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Who can join 'den-list'?
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'Den-list' has been
created specifically for staff within the Hunter/Central Coast Region
and is a 'closed' list. This means that only subscribers
can post messages to the list. However, the subscription process
is 'open' to allow staff (and interested colleagues) to
self-subscribe from their own computers. As the list becomes more
active, we may need to discuss the value of accepting requests from
interstate or overseas colleagues to join. List operation and access
will be discussed at future DEN meetings.
How
can members subscribe?
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Staff who have submitted email
addresses to the RDLO have been automatically subscribed. Other
members can subscribe by sending a message to mailserv@newcastle.edu.au,
leaving the subject line blank and, ensuring that any automatic
signatures are turned off, enter in the body of the message:
subscribe den-list
end
or, if you wish to remove yourself
from the list
unsubscribe den-list
end
If this process is a little daunting, the RDLO will be happy to
complete the subscription for you - just ring (02 4921 8844), send
a fax (02 4921 6939), or send an email request to kay.dean@newcastle.edu.au.
Once a person has been advised (by the server) that they are subscribed
to 'den-list', they can begin participating in discussions
by sending a message (asking a question or initiating a topic) to
den-list@newcastle.edu.au.
The posting is then forwarded automatically to all other subscribers.
The 'den-list' is also set up so when subscribers REPLY
to postings received from the list, the response will go automatically
to every 'den-list' subscriber - unless it is specifically
redirected to another address.
The following information on the use of listservers (and some hints
on email protocol) has been provided for your use. The section on
'Responding' is very useful. Please contact the RDLO
if you have any queries or experience any difficulties.
Protocol
for Participation in 'den-list'
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The protocol for participation in the
'den-list' has been modeled on the 'austed-list',
the listserver for the Tertiary Education Disability Council of
Australia. Visit their website, 'NCET Online', at http://www.deakin.edu.au/tedca/ncet/
for additional disability related information and support. We hope
that this protocol contributes to making participation on 'den-list'
a satisfying and rewarding experience.
1. Preliminaries
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'Character': 'den-list'
is in the process of developing its own 'character', just like
any 'real' grouping of people such as a party or a meeting.
Lists function best when subscribers respect the character of the
list - and perhaps also the inexperience or idiosyncrasies of some
of its participants.
Confidentiality: While we don't
want to stifle discussion and the free flow of ideas and opinion,
we suggest that subscribers should consider the circumstances and
concerns of different groups. When describing a real-life situation
it is wise to maintain confidentiality regarding the identity of
any individuals concerned so that other subscribers cannot deduce
who is the subject of your posting. Quite apart from the potential
for offending others, if confidentiality is breached legal action
could ensue.
Humour/Trivia: There is a place
for humour and some trivia on lists. However, it is important that
the authors of such material indicate the nature of the contents
of the posting clearly in the subject line so that subscribers who
do not want to read it can delete the whole posting. A suggested
subject line tag is 'Non-disability related humour'. To
signal humorous intent in the body of a message, use some sort of
stage direction in eg *smile*, *grin*.
2. Participation
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DEN encourages people to actively participate in 'den-list'
(rather than 'lurking' shyly on the sidelines). The exchange
of ideas, comments, and information is essential to the success
of any list. If you doubt what you have to say would be of interest
or value, ask an experienced friend on the list or the list manager
at manager-den-list@newcastle.edu.au.
3. Subject lines
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Subject line: Always label messages with a succinct descriptive/meaningful
subject line. Subject lines such as 'What about this?' or
'Message from me' are nonsensical and out of context, and
therefore undesirable. If it is not possible to make the subject
of a message clear in a few words on the subject line, it is suggested
that subscribers take a line or two in the body of the post to explain
it.
Original subject line: If you are participating in a discussion
on a particular topic, be careful to retain the original subject
line exactly. This assists other subscribers wanting to follow contributions
to the discussion as it occurs or later, when postings to the list
may be archived for research purposes.
4. Content
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Acronyms: Acronyms and abbreviations make sense to some but
certainly not to all readers. However, they often make no sense
whatsoever to screen reader machines. DEN suggests that wherever
possible full titles should be included or, at least, a number of
words which convey clear information.
CAPS: From time to time list subscribers may wish to express
a strong opinion (positive or negative) in print. In electronic
communication 'ALL CAPS' has been designated as one way
to emphasise a point. However, the use of uppercase/capital letters
in postings is sometimes considered to be rude - like SHOUTING in
people's ears. So, think carefully about the impact caps may
have and use them sparingly. It is important that such postings
are brief because CAPS are much harder to read than mixed upper-
and lower-case.
Formats: When forwarding files it is important to offer a 'text
only' format. There are several programs that produce documents
that are difficult for many subscribers to access. An example is
portable document files, or 'pdf' files, which allow subscribers
to read but not to copy the text presented. Other examples of programs
that can be problematic are Microsoft PowerPoint and Acrobat Reader.
Although there are fewer Macintosh computers in the tertiary education
and training sectors, it is also thoughtful to offer files in Macintosh
format.
Key words: For
some lists there are particular words which should not be used in
the first few lines of the text of the message. It is important
to avoid use of the words 'subscribe' or 'unsubscribe'
in the first seven lines because the server might read this as an
administrative command rather than a general posting.
Line length: Try to configure
your email to keep each line in the message shorter than 70 characters.
This is an optimal length for efficient reading on-screen.
Punctuation and symbols: Using
extra punctuation for emphasis can create an irritating problem
for subscribers using assistive technologies. For example, where
exclamation marks are used for emphasis eg 'This is how it is!!!!!',
voice synthesisers will read aloud as follows: 'This is how
it is exclamation mark exclamation mark exclamation mark exclamation
mark exclamation mark.' Also, be aware that section breaks made
up of, say, 'equal' signs and 'emoticons', or symbols
made up of punctuation marks (eg 'smilies' and 'frownies')
are read very literally by synthetic speech systems and they sound
like gibberish too.
Tables: Try to avoid sending
documents that include tables because, often, screen reading technology
and braille output devices do not translate them in a manner that
is meaningful. However, when it is essential to send tabular information,
we suggest you present it in a linear format that all subscribers
can read. Linear format means there is only one piece of information
on each line, from left to right, as compared to that of a table
where there might be three or four or more separate entries from
left to right. Guidelines for ensuring that tabular information
is accessible for subscribers using assistive technology has been
prepared by the 'Round Table on Information Access for People
with Print Disabilities', and is available for purchase from
that body.
Topics: It
is preferable if postings contain information relating to one topic
only. This facilitates easy reading, re-direction, filing and archiving.
Web addresses: If
you refer subscribers to a website, ensure that you give the whole
web address including 'http://' as this will allow subscribers
to go straight to the site by either clicking on it or by cutting
and pasting the URL direct to their web browser.
White space: For
people who have a print disability (rather than a vision impairment),
it is important to present information in relatively short sentences
in clearly separated sections or paragraphs. This latter strategy
creates helpful white space around each 'idea' associated
with the topic specified in the subject line.
5.
Attachments
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DEN recommends that you think carefully before posting a message
with an attachment to the whole list. Attachments add to the time
it takes everyone to download messages. Further, some subscribers
refuse to open messages with attachments out of irritation or for
fear of acquiring a virus - so your effort could be wasted.
Accessibility: Probably the
most accessible versions of attachments to send are Word 97 and
'text only with line breaks'.
Advice: If
you want to send an attachment as part of your message and you are
not sure about the most effective way to do that, feel free to seek
advice from the list itself or the list 'manager'.
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Alternatives: Another way to
disseminate documents, especially large files, is to put them on
a website. The list manager can organise for material to be placed
on the DEN website. You can then send a brief explanation of the
document to the list and give the web address or an ftp (file transfer
protocol address). A second option is to post a brief message giving
an overview of the document contents and invite subscribers to mail
you directly if they would like a copy emailed or mailed to them.
Duplicate: It may be useful
sometimes to send two (2) versions of an attachment, or, to enclose
one plain text version at the end of the post itself and attach
the other with all its enhancements.
Enclosing large documents: Enclosing
documents as a way of avoiding problems with attachments may not
be so successful with large documents of, say, four or five pages.
These may need to be broken up and sent in separate email transmissions.
In such instances it is important that each post have an appropriate
identifying number or letter in the subject line eg DET Part 1.doc
Graphical images: Avoid sending
attachments that contain graphical images such as letterheads. These
become large files which will be cumbersome for everyone - and unreadable
for some subscribers.
Identify: If attachments accompany
a post to the list, they should always be given a meaningful name/title,
preferably including a date, for example DEN Minutes 25.12.01.doc
Prior advice: Always include
in the text of your message an explanatory note detailing the format/version
of any attachment.
Suffix: Give attachment/s an
appropriate suffix (extension) such as '.txt' or '.doc'
to allow the user to quickly determine the file format (plain text
or Word)
VCF attachments: (see
signing off below)
Viruses: As indicated above,
some subscribers will refuse to open attachments for fear of acquiring
a virus. To minimise the risk of viruses being transmitted to other
computers, include the text of the attachment within the body of
a posting.
6. Responding
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The 'den-list' is
set up so that, if subscribers REPLY to postings received from the
list, the response will go automatically to every subscriber to
'den-list' - unless it is specifically redirected to another
address.
At the top: When replying to
the list or to an individual, ensure that your
reply goes at the top of your posting and not at the bottom. This
measure helps subscribers using assistive technology to avoid having
to listen to the whole posting again before they find new text.
Cross posting: Sometimes, when
people subscribe to more than one list, they might wish to forward
material from one list to subscribers on another list. This is known
as 'cross-posting', although the term is also used when
a person sends the same message to more than one list (and there
is a concern that some people will receive it more than once).
'Flames': A flame is
an emotionally charged posting expressing perhaps
anger or criticism and usually directed at someone in particular
but sent to the entire list - a sort of public put-down. Such postings
are discouraged on 'den-list'. DEN suggests that, although
subscribers may disagree with views expressed from time to time,
courtesy and professional consideration should be shown towards
other subscribers at all times. Please remember too that facetiousness
and sarcasm can be misunderstood easily in electronic communication.
Forwarding messages: Under
ordinary circumstances forwarding a message to another person or
the list will result in the accumulation of numerous lines of technical
information at the top of the posting. These lines can be problematic
for subscribers using speech technology because, again, they have
to endure a lot of 'gibberish' before they get to the content
itself. It is helpful to delete that redirection information, or,
if you believe that parts of it are relevant to the message, cut
and paste it to the bottom of your message.
In one hit: Try to ensure that
the reply is presented in one hit (sentence or paragraph) rather
than interspersed throughout the original message, eg. when responding
to questions.
Longer postings: When responding
briefly to long postings it is better to delete the original message
to save other subscribers time and money downloading it again -
but first, check that the subject line is still clear and appropriate.
If it is relevant to refer to a passage from the original posting,
please paraphrase it or cut and paste a brief excerpt in the body
of your message.
Relevance to the list: Short
replies without context such as 'Great Idea' or 'Me
too' intended for the author of an earlier posting should be
directed specifically to that person, and not posted to everyone
on the list.
7.
Signing off
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Signatures: At the end of each
of your postings we suggest that you include a brief electronic
'signature' - perhaps your name and email address in plain
text. However, because email addresses are often difficult to interpret,
subscribers are encouraged also to include perhaps their school
or institutional affiliation and a telephone number.
Quotations: The use in signatures
of profound or funny quotations, philosophical statements or social
comment is discouraged. Such wisdom or humour soon loses its freshness
and it takes up valuable bandwidth and computer space.
VCF attachments: VCF stands
for 'virtual card file'. VCFs come as an attachment to every
message sent by people who use Microsoft Outlook to create a virtual
business card. However, in order to read a VCF, recipients must
have the Microsoft Outlook vCard reader software installed on their
system. Few people use Outlook and even fewer have the necessary
software, so using a VCF is not the best way of distributing contact
details. Further, being an attachment, it can be annoying for other
list participants. Therefore, DEN suggests that list participants
use a plain text signature file instead.
8. List 'Manager'
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If you experience any difficulties, or have questions relating to
the list and wish to speak with a 'person', contact:
Kay Dean
Regional Disability Liaison Officer
Hunter/Central Coast Region
C/- The University of Newcastle
Callaghan NSW 2308
Email: Kay.Dean@newcastle.edu.au
Phone: (02) 4921 8844
Fax: (02) 4921 6939
Mobile: 0438 218848
The position of Regional Disability Liaison Officer (Hunter/Central
Coast Region) is hosted by the University of Newcastle, and is part
of the Commonwealth funded National RDLO Network, an initiative
of the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA).
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