Outback-Mac List- updated January 14, 2000
Outback-Mac is a forum especially for Mac users in
Australia. - WARNING: Users are advised that Microsoft Outlook
Express comes equipped with a junk email (spam)
filter which, when turned on, may relegate legitimate
e-mails, such as electronic greeting cards from family or
friends to the junk mail folder, and dispose of them
according to the user's preferences.
From Microsoft - Microsoft is aware that Outlook Express 5 Macintosh
Edition's Junk Mail Filter may identify as suspicious
some email messages that a user may want to read.
Microsoft is working closely with industry experts to
improve the Junk Mail Filter to help people better
separate wanted and unwanted messages. For example, we
recently learned that the subscription-based TidBITS
newsletter was identified as suspicious. To assure that
any wanted email, such as the TidBITS newsletter, is not
marked by the Junk Mail Filter, please use any one of the
following quick and easy solutions:
- Add the address of the mailing list to your
Address Book
- Add the domain name of the Sender (e.g.,
tidbits.com) to the exception list in the Junk Mail
filter
- Use the Mailing List Manager to create a Mailing
List Rule for that Sender
1. How can I subscribe to Outback-Mac?There are two ways to receive Outback-Mac: as individual
messages or in digest mode. In digest mode, messages are
collected by the list server and sent as part of one larger
message once per day. This is less immediate than message
mode, but also greatly reduces mailbox clutter. Please be sure your return address is correct before
subscribing -- the list server will use your return address
as your subscription address. - To subscribe, send email to <get-obmac@reformed.net>.
- To switch to digest mode, follow the instructions in
the footer of each posted message.
To help prevent spammers from using the list, and to keep
others from subscribing your address without your approval,
you will receive a note from the list server asking you to
confirm your subscription. Simply reply as instructed
and your subscription will be active. Please report any subscription problems to <listmom@reformed.net>. 2. How can I get off Outback-Mac?Instructions for unsubscribing are in the footer of each
posting. If those instructions don't work, contact
<listmom@reformed.net>. Please report any subscription problems the list mom at
<listmom@reformed.net>. 3. What other commands are available?See A Subscriber's Guide to
Macjordomo for information on other available commands.
Note that the review command is disabled to prevent spammers
from downloading the addresses of subscribers. 4. Who sponsors Outback-Mac?Dan Knight of Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.net/>
manages Outback-Mac, which was begun as Oz-Mac on 1 November
1999. (The name was changed on 8 November 1999 to avoid
potential confusion with AusMac.) Sponsors of Outback-Mac are: Please mention Low End Mac when ordering. 5. Is Outback-Mac only for Australian Mac users?While anyone may subscribe, this list is specifically
intended for Australian Mac users. 6. How does an email list work?Anyone who has access to internet email may subscribe to
Outback-Mac using the administrative mailing address
for the list software <lists@reformed.net>
with the appropriate command. Subscribers will receive a
copy of every message sent to the posting address for
the list <outback-mac@reformed.net>.
If you wish to respond, post, or otherwise have your words
sent to everyone on the list, send email, either, replying
the message to which you are responding or sending a new
one, to <outback-mac@reformed.net>. The program that handles the list is set up so selecting
"Reply" in your emailer will send a message to the the
person who sent the original message, not to the entire
list. If you wish to respond to the list, be sure to address
your message to <outback-mac@reformed.net>.
There should be no need to copy messages to both the author
and the list, since the author is a member of the list. 7. What is netiquette?There are informal rules of the internet which are termed
"netiquette" to help people use proper etiquette within this
form of communication. For more on list netiquette,
click here, then use the back
button on your browser to return to this page. 8. Who is on the list?That would be telling. Because the list software requires an e-mail address but
not a name, I may not have names of all subscribers on the
list. We currently have 79 subscribers. 9. How can I get a copy of the e-mail addresses on the
list?You can't. To communicate with the list, send messages to
the posting address <outback-mac@reformed.net>. 10. What topics may be discussed?Anything relating to the Macintosh, but especially
Australian Mac issues. Outback-Mac is an unmoderated closed
list. Unmoderated means messages are sent to the list
without prior knowledge of the list mom; closed means
only subscribers may post. (The list was closed to prevent
spam.) Because the list is closed, you will only be able to post
from a subscribed address. 11. What tone is expected in the discussion and who will
facilitate this?This has become a kind and helpful community. Since users
range from beginners to gurus, please be tolerant of "dumb"
questions. Please report any major breach of netiquette to the list
mom at <listmom@reformed.net>. 12. Is there an accessible archive of messages sent to
Outback-Mac?Yes, but not on the internet (and, thus, not searchable
by spammers). See A
Subscriber's Guide to Macjordomo for more details. The
"help" command will explain how to search and retrieve
digests from the archive. 13. I subscribed, but get no messages. What's up?It is possible (but not easy) to successfully subscribe
with an incorrect email address. I check all bounced
messages to determine why they bounced. If the address is
invalid, I delete it from the subscriber list. If the
problem is temporary, like a full mailbox, I'll switch it to
digest mode in hopes the mailbox will soon have space. If
this also results in bounces, I'll keep the address on the
list for a day or so, then delete it if bounces persist. If you are subscribing from a free web email account,
note that some of these services are very busy and messages
may bounce. If this persists, it could lead to your name to
be removed the list. I recommend you to use an ISP account
for the list instead of a free email service. If your subscription is bounced, I will attempt to
contact your postmaster -- and cc you. Of course, since
there's a problem with the email address, there may be no
way I can contact you to tell you of the problem. We take a hard line against unsolicited commercial email.
To prevent spam, the list is closed and certain domains are
blocked by the mail server and the list server. 14. I sent a message, but it came back. Why?There are several possible reasons a posting can
bounce. - You may not have confirmed your subscription yet.
Until you start receiving messages from the list, you
can't post to it.
- Your return address may not match the address you
subscribed from. The list server uses your return (reply
to) address to confirm that you are on the list and
allowed to post.
- You may have inadvertently sent a command to the
list. Certain words such as help, sub, unsub, set, get,
review, search, and info are viewed by the list server as
administrative commands. If these words appear in the
subject or first line of text, the list server will
hijack your message and try to process it as a
command.
15. What other Internet resources are available for
Australian Mac users?- AusMac.Net
- You'll have to tell me -- I live in the States.
16. Do you have any policies about selling products or
services on the list?I've learned that some of the experts on any list gain
their expertise professionally. For instance, I am the
information systems manager for a 75 Mac network. For those
who make a living selling equipment or services, we have the
following guidelines. - List members may mention the availability of
commercial services or products on the list, but no
prices. (Individuals may list personal equipment with
prices.)
- All correspondence regarding services or products
should be conducted privately, not on the list.
- Neither the publisher nor the list mom makes any
claim regarding services or products offered by members
of the list.
17. What about the weekly email swap meet?Every Monday the list is open to members listing their
surplus Macintosh and Mac related hardware. It is
recommended that sellers outside Australia specify their
location. Please be sure to reply directly to the individual
selling the item, not to the list. Dan Knight, list mom
<dknight@reformed.net>
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