The Anesthesiology Discussion Group

Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ) Version 1.2

(Last updated 28 March 1996)

Credits and Blame:

Questions marked with an * are derived in whole or in part from:

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Usenet
Archive-name: usenet-faq/part1
Original-author: jerry@eagle.UUCP (Jerry Schwarz)

Questions marked with a ** are derived from:

Rules for posting to Usenet
Archive-name: posting-rules/part1
Original-author: mark@stargate.com (Mark Horton)

Several questions are based on suggestions made by Michael Gasman, MD.

The remainder of the FAQ can be blamed on Stephen Cristol and Keith Ruskin .


Contents:

  1. What's a FAQ?

  2. What is the List?

  3. Who runs the list? What's GASnet?

  4. I'm going on vacation! Can I suspend my subscription?

  5. A colleague wants to subscribe to the list, how can (s)he do that?

  6. I don't want to receive the list anymore. What do I do?

  7. How do I get information on the obscure list server commands?

  8. I've got something to say! How do I post it to the list?

  9. I have a large file that some people will be interested in, should I post it to the list?

  10. Are there any restrictions on posting e-mail someone sends to me? *

  11. What is a "flame"? *

  12. I want to distribute a survey through the list. Is that allowed?

  13. Any advice on how to best format my posts? **
    13.1. Abbrevs OK?

  14. Any other advice on posting? **

  15. What is a URL? Why should I care?

  16. What is "anonymous ftp"? *

  17. What do all those acronyms stand for?

  18. What does :-) mean?

1. What's a FAQ?

FAQ stand for "Frequently Asked Question," but has come mean a list of such questions with answers. The FAQ has a dual purpose: it functions both as a reference for dealing with problems that arise regularly and as a set of guidelines on how to use the Discussion Group in a way that benefits everyone.

The current version of this FAQ is available from GASNet by gopher or anonymous FTP.

2. What is the List?

The List is a short way of referring to the GASNet Anesthesiology Discussion Group.

3. Who runs the list? What's GASnet?

The Anesthesiology Discussion Group is part of GASnet, a suite of services provided to the network anesthesiology community by Dr. Keith Ruskin . GASnet also provides a file archive that can be accessed by anonymous FTP, gopher, and the world wide web (WWW). Other services are planned.

4. I'm going on vacation! Can I suspend my subscription?

Yes. Send the following command to the list processor (The address is listproc@gasnet.med.yale.edu):

set anesthesiology mail postpone

When you return, send this command to resume delivery:

set anesthesiology mail digest (for digest mode), or

set anesthesiology mail ack (for "immediate" mode).

5. A colleague wants to subscribe to the list, how can (s)he do that? p>

Have your colleague send e-mail to: listproc@gasnet.med.yale.edu with the following line in the body of the message:

subscribe anesthesiology

Ask your colleague to send a note to Dr. Ruskin introducing him/herself as well.

6. I don't want to receive the list anymore. What do I do?

Send e-mail to: listproc@gasnet.med.yale.edu with the following line in the body of the message:

unsubscribe anesthesiology

7. How do I get information explaining the obscure list server commands?

Send e-mail to: listproc@gasnet.med.yale.edu with the following line in the body of the message:

help

8. I've got something to say! How do I post it to the list?

Send your submission by e-mail to: anesthesiology@gasnet.med.yale.edu

Your post will be automatically forwarded to all the recipients of the list. Include a title for your post as the subject. Try to keep the title short as some recipients only see the beginning of long subjects. If you are replying to someone else's post on , it is best to title your reply as "Re: ".

If your receive a digest rather than individual posts, and wish to reply to a message in the digest, please title your reply as "Re: " instead of "Re: Digest 157".

9. I have a large file that some people will be interested in, should I post it to the list?

No. The mail system was never meant to handle large files. While newer systems often handle them quite well, there are still some that handle them quite badly. In either case, large files can create problems for many recipients. If it is not of general interest, it would be best to submit it to the GASnet file archive. For information on submitting files, send e-mail to ruskin@gasnet.med.yale.edu. After a file is posted to the archives, a short note describing the file should be posted to the list.

10. Are there any restrictions on posting e-mail someone sends to me? *

At a minimum, it is only polite for you to contact the author of the letter and secure her or his permission to post it to the net. On a more serious note, it can be argued that posting someone's e-mail to the list without their permission is a violation of copyright law. Under that law, even though a letter was addressed to you, you do not have the right to publish the contents, as that is the work of the author and the author retains copyright (even if no explicit copyright mark appears). Basically, your letters are your intellectual property. If someone publishes your letters, they are violating your copyright. This principle is well-founded in "paper media," and while untested in electronic forums, the same would probably hold true.

11. What is a "flame"? *

*A "flame" usually refers to any message or article that contains strong criticism, usually irrational or highly emotional. Avoid sending "flames". If you do get "flamed", relax, calm down, have a cup of (decaffeinated) coffee, and decide if it's really worth "counter-flaming". Usually, it isn't worth it -- a complete waste of bandwidth and time, it also gets you perceived as a "flamer" by the large silent majority of list readers, who will probably start ignoring your posts.

Remember that this list is read by thousands of anesthesiology professionals around the world. Just as you wouldn't start a loud argument in an auditorium during a meeting, it's best to keep posts to the lists professional in nature. Emotional disputes should always be settled privately. Always remember that to the members of this list, you are the ambassador of your country.

b12. I want to distribute a survey through the list. Is that allowed?

This is acceptable if the survey is relevant to the scope of the list. Please do NOT post surveys to the list by mailing them to the usual posting address. If you want to post a survey, send e-mail to ruskin@gasnet.med.yale.edu with your request. Arrangements can then be made to post the survey so that replies will be directed to the author of the survey and not to the list.

13. Any advice on how to best format my posts? **

When preparing an article, be aware that other people's computers are not the same as yours. The following is a list of things to keep in mind: * Keep your lines under 80 characters, and under 72 if possible (so that the lines won't get longer than 80 when people include them when responding to your postings). Many editors have a fill or format mode that will do this for you automatically. Make sure that it actually put ("hard") newline characters into the file, rather than just wrapping the displayed lines on your screen. * Right justified text may look "prettier" in some sense, but it is almost always harder to read than leaving ragged right margins; don't justify your articles. * Most special control characters will not work for most readers. In fact, the space character is about the only one you can be sure will work consistently. Even tabs aren't always the same from machine to machine, and should be avoided. Many mail agents will strip or remap control characters. * Submissions in a single case (all upper or all lower) are difficult to read.

13.1. Abbrevs OK?

Remember that subscribers to this list come from many countries. For this reason, abbreviations that are in common use in your institution may not be in use at another (or may have a different meaning). If you must use an abbreviation, it is probably a good idea to define it by placing it after the word or phrase it stands for. For example, "Today I induced a general anesthetic with thiopental (STP) and succinylcholine (sux)." For the same reasons, please try to use generic names (i.e., midazolam and not Versed).

14. Any other advice on posting? **

It is usually not a good idea to post messages to the list that are unrelated to anesthesia. It is never a good idea to carry on "meta-discussions" about whether a given discussion is appropriate; such traffic mushrooms. If you are unhappy with what a particular user has said, send him or her mail directly; don't post a response. Be considerate with your use of list resources. Your individual usage may not seem like much when compared with the list as a whole, but, in aggregate, small savings add up to a great deal. For instance, messages offering thanks, jibes, or congratulations need only be mailed to the interested parties. The same holds true for simple questions meant to be seen by one person only, and especially for any form of "me too" posting. Don't post announcements regarding major news events (e.g. the space shuttle has just exploded!) to the list. By the time most people receive such items, they will long since have been informed by conventional media.

It is perfectly legal to reproduce short extracts of a copyrighted work for critical purposes, but reproduction in whole is strictly and explicitly forbidden by US and international copyright law. When you do use coyrighted work, be sure to cite it appropriately.

All opinions or statements made in messages posted to the list should be taken as the opinions of the person who wrote the message only. They do not necessarily represent the opinions of the employer of that person, the owner of the computer from which the message was posted, or anyone involved with the list. All responsibility for statements made in posted messages rests with the individual posting that message.

If you don't immediately see your posting, don't assume it failed and try to repost it. Some sites have set up the local software to process mail periodically. If your post is routed through such a site, it may be delayed (may take up to six hours to appear. Thus, your post may not appear immediately. If you post again, you will send multiple copies of the post to the list.

15. What is a URL? Why should I care?

A Universal Resource Locator (URL) is a standard way of referencing services on the internet. A URL consists of three parts: an identification of the type of service offered, the internet server that offers the service, and the "location" of the service on the server. An example of a URL is:

ftp://gasnet.med.yale.edu/pub/anes/esia/

This is the location of the Educational Synopses in Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine archive. From an FTP server it is available on gasnet.med.yale.edu. The server's internal reference for it is /pub/anes/esia/. In the future, you will see URLs with greater frequency as more programs adopt their use.

16. What is "anonymous ftp"? *

"FTP" stands for File Transfer Protocol; on many systems, it's also the name of a user-level program that implements that protocol. This program allows a user to transfer files to and from a remote network site, provided that network site is reachable via the Internet or a similar facility. (Ftp is also usable on many local-area networks.) "Anonymous FTP" indicates that a user may log into the remote system as user "anonymous" with an arbitrary password. A common convention is that the user's e-mail address is supplied as the password, e.g. "yourname@yoursite". This is useful to those sites that track ftp usage. Also note that most sites restrict the times during which transfers can be made, or at least suggest that large transfers be made only during non-peak hours. At the present time, the GASNet Archive Site (gasnet.med.yale.edu) does not impose any such restrictions.

17. What do all those acronyms stand for?

BTW = By The Way FAQ = Frequently Asked Question FWIW = For What Its Worth FYI = For Your Information IM(H)O = In My (Humble) Opinion TLA = Three Letter Acronym URL = Universal Resource Locator WRT = With Respect To

18. What does :-) mean?

This is the net convention for a "smiley face". It means that the comment immediately preceding is being said in jest. If it doesn't look like a smiley face to you, flop your head over to the left and look again. Variants exist and mean related things; for instance, :-( is sad, and :-D means "Spoken while smiling." None of these should be used too liberally.