I saw the following guidlines for another list on John Walker's Internet News, 3/6/97.I think that there are some good ideas that could be applied to our list. Aliza Lieberman ------- Subject: NEW: AADD-FOCUSED - Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder To: [log in to unmask] AADD-FOCUSED on [log in to unmask] The AADD-FOCUSED mailing list is a focused discussion list for Adults that have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Although there are other forums available for discussion of ADD related topics, we found that they are often too inclusive and therefore get so many messages per day that we couldn't stay focused long enough to read them all. Therefore we created this list specifically for those who wish to read fewer messages per day on the subject of Adult ADD. As an example, there is another ADD mailing list for adults, where the FAQ states: "You are welcome to tell your story and to ask for help on any aspect of ADD or life in general: family, work, food, music, socks, cats...ADD affects them all. Don't worry about the length of your messages. If you feel a need to say it, we want to hear it." While this is great for those who love to write about all aspects of their personal life, it is very difficult for those of us who simply want to find valuable information about adult ADD to wade through all those marginally-relevent posts and stay focused enough to find information that is truly helpful and relevent. So in this group, we ask that your postings have a more direct relationship to ADD, and we do ask that you try to keep your posts to a reasonable length. In order to maintain a tighter list, we ask that you NOT discuss the following in this group: * CHILDREN and ADD. This group is about ADULT ADD. Please use one of the other groups if you have questions or comments related to kids and ADD. * Other conditions that are not ADD related. It is okay to ask if people with ADD seem to be more or less susceptible to some condition, but it is not okay to then enter into a lengthy discussion about that other condition. * Interpersonal relationship problems that are not ADD related. * Politics or religion, unless they are CLEARLY ADD related (for example, the view of a church on ADD may be relevant, their view on anything else is NOT). We are not against these things, but there are other forums for the discussion of these topics, and nothing can start a "flame war" as fast as general discussions of politics and religion. * DEFINITELY no poetry, discussions about favorite songs, TV shows, opera, cars... you get the point. This is not a group where you are encouraged to share your creative talents (unless your talent is writing about Adult ADD in a clear, concise manner) - there are plenty of other groups out there for that. The types of discussions that we DO encourage include how to tell if you have ADD, how to get diagnosed, how to get your ADD diagnoses and/or medications covered under your insurance plan, adult ADD traits, and perhaps even sharing personal experiences with the intent of helping others. Before posting, we ask you to consider four things: 1) This list is being read by busy people who may have difficulty staying focused. Will my post convey something useful to them, or will it just cause their eyes to glaze over? Can I say what I need to say in a more concise manner? 2) Is my post consistent with the guidelines stated above? 3) If part of another message is quoted - have I quoted only the amount that's really necessary? Have I stripped out any signature lines, or lines added by the mailing list software in the quoted section? 4) Does my post contain anything that will be helpful to others, or am I just writing it for my own self-gratification? Please consider each of these questions, and don't post your message if you come up with the "wrong" answers. The biggest problem that some Adult ADD'ers have is staying on topic and not jumping off into tangents that have nothing to do with the subject at hand. Please try not to cover several unrelated topics in a single message; it is very distracting to readers. This list is semi-moderated. This means that you may post to the list as long as you are a member, but if you persist in posting messages that violate these guidelines you may be removed from this list. In connection with that we should mention that this is a private mailing list, which is to say it's not a public park or other "commons" area where the First Amendment applies. We reserve the right to remove anyone from the list for any reason, but in practice we won't do this unless you persist in posting off-topic messages. TO SUBSCRIBE: Send E-mail to: [log in to unmask] On the Subject line put: subscribe TO UN-SUBSCRIBE: Send E-mail to: [log in to unmask] On the Subject line put: unsubscribe You may also subscribe VIA The web at http://www.MailList.Net To post to the list: AFTER subscribing, send your messages to: [log in to unmask] Owner: Thom Byxbe [log in to unmask] -------