Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 11:15:51 EST From: toot toot tink! Subject: INT: EmJay: Putting The Brakes On [i...think...i...can... i..think..i..can.. i think i can ithinkican! ican! toottoot! as the little engine that could picked up steam and started sliding down that slippery slope that day, the engineer thought and thought and thought about how to put the brakes on and stay on time...for there were piles and piles of important stuff on the train, and it wouldn't do to jump the track and fall...] 1. Messages relating to the EmJay campaign should use the Topic INT and the additional tag EmJay. E.g. (change the subject to whatever) - -Subject: INT: EmJay: Gentle Email Fails Mainly In Reply This will make it easier for people to follow (or to skip it, if they really want to miss all the hijinks and low punnery). [the tracks were so slippery, the loads so high, that the little engine had to strain and groan to make the train move along...] 2. I recommend thinking before posting, keeping the content-to-noise ration high (i.e. put lots of meat in your servings, and keep the customers happy), and so on. If you would like some hints, try http://web.mit.edu/mbarker/www/faqs/f026461.txt. The quickest hint I can give is: Consider your post as writing, and make it your best. [and the second is like the first, you don't have to respond to everything...] There are only 200 messages per day. If the list blows over that, listserv will stop. If this happens, I am going to leave it stopped for a while. How long will depend on whether I think the list is being used or abused. I.e., if the list stops because it is clogged with interesting, substantive posts, I may try to get the list going quickly. If the effluvial level is too high, I may let it sit for a while. [oh, oh...oil on the tracks? who would do such a dastardly deed? and there's little nell, tied to the tracks with Snipely Flamer snickering nearby...get him in the crosshairs and fire!] 3. The BLACKBALL. This year there is one small twist in the voting. Anyone can vote (1 point) for any person for any place on the awards. But one time only (i.e. you get one shot at somebody) you can cast a blackball worth -10 (negative 10) AGAINST someone for some place. I.e., if you get someone ticked enough at you to vote against you (note that they give up the chance to vote FOR someone when they use this), then you better get a whole lot of people voting for you... [it has been mentioned here on the list that in real life, being nasty could result in a poke in the snout--or in a campaign, you might get shot. so...we dreamed up a way to give the minority a little veto power...] By the way, let's be very clear. If you blackball someone for some category, that means you LOSE your vote FOR that category. And you LOSE your vote in NINE OTHER categories. (the vote counter giveth, and the blackball taketh away...) To put it another way--there are over 40 categories to vote in. If you use the blackball, you lose about a fourth of your voting power. You only get one (1) blackball, too. (no, just one! third base, anyone?) That's right, each of us can do one and only one blackball. Note: You don't HAVE to blackball. You can happily fill in votes for your favorite candidates for all kinds of categories, and just forget all about the blackball. Matter of fact, I'm hoping that everything runs so smoothly that we don't hear anymore about it. But...if someone gets nasty, you have the blackball. [the tracks go on for miles and miles, but for now, we'll all just enjoy the show right here, where the little engine that could struggles valiantly to keep a good head of steam up, a fine whistle blowing, and that load just a rolling along...] 4. I will be putting the INT: EmJay adventure up on web pages. See http://web.mit.edu/mbarker/www/emjay/emjay.html or http://web.mit.edu/mbarker/www/emjay96/emjay96.html So let's remember--have a good time, and make people vote FOR you, not against your opponents... [time to put some more water in the boiler, I guess...and stock up on coal, maybe take a quick handkerchief rub to get some of the sweat out of our eyes, and then keep a steady hand on the brake...and watch out for moose on the tracks?] tink