Okay,

It seems that a few people are really rather taking me too seriously
with my previous posts. I really wish people wouldn't (take me that
seriously, at any rate, unless I call for it) - above all I like to make
people laugh, and I can honestly say that I haven't been offended by
anyone on this list since I joined in 1997. I hope I haven't done the
opposite. Basically, it shouldn't be very hard to tell when I am being
serious. This post is a good example. It should be *really* obvious
when I am being serious - just compare this post to others that I have
posted (or will post in the future). If it doesn't read like this post,
then I'm attempting some lame humour. Smiley faces are a good
indication of this.

Since I want to quell any further unrest, before things get outta hand
(and people start thinking I'm an idiot for real), I guess I'll have to
get only about 3 hours sleep tonight to straighten things out. While
this was my intent - to make everyone seriously consider why they for
voted for/against me and to VOICE that opinion, I can see I didn't
*quite* get my point across with my humour. I really didn't want to
start being administrator until I was actually given the job, but I
guess that ain't going to happen. I guess I made everyone too paranoid
of me? So, first, apologies to all around.

Secondly - while I hate to do this here (as this list is not my personal
soapbox), I feel that my real intent did not get across. To put it
simply: (as of now) I find it disturbing that so far only 15 people
have actually responded to my call for a vote. Last time I checked,
there was exactly 299 people subscribed to this list (not including
myself). That is really only - what? - about 5% of the total
membership's opinion.

Am I to take charge on only 5% of the consensus of this list? I will be
very uncomfortable taking on this role as administrator if I know that
the other 95% just don't give a damn about what I do with this list. I
figured that, if I went WAYYY out in psycho limbo I would get *some*
kind of reaction outta y'all, but sheesh! Its like talking to a brick
wall! I bet I could've said anything and gotten the same response!

For your sakes, you owe it to yourselves to make your opinion known. In
fact, I really don't want the job if I know that 95% of the people won't
appreciate me taking it ... I'm funny that way - I'm one of those silly
people who think everyone's opinion counts when they participate in a
group that I'm in. On the same token, I like to know that others
appreciate *my* opinion, and my input. If you don't respond, how am I
to know?

Moreover, if you don't respond when the (future) *administrator* calls,
what's the sense of even having one?!? :( This boggles my mind ...

Third - on the same token, I like to be efficient. Others may label it
by many other expletives (like me being heavy-handed), but I don't like
to linger on problems. Problem behaviour will be dealt with quickly,
and without fuss. That's what I meant in previous posts. You'll find
out what that means below. Just know that I will follow through with
everything I state below. Don't take this to mean that I'm a psycho -
I'm a nice guy, really, and I like to think I've got some good sense to
boot.

Lastly - so here it is. I have written up the welcome letter (it
probably won't need too much more added to it) that all newcomers will
receive (just as soon as I figure out HOW to do that!). I've taken the
liberty to post it here to the general list, so that all the current
members will have it too. Read it, because everyone will be abiding by
it if I am to be administrator. This includes Mr. Stark too (btw, where
are you're infrequent updates on the happenings at WotC, Ed? I miss
them).

Pay particular attention to the wording in the intro and to Rule #8 -
that is the one I feel particularly strong about. It only makes sense,
guys and gals, at least to me. I would like to keep people like (for
instance) Ian around in this forum, and this is a sure fire way to keep
them here.

-----------
Welcome to the BR mailing list.

The Birthright(tm) mailing list has been setup to provide a place
whereby the fans and players of the Birthright(tm) game can meet and
discuss topics related to any aspect of this TSR role-playing game. This
discusssion also includes a forum for independantly created game
information and aids based on this system to be discussed and dispersed
for public use.

Feel free to participate. The Birthright RPG belongs to the fans. It
is only through active use that a 'virtual community' will evolve and
keep interest in this campaign world alive. Since the Birthright
campaign world has been put on 'indefinite hiatus' by its makers, it is
up to this community to maintain interest in the milieu. Perhaps, with
enough interest generated by this list, the Birthright campaign system
will once again become an active game product for TSR.

This list will be primarily 'self-moderated'. This means that each
individual member will be responsible for the content of what (s)he
posts. Keep in mind that the topic of the Birthright Mailing List is
the Birthright RPG, and therefore any messages posted to the contrary
will result in the removal of posting privileges by the administrator of
this list. Nastiness and 'flaming' will also result in loss of your
privelege to participate in this forum. Otherwise, anything directly
Birthright RPG related will be allowed.

However, it is hoped by all us who belong to this forum that this will
become a fairly busy list. There are several hundred subscribers to
this list at present and, with a little luck, more will join.
Therefore, if you feel the need to discuss topics which are related to
Birthright (ie: discussion of converting BR material to another TSR
world), but are NOT DIRECTLY Birthright(tm) RPG RELATED, please take
your discussions elsewhere. Permission is hereby granted to post a
desire for such discussions, but further responses after the first not
directly related to the Birthright(tm) RPG will be met with removal of
posting priveleges by the administrator. Exceptions will be made with
the approval of the administrator.

The administrator also reserves the right to limit discussion on any
topic which contravenes the spirit and letter of the above material.
The administrator will have final say in any disputes and/or decisions
which result between individuals and this forum.

***********************
* THESE ARE THE RULES *
***********************

Please read and save this message for future reference. You are
responsible for abiding by the rules, and there's information in here
which you need to know. Most of these are basic, common sense rules of
'net-etiquette', and should serve you well on any mailing list you
subscribe to.

For more information on 'net-etiquette', send your web-browser to:
http;//www.fau.edu/~rinaldi/netiquette.html

1) Read the list a little before you jump in. Its always a good idea
to see what the 'natives' are up to before you start participating in a
forum.

2) Read all of your list mail before you respond. Its very likely that
someone else has already stated your answer before you. Since the BR
list is fairly busy, we don't need any extra 'traffic' cluttering up the
list.

3) The forum of this mailing list is the Birthright(tm) RPG. Again, as
this is a busy list, the forum cannot afford to support off-topic
material. Any discussion is allowable, as long as it relates to the BR
RPG somehow. For instance - general discussions about the alignment
system in AD&D is -NOT- BR RPG related.

4) This is a very important point: DO NOT over-quote. Only quote the
relevant portions of the message you are replying to. A good rule of
thumb is to quote LESS than you write in reply. Its kinder to your
fellow listmembers, as they do not have to slog through reams of stuff
they have already read before in a previous message. If you do NOT
follow this rule, the result will be: 1) A warning; if you choose
ignore the administrator's warning then (2) you will loose your
privelage to post in this forum. Period. You'll only have one warning.

5) DO NOT send multiple messages to this list, or anyone else. Its very
annoying. PAY ATTENTION to the 'Mail To'/'CC' lines - it tells you
where you are sending your message. More importantly, if you need to
discuss off-topic material, send it to the person you wish to discuss it
with, NOT the list.

6) Don't post all in caps - PEOPLE INTERPRET IT AS SHOUTING, AND SOME
FIND IT VERY IRRITATING. (kinda like that). Use caps only for EMPHASIS
(like that).

7) .sig files ought to be kept to a minimum - no more than a line or
two. A good amount is to limit your .sig files to just your name and
address. People rarely care about whatever else you care about, so
don't clutter up bandwidth with useless .sig files.

8) Personal notes should be kept to a minimum. Its your personal
business, and therefore a whole bunch of strangers don't need to know.
However, an exception to this rule is the praise of a particularly nice
contribution to the list, and the administrator encourages everyone to
be nice to others and show your appreciation to those who help you
improve your BR RPG game. Especially to those who do NOT contribute
regularly to this list, show your gratitude to those who help make your
BR experience better. Regular contributors are working hard to enrich
this campaign milieu and deserve a pat on the back for their efforts.
YOU like to be praised, and so do your fellow cyber-citizens. Even if
you don't contibute anything else, at least do this every once in awhile
(say, at least, bi-annually). How hard can it be to take 30 seconds out
of your life in order to say 'thank-you' to someone who most probably
saved YOU _hours_ of your time with their post? If you can't do even
this, the administrator wonders why you wish to participate in a forum
such as this - this is a DISCUSSION mailing list after all ...
contributors find the time, and they are just as busy as you are. The
administrator feels particularly passionate about this rule, and rest
assured the administrator will be prowling the membership periodically
(bi-annually) to see who is being active on this list. Members the
administrator deems to be 'non-active' will be treated like they way
they act - contribute nothing at all, get nothing at all in return.
This translates into losing your membership in this forum. Its that
simple, and don't think you deserve any better if you are a non-active
member. If all you want to do is read, get the digest mode of this
forum.

9) 'Flaming' is forbidden. 'Flaming' is the practice of being
discourteous to your fellow listers. There will be no warnings if you
do this; you will lose your membership immediately. You can ask the
administrator real nice to let you back on, but it will be up to the
administrator to decide if you receive the right to participate again or
not. That being said, the current administrator is a very lenient being
(despite vicious propaganda to the contrary). The administrator is not
without mercy, but has little patience for those who are immature (and
are not very good-natured about it). Consider before you post - would
you like to receive this message? A little courtesy goes a long way,
and will probably make you friends with your fellow BR fans.

10) 'Trolling' is forbidden also. This will also get you disintegrated
from the forum. 'Trolling' is the practice of posting something
completely obnoxious in order to stir up a list and cause an arguement.
Your obligation is to ignore such a statement. Everyone is entitled to
their opinions, but completely obvious idiotic statements will result in
the loss of posting priveleges and/or membership.

11) Pointless debates, which really boil down to arguements that depend
on someone's point of view, will not be hashed and rehashed in this
forum. State your opinion, and then let it go. If there is something
new or better to add to your opinion, state it, but do NOT harp to the
same old tune. Take your pointless debates to private discussion. This
kind of posting wastes everyone's time, and leads to flames and hard
feelings.

12) Watch what you post - do NOT add attached files to your messages,
or propagate viruses to this list. Do NOT use fancy formatting, HTML
tags, MS T-NEF, or anything else but _plain text_ (the format this
welcome letter is written in). Some people have mailing systems which
does not support other computer programs, and therefore doing the above
just wastes bandwidth for all involved. Also, do NOT open files you
find attached to a message, unless you know beforehand what it is (or
better yet, know who it is that sent it). This is how viruses spread.
If you run across something like this, notify the administrator and it
will be taken care of.

13) DO NOT post copyrighted material - that means anything. The
adminstrator assumes that this forum operates with the blessing of TSR
and WotC, and as such the administrator wishes for this to continue.
These people have worked hard to bring you this stuff, and they deserve
every penny they have coming to them. As such, we do not wish to put
TSR and their employees out of business. Sure, the net is great, but
this list does not exist so that you don't have to buy any
Birthright(tm) products. One of the goals of this list is to promote
the production of the Birthright(tm) system, and so undercutting profits
in this game ruins that goal. Don't do this - if the administrator
finds out that a member of this forum has violated copyright laws, their
membership will be revoked immediately, and without recourse. We don't
want scum like this participating in our forum.

14) Lastly (and the most important rule): The administrator is never
wrong. Period. Get used to it. :)
-----------

Cheers everybody,
Darren
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