buylotrogold

Part 1: The AS3 family, and how we can help you and each other Last Revised: 23 June 2008 The sublimity of wisdom is to do those things living, which are desired when dying.  - unknown 1. What is a FAQ? A FAQ is a collection of Frequently Asked Questions occurring in a particular newsgroup. The AS3 FAQ strives to inspire as well as inform. And we would like you to know that contrary to the custom of many other Usenet groups, if you bring up a topic that has been discussed before, you will not be flamed nor sent to the FAQ (though it may be recommended to you). In other words, we won't mind. 2. What is Alt.Support.Stop-Smoking? Alt.Support.Stop-Smoking is a Usenet newsgroup - a public forum for discussion of a particular topic - formed in the Spring of 1994 to support those who have quit or are planning to quit smoking or using tobacco in other forms (e.g., dipping). The group's creator, Bob Munzenrider, formed AS3 under the 'alt.' hierarchy because it was the most expedient way to get the group on the 'net. Anyone who gets something out of, and perhaps contributes to, the group can consider themselves to be a member - there are no forms to fill out, dues to pay, or hazing rituals. Some members have years of smoke-free time behind them; others are just beginning to think about quitting. No matter what stage you are in, your experiences and thoughts will help someone, and someone else's will help you. In our newsgroup we strive to respond to every initial post made by a newcomer. Therefore, even if you are brand-new yourself, please jump right in and help us meet that goal. You don't have to have 10 years of freedom from smoking to tell someone who is having a bad craving, Hang in there, we are rooting for you! In fact, the person with 3 smokeless days behind her can be the best help to someone in their first hours of quitting; and the one who's going through the first hours can help remind those with months and years of smobriety behind them why they don't want to start smoking again. Venting one's frustrations is encouraged in this group, and you are certainly welcome to pour your heart out. We do ask, however, that you keep the flames (angry or testy replies) to a minimum. Usually, prefacing a controversial or alternate opinion with IMO or IMHO ( in my [honest] [humble] opinion ), or qualifying with YMMV ( your mileage may vary ) or in my experience ... will keep the fur from flying. John Diedrichs ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) offers some words of wisdom on the topic of virtual communication [taken from a longer post on Usenetiquette]: Communicating without misunderstandings is hard enough when you're standing face-to-face and speaking the same language.  It's harder when you're on the telephone. Here in Usenet, it's almost like two tin cans tied together with a string.  Add to that the linguistic and stylistic differences that go with all the different flavors of English spoken by so many around the world, and it makes for a very interesting form of communication. And, since we cannot *hear* your voice over Usenet, it can help if you use 'emotional punctuations' like smileys grins <g winks and frowns in your writing.  This helps to avoid misunderstandings. Happy quitting to all... and to all a good life! 3. What are the basic rules of Netiquette ? [An excellent site for learning about Usenet, Netiquette, and the Internet generally is Brendan Kehoe's Zen and the Art of the Internet at: http://www.cs.indiana.edu/docproject/zen/zen-1.0_toc.html There are a few courtesies with which posters are asked to comply throughout Usenet generally.  They fall under the blanket term Netiquette (Usenetetiquette), a simple code of behaviour which developed for practical reasons.  Here's a quick rundown:   a. Lurking. In most newsgroups, you are requested to lurk (read but not post) around a newsgroup for a few days before joining the conversation.  By lurking, you get a feel for a group's character, its conventions, and the people who post to it. You don't have to do this in AS3!  Jump right in and post as often and as much as you need to, BUT if you're thinking of posting to an ongoing argument or an angry thread which seems to focus on personalities and not on smoking/quitting issues, it might be a good idea to hold that post aside for a day or two, before you join the fray.  In fact, the best defense is often no defense.  See Flaming, below.   b. Flaming. To flame someone is to insult them, their post, their dog, etc.  Flaming someone who posts to the group in order to sell something is a time-honoured AS3 tradition which can help you release your anger and frustration.  Go ahead! It's always open season on Composters (just be sure that's what you've got in your sight).  But it helps no one when you flame your fellow AS3 members. Your flame will in turn get a flaming response, a flame war ensues, and soon the support in alt.support.stop-smoking goes out the window. The best way to put the fire out is to not feed it.   c. Cross-posting A cross-post is one that has been directed (i.e., in the To line of the header) to more than one newsgroup.  If it is necessary for you to cross-post, then do so; if not, avoid it - it can cause trouble.  Often people don't look at the headers of posts and therefore don't realize that you've cross-posted. Suppose you wanted to send fan mail to Will Wheaton and you asked for his address in both rec.tv.star-trek and alt.wesley crusher.die.die.die ?  You can imagine the ensuing fireworks caused by bringing these two groups together. The thing to remember about a cross-post is that whenever anyone follows-up to the thread, that post is also going to all the other groups in the header. You can avoid this by checking the header of your reply and deleting any groups not appropriate to your reply.   d. Quoting It is often necessary to include some of the post to which you're replying when you follow-up, because you'll want some context in order for your comment to make sense.  But it is seldom necessary to quote the *entire* post. Cutting out any text you don't need saves bandwidth (what information travels on from one computer to another) and helps the Internet community in two ways:  first, it saves your readers time (and often money) by not making them download any more bytes than necessary; and second, the less information crowding the bandwidth, the faster and smoother the Internet operates for everyone.   e. Posting E-mail IMHO, it's just plain rude to post private e-mail. If someone is sending you aggravating, harassing, or threatening e-mail and they don't stop when you ask them to, complain to their Internet provider.  You can usually reach someone's ISP by mailing postmaster@<site.domain; or you can look for the ISP's home page on the WWW, which will usually offer _link_s to the e-mail addresses of their staff.  If that fails, contact the staff at your own ISP and ask them to filter out that person's mail. 4. How do I access the newsgroup? I wish I could tell you. How you access Usenet (the newsgroup branch of the Internet) depends upon factors such as which operating platform you use, which software for newsreading you have, and how your Internet Service Provider (ISP) has configured things. Most ISPs provide on-line help; try looking there for instructions on how to subscribe to a newsgroup. If that doesn't work, there are websites which serve as gateways to newgroups (remarq.com and deja.com are the two most familiar ones). Otherwise, consult the staff at your ISP, another user at your ISP, or your computer guru. Don't be scared off, though - it isn't as complicated as it sounds. 5. Why Alt.Support.Stop-Smoking? Posted by Ian Fraigun, August 1995: Joyce, you have hit exactly on why this group has seen so much success among its posters, even those with a number of relapses  before final success. First, everyone here is going, or has  recently or not so recently gone, through the exact same thing.  Second, nobody will give you negative judgements if you do slip or  relapse, just encouragement to get back on the wagon. Third,  cussing ranting raving whining and all those other no-no's in  polite society are accepted here if it helps get you through the  night or day or hour or minute or whatever. Last, besides the great suggestions and helpful information, we can get to see people with as little willpower as we have who are succeeding, and that builds our resolve and determination in the tough times so we can continue on our quest. I can still think of at least 5 occasions where just the thought of the people here and telling   them I had slipped was the only thing that kept me from bumming and smoking one. I might still be where I am today but surely not without a number of slips on the path. Nothing I have ever seen before has had the impact on me that this group has and I will be around for many years because I see the support and kind words keeping me smoke-free the rest of my life. 6. I need help! Why isn't anyone answering my post? AS3 is an unmoderated Usenet group. That means that your post goes directly to the group, not through another person (a moderator ). Posts are never screened, cancelled, or altered by anyone except the original poster. Also, no one on the group can control the flow of posts. But sometimes there are problems on newsservers, and posts don't appear in a timely fashion (or sometimes at all). Posts generally appear on your own server before they show on anyone else's, so don't be discouraged if your post isn't answered right away. Another possibility is that you don't have your newsreader set to display enough articles. If you feel panicked because you need an answer or just someone to moan to, e mail a group member - any or several of us who seem like people you might want to talk to. 7. Who runs the group? Well, no one, in fact, and everyone. It's a self-monitored anarchy in the fine tradition of Usenet. But there are people who handle, voluntarily, various administrative functions. If you have a comment or would like to know more about any of these areas, here are the people to contact: The Webmaster of the AS3 Home Page on the WWW is:      Barry Pekilis, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it The WebPage Editor of the AS3 Home Page on the WWW is:      Victoria, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Editor of the FAQ: Lynn Hefler, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   If you would like to contribute to or comment upon the FAQ contact her at the address above. Anything relating to the Quit List or the Milestones List, including requests to be added to the QL, contact:     FlatIronMike , This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it If you would like to see the group's policy on commercial posting, _link_ to it through the AS3 home page. And special thank you's go to: Nigel Bamford      Creator and original keeper of the first AS3 WWW Home  Page Eric Stoneking      Former FAQ and COMPOST poster Ian Fraigun      Former FAQ and COMPOST Poster and Editor Ray Bannon      Former FAQ and COMPOST Poster and Editor Mike Hawkeye Crowell      Former FAQ and COMPOST Poster and Editor Joseph Dickerson      Former FAQ and COMPOST Poster and Editor Bob Munzenrider     Former FAQ and COMPOST Poster and Editor    AS3 Newsgroup Organizer; our Founding Father Nicole Schmitz      Former maintainer and poster of the QUIT LIST. John Nobel      Creator and original keeper of the FAQ and the QUIT LIST Liorah Golomb      Former maintainer and poster of the QUIT LIST and  MILESTONES and      Former Editor of the FAQ and COMPOST Paula Barrington      Former Editor of the FAQ and COMPOST Nadav Vissel, Carol Clark, Judy Marshall,  Lorraine, Susan S, Mark ( peaceofheart ) and Rosie S.,      Former maintainers and posters of the QUIT LIST and THE MILESTONES John Diedrichs, Summer C.      WebMaster of the prior Asia Mirror Sites. And to every AS3 member, past, present, and future. 8. Does AS3 have a political agenda? Emphatically NOT. Our only focus is on recovering from nicotine addiction. Though one may engage in the occasional rant, and information (from the Tobacco BBS, for example) is always welcome, we avoid engaging in discussions on topics such as smokers' rights, second-hand smoke, or the relative merits of the use of or abstention from tobacco products. If you're looking for a heated emotional argument of such topics, there are other newsgroups for that purpose. 9. What's the discussion like? Are you all biting each other's heads off in a nicotine-withdrawal frenzy? Not usually. Not only are we civil in general, but time and time again, people call us the friendliest group on Usenet. We do a lot of cheering each other on, but we also provide information and the benefit of our experiences. Here's a sample of a typical thread: [Many snips throughout ....] Bob:       I have the impression that [people quitting] imagine that when it's all gone, they will be over 'physical' withdrawal, whatever that means