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04 Posting to rec.aquaria.




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This article is from the Aquaria Newsgroup Topics and Conversion Tables FAQ, by Todd Zebert and Erik Olson with numerous contributions by others.

04 Posting to rec.aquaria.

If the following instructions seem unclear, read the newsgroups for a
few weeks (called ``lurking'') and you'll get the hang of the way
things work. There are many readers of rec.aquaria.*, some are old
pros, some newcomers, but all would appreciate it if you would follow
a few simple requests when posting. Remember, you're asking them for
help so you should play by their rules!

1) If you've looked around for the information requested, but come up
with contradictory information, no information, or don't understand
the information, please say so. This will show that you've been
actively seeking out the information yourself.

Also, PLEASE PLEASE do not buy a fish and THEN ask the newsgroup how
you can properly care for it. Ask questions FIRST and read as much as
you can BEFORE buying the fish. Allow several days for people to get
back to you. Most stores will hold a fish for you if you ask. It also
does not hurt to introduce yourself, and come to know the owner or
some of the employees at your favorite store. They will be more
willing to do things for you if they know you are a loyal customer. It
is poor husbandry to buy a fish not knowing if you can keep it
healthy.

2) Fill in the rest of the subject line with a brief description of
the problem or a couple of words that describe the concern of the
post. A descriptive subject line is more likely to get read and
responded to than a vague one (``Goldfish has white spots'' is better
than ``Help!!'').

3) When asking for help, please give a complete description of your
tank size, lighting, filtration, its inhabitants and their sizes**,
how long you've had it running, measures of water quality such as
ammonia, pH, temperature, etc. You can't expect much of an answer (or
any at all!) unless you include enough information. (i.e. not ``HI, My
fish died! Why? Bye'')

**Fish sizes are measured from the tip of their head to the beginning
of their tail fin (where the tail meets the body).

4) Please do not use all capital letters. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE
SHOUTING!

5) Make sure your newsreader is limiting line length to a maximum of
75 characters (or columns) otherwise it will be difficult for others
to read your post! If you don't know how to do this, ask your network
administrator.

6) Do not post pictures to the rec.aquaria.* groups. Graphics in
general take lots of bandwidth, and are in general disallowed in
"non-binaries" groups. If the picture is available on a web site,
instead include the URL where others can find it. There is a special
group created on the alt. heirarchy for fish pictures,
alt.binaries.aquaria. Depending on whether your ISP carries so-called
"binary newsgroups", it may or may not be accessible (if in doubt, ask
them).

 

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