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What is Bluebird-L?
Bluebird-L is a mailing list on the Internet run by the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology (CLO). Mailing lists are actually something you subscribe to
(typically at no cost to the subscriber).
The list rules are spelled out pretty clearly and are sent to you when you
subscribe. They are also available on-line at:
http://birds.cornell.edu/bluebirds/faqs.html
(which is the address for the Bluebird-L FAQ that CLO maintains.)
Of special note in the rules are:
Acceptable messages to post – should be related to cavity nesting birds.
Method of posting messages – text format (which means no formatting -- no
colors or highlighting) this doesn’t mean that you don’t send them, but
rather that you don’t even have that ability in the format you are sending
from. Not everyone follows this rule, and as a matter of fact some cannot.
Sending messages in non-text format (often called html) can make digests
hard to read and is the usual method
worms are
spread.
No attachments – that means no pictures, graphic images, or "vcards."
Do not advertise on the list – a simple URL in your signature at the
bottom of messages usually does not offend anyone.
The simplest description of what happens on Bluebird-L is that it is like a
Bluebird conference without seeing the person you are talking to. That last part
can get people into trouble when they fail to realize that the computer they
just sent an insulting message to really do have a person on the other end
reading that message.
The messages arrive as an email. Bluebird-L can arrive in two formats:
Standard – which is the default, where you get an email each and every
time someone posts a message to the list. To the casual observer it may
appear that each of these messages is being sent to them personally. Further
observation would reveal they are being initially sent to the
listserv
address for a specific list (n the case of Bluebird-L that would be
bluebird-l@cornell.edu), which then forwards the message to all who are
subscribed to the list.
Digest – This arrives at the end of each day with all the messages of the
day. Digest is an option you set by sending a command to the
listserv. It
actually has two formats:
a. Mime
– Each message is broken out as an attachment to a text message. This
text message is a list of the messages that includes the subject and the
person’s name that sent the message. The attachments include all of the
original formatting as the original message.
b. No mime
– All the messages are sent in one large text message. Including the
same list of messages as in the mime format.
Naturally all three of the methods of delivery have their own advantages and
disadvantages:
Standard – Real time feel of the list. You get the messages almost as
soon as the person sends them. It is like sitting at a bluebird conference
and discussing any bluebird topic you wish. There are three major
disadvantages of this method: One: the number of messages you get in one day
can overwhelm you, Two: your exposure to
viruses and
worms is
very high, Three: there are times in the heat of a discussion you will find
that members will become embroiled in an ugly
flame war. I
can almost assure you that if you lack self control you too will find
yourself involved.
Digest:
a. Mime
– The advantages with this method are: Only one email a day while
retaining the formatting of the original message. The disadvantages of
this method include the loss of the real time involvement, the continued
exposure to viruses
and worms,
and although a minor inconvenience: the need to open each attached
message to read it.
b. No mime – This method has almost the exact opposite advantages and
disadvantages that the standard delivery format has. The biggest
advantage is you are almost immune from
viruses and
worms.
A major disadvantage of this method is the loss of
formatting that the original message contained. In fact there are times
the message will become nearly impossible to read.
What Bluebird-L is not and what behavior should and should not
occur!
It is not a newsletter – no one person or group writes Bluebird-L. It
does belong to CLO and is monitored (not moderated) by the staff of the CLO.
It is not a place to discuss all forms of birding. Although on occasion
and especially in the off season some discussion of other birds and birding
does occur. Doing so will eventually get you the attention of either the
list owner
or another member of the list. Most often a polite
reminder will end the discussion.
Don’t allow yourself to get involved in a
flame war. I
will admit that I enjoy to a certain extent when a flame war occurs (because
it shows me the true colors of the people involved.) The end result is that
your image gets tarnished, even if you are on the "right" side of the
argument. The "netiquette"
suggested method is that if you have the slightest inkling that the message
you are about to send is going to insult or hurt someone’s feelings then
wait twenty-four hours before sending it. This is actually one of the
reasons the digest works for so may people. By the time they see the
messages the fire is starting to cool.
Bluebird-L is not a web based forum. You cannot read list messages
through a web browser, except for those that have been archived in the Best
of Bluebird Mailing Lists (see below).
Sending the unsubscribe command and other commands to the list are
frustrating for everyone. At the very least, you will fail to accomplish
what you wish to accomplish. Equally important, everyone on the list will
get a copy of your command. All commands including subscribe, unsubscribe,
set digest, etc should be sent to the
listserv
processor at listproc@cornell.edu. For example here are the commands
for subscribing, unsubscribing and setting your method of delivery to
digest:
a. To subscribe do the following:
Send an e-mail message to:
listproc@cornell.edu
In the body of the message type:
Subscribe Bluebird-L (your name)
Ex: Subscribe Bluebird-L Joe Jones
Do not type anything in the subject heading.
You must send this mail from the e-mail address at which you normally
receive e-mail.
b. To unsubscribe do the following:
Send an e-mail message to:
listproc@cornell.edu
In the body of the message type:
Unsubscribe Bluebird-L
Ex: Unsubscribe Bluebird-L
Remember YOU CAN NOT UNSUBSCRIBE BY SENDING AN E-MAIL DIRECTLY TO THE
BLUEBIRD-L MAILING LIST.
c. To set the method of delivery to digest do the following:
send an e-mail message to:
listproc@cornell.edu
In the body of the message type:
set bluebird-L mail digest
Do not type anything in the subject heading.
You can learn ways to customize your subscription to BLUEBIRD-L by
visiting (including setting the digest format to nomime):
http://www.cit.cornell.edu/computer/email/using-lists/custom.html
What is the Best of Bluebird Mailing Lists Classified?
The Best of Bluebird Mailing Lists Classified is the archives I have been
marinating since the inception of Bluebird-L. It actually contains archives from
other mailing lists that have come and gone, and a few that are still in
existence. I have placed the messages into over 300 classifications taking up
over 27 mega bytes of space.
To view the list of classifications and messages that have been archived see:
http://audubon-omaha.org/bbbox/bestofbbml/bblindx.htm
A good "Glossary of Internet Terms is available at
http://www.matisse.net/files/glossary.html#index
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