Before posting your first message, we recommend creating a "signature" at the bottom of your email messages. This could include your full name, e-mail address and organisation (or location) which will be appended to each message. This can help list subscribers to see who is posting each message. Such information can help subscribers post a more relevant reply.

Do not feel that you need to respond to every message you see.

Before you post your first message, do explore the relevant list archives:

http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/pipermail/cma-l/
http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/pipermail/comradio-l/
http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/pipermail/comtv-l/
http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/pipermail/cmascotland-l/
http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/pipermail/webcast-l/

The answer to your question may already be in the archives

Do not make messages too short - messages that say "me too" or "agreed" or "can you send me a copy too?" are not appropriate for the list. Instead, contact the sender directly via e-mail.

Do choose an explanatory subject line for your message. "Advice needed", "help please", or "community media" are not good choices. Do not forget that people searching the archives will be presented with a list of results and the subject lines: the more specific your subject line, the more likely it will be useful to someone in the future.

Sometimes discussions can drag on and become of minimal relevance to the majority of the list's users. You can always continue a discussion off-list, by e-mailing a person directly.

You might strongly disagree with someone's comments but every user is entitled to respect and courtesy.

How not to use the lists

Types of message that should not be sent to the Lists include:

• Announcements or queries relating to "viruses" unless from the CMA moderator.

• Chain letters

• Messages that are too short to be helpful and explanatory e.g. "to answer your question, visit this link: www...". Explain what information is to be found there, what the site is, and perhaps even quote selectively from it to answer the question.

• Generic greetings; for example "happy Christmas to everyone on the forum" is not an acceptable use of the List.

• Queries to individuals e.g. "can Bob contact me? I think you posted something last month on transmitters. Or was it Raj?"

• "Me too messages" - if someone is offering further information, ask them directly, not on the list itself.

• Intemperate or other messages that are likely to cause offence, defamatory or damaging material.

• Material that is not yours to forward or publish. This could be copyright material or private correspondence.

• Messages with libellous content.

We also suggest you think twice about sending jokes to the mailing list – there may be somebody who will be offended by an apparently innocuous joke and the list owner tends to be the one who gets the criticism.

If you are in any doubt about whether to send a message, send it anyway and the moderator will consider whether it meets the criteria for distribution to the list. The CMA reserves the right to refuse to post messages to the list without reason.