fest as it was for the sake of
spontaneity ;)]
The complete Pantheon of Modern Deities can be found at http://www.ling.udel.edu/hyde/pers/misty/gods.html
Clergy
Clergy may be appointed by already official Gods and Goddesses. Just apply
to the God or Goddess whom you think you would serve best, either on list
or off list (depending on how fluffy your post already is), and leave it
in their capable hands.
Becoming a Demon is something that you just do, I suppose. Well, Wintershard always was Demon of Crappy Weather... I [Deniz], on the other hand, had people move and second said motion that I become Demon of Deceitful Aliases. I didn't ask for the honor, but since it was so moved and accepted... [Cennydd comments: Demons are basically personae who choose not to be Named officially; after all, what are demons except gods without a "club card"? *grin*]
[Wintershard commented: Hey I paid good money for my fake ID *g* ]
Mishi said: <<Let's see we have different groups on the list (Ladies in Green, Cat People, Ones in Black, and Men in White) that sprang up when the Magewar started. Magewar is a sepreate list that a lot of members of this list are also on.>>
If you want more information you can go to Jaguar's page at http://www.sidwell.edu/~rholsen/magewar/archives.html
[Cennydd adds: for the purposes of the Misty List, if you want to join one of the groups, ask another member (you can tell, since most of them will have something in their .sig about it) how to join. On the Misty List, these memberships are mostly just cool titles to have, since none of the action occurs on this list. However, you are welcome to apply to any of the groups.]
[Ele's note: we request that such applications and the induction of new members be done off-list or as part of a Misty-related post. Otherwise, the list gets flooded with short posts about someone asking to become a member and then that someone being accepted, and the Misty discussion (which is the reason we all subbed to the list) seems to become secondary. Some people pay per byte of email/connection time/etc., they don't need to get the aggravation of finding posts that don't really concern them]
The Order of Amber and Marigold, founded by Heather "What She Said!"Alice Watson (aka Hth), is a group that protects Vanyel from accusations that he is whiny, self-absorbed, etc. In order to join, choose whether you'd prefer to be a Knight or a Dame (gender doesn't matter), promise Heather (the Grand Dame of the OAM) you'll uphold the creed of the OAM, and just put it in your sig. We're a non-profit group, so no brib... er, gifts are neccessary. [Cennydd comments: Heather is still the head of the OAM, although she is no longer part of the list]
There're also several more groups that have been forming...
Ele's note: No matter how sad this might seem, you can't just call yourself Herald so and so on the list. Heralds and similar Misty-specific titles can only be used by developing a persona through Queens Own. They have some sort of persona creation process. The contact info is the following:
Address:
Queen's Own
P.O. Box 132
Shiloh, NJ 08353
The subscription price is $8.00 per year (US $) or $8 in US postage stamps. This is payable in one lump sum or in two installments of $4.00.
Queen's Own goes online: You can now get in touch with Queen's Own through
email if anyone would like
to ask Herald Housemother Judith Louvis of QO *anything* about official
QO business (joining, personas, etc) to please send the email to me at <annes3832@aol.com> with the subject
header ***FOR JUDITH***. The email will be printed out and sent to her on
a biweekly basis, and she can answer it from there! :)
Arrows OnLine is the AOL chapter of Queen's Own and meets every Wednesday of the month except for the LAST Wednesday in the Sci-Fi chatroom at 10pm ET. As this is a public room, they ask that you PLEASE wait to be greeted, and take a few seconds to read what is being being said. If you have trouble finding them, please email the online "Dean" at <annes3832@aol.com>.
They have their own folder in the Sword and Sorcery area of the Science
Fiction/Fantasy Section of AOL. To get to the folder, email the "Dean"
for details at AnneS3832.
For non AOL subscribers, the only thing they can share with you, aside from the love of Misty's work is the email newsletter. For details, please email either the "Dean" at <annes3832@aol.com>, or the editor at <kadia@aol.com>.
Arrows OnLine has created it's own web page for everyone on the Internet, whether they use AOL or not. It can be found at: http://members.aol.com/kadia/Test.html.
Information supplied by Anne annes3832@aol.com
This section explains a few of the inside jokes and oddities that have developed on the Misty List.
Okay, here's what Ele had to say about this:
...an all-time best-seller among newbies. The sheep thingy. You will notice people offering each other sheep (chocolate covered, something or other flavored, etc), and also saying things like "sheeps behind someone or other" Well, the sheep thingy has 2 parts and both are humorous and in some aspects a bit bawdy. I will transcribe what was explained to me by Nightshade, who in turn got it from Mel...... Sheep Explanation: >The sheep thing started when Lady 'Reesa started signing off as (among other things) "Queen of Everything and Close Personal Friend of Many Sheep". People started making sheep jokes... sheep-and-kilt jokes... sheep-and-Aussie jokes... etc and so forth. 'Reesa made the most jokes, of course! Then somebody (don't ask me who, if 'Reesa ever mentioned names I don't remember them) sent 'Reesa some really nasty private e-mail in which they said her sheep jokes were disgusting, she was warped, she was a corrupting influence, stuff like that. (Hey, *I* thought the jokes were funny! They weren't that bad, she was just making comments about sheep being warm on a cold night, they don't snore, etc...) Understandably, she was upset, and complained on-list; everybody said they didn't see anything wrong with the jokes, and the sheep were here to stay. Then when Lady Thessaly set up as Goddess of Nomenclature and started naming people as Gods and Goddesses, of course everybody gave tithes when they asked to be Named, and a lot of the tithes were sheep. (Chocolate-covered sheep, sheep-shaped chocolates, sheep-flavoured chocolates - that one made me look twice! - spun-sugar sheep, and just plain sheep.) Most recently, somebody got tired of using <g,d,rlh when they said something that was likely to draw a barrage of homing coconuts or a flame (grin, duck, run like hell), so they said they were tired of "duck"ing and started "sheep"ing instead. Now people sheep, hide behind sheep, disguise themselves as sheepdogs... somebody found a sheep site on the Internet... it goes on!
Deniz wrote: >>About the notes pointing to how many exclamation marks or question marks a person uses? If I remember correctly, it's a Pterry thang. (Pterry is Terry Pratchett's nickname in case you were wondering)<< [Cennydd comments: In his novel "Reaper Man," Pterry has one of his characters comment that more than three !s is the sign of an insane mind. Since there are many Pterry fans on the list, it became an in joke to have five !s (indicating massive insanity) and to put a little note saying "look 5 !" to call attention to it.] [Deniz adds:Whoa! No Way!!!!! <--- You guessed it! =)]
Deniz wrote: >>I'm managing a birthday list. I'll give 2-day warnings as to whose birthday is coming up along with how old they'll be turning (optional) and their private e-mail (optional). If you see this last option, that means that if you were going to post a one-liner b-day message -- don't. Send it private. If I don't put it up (and I won't unless it is sent to me in the body of the message, honor and all), then BRAID your good wishes and "gifts" into your post.<<
[Ele's note: you will find that we give each other all sorts of magical artifacts as B-day gifts. Just join in the fun. We are after all readers of fantasy, so what did you expect from us? ;)]
[Cennydd comments: please be sure to send your birthday to Deniz via private email. If you put it in a post to the list, she may not (probably will not) catch it and you won't get added.]
[Deniz added some months ago: I am really behind, being involved in pulling myself up by the bootstrings, moving, and getting a new roommate (a feline one, at that), not to mention my summer job! *ugh*]
Since Deniz is so busy, Wintershard has gallantly offered to take care
of the bday list, so if you wish to be included, email him privately at
wintershard@geocities.com
Nightdancer was a member of the list who was making virtual bondbirds available to list members, and she used to post a compiled list of who has bonded with which birds on semi-regular bases. However, she doesn't seem to be subscribed to the list any longer, so all you need to do is decide what type you are bonded to and add it to your signature. Nothing fancy is required:)
Like Divinities and Group Affiliations, this is a little something nifty that you can add to your list persona.
Remember, sometimes you're gonna feel out of it when someone cracks an in-joke... don't worry we were all newbies once. If you're ever confused, offended, or anything else, just write whoever affected you that way, and they'll probably take the time to explain what they meant, and to help you out. If you're having problems, look for the people with Councilor of Mist in their sigs... they're begging to help you out. See? That was painless, wasn't it?
Oh, yeah... yes, Savil (Van's teacher) was reincarnated as Sayvil (Kero's companion).
By the way, in case you didn't get this before, welcome to the insani... er, fun! Enjoy yourselves, please.
This page created with Adobe PageMill (tm) 2.0 Original version written by Deniz Sarikaya.
Additional material written by Ken Hyde and Eleonora Scoseria.
Material copyrighted by Melanie Dymond Harper is used with the permission of the author.
This document was last edited Tuesday August 19, 1998 by Eleonora Scoseria, incorporating comments from Jess Boynton, Ken Hyde, Tiffanie Gray, Ailsa Reid and Meg _____????.