SUMO MAILING LIST FAQ !!! THIS IS AN AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED MESSAGE !!! !!! THIS IS AN AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED MESSAGE !!! !!! THIS IS AN AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED MESSAGE !!! "List Administrator" Last updated 23 Feb 2008 Welcome to the Sumo Mailing List (SML) FAQ. This will, hopefully, answer some of the more common questions asked on the list as well as provide a few resources for the Sumo aficionado. This FAQ will be posted on (or around) the 10th of each month. If there are any questions regarding this FAQ or the mailing list, please email: joe.klemmer@gmail.com General Questions ----------------- Q: What is the SML? A: It is an email list where fans and supporters of the Martial Art of Sumo can discuss and learn about the Culture, History and Sport of Sumo. Q: Do I need to know Japanese to participate on the list? A: No. The language for this list is English. Q: Ok, so why are there so many Japanese words popping up all over the place? A: Sumo is inherently Japanese so it follows that the language of Sumo would be, too. However, there are a number of places on the web where you can find the definitions for any words you don't understand. See the Resources section[1]. Q: How do I subscribe to the list? A: (1) You can subscribe by going to the list website. See the Resources section[2]. (2) You can send an email to sumo-request@webtrek.com with a subject of "subscribe" (without the quotes). You can also send a message to the same address with a subject of "help" to get a complete list of commands you can use. Q: What are the rules for posting on the list? A: There aren't any "written in stone" rules. However, there are some generally accepted conventions. * It is preferred that you use plain text, but HTML messages are not forbidden. * There are a number of online virtual sumo games that many of the list members play. For the courtesy of the rest of the list members, it is requested that the tag "[Games]" (without the quotes) be prepended to the subject line of your post. See the Resources section[3] for some links to online Sumo games. * During the tournaments, it is also strongly requested that any post containing results or hinting at results of the tournament have the tag "[Spoiler]" (without the quotes) prepended to the subject line. * Occasionally someone on the list will have something available for sale to list members. It is highly recommended that the tag "[Sales]" (without the quotes) be prepended to the subject line. * Regardless of your quoting style, please remember to delete any extraneous lines not specifically needed to keep the flow of the conversation going. Quoting signatures or list info lines is considered bad form and should be avoided whenever possible. It is preferred that replying be done below the lines you are quoting (i.e. top quoting) but it is much more essential that you trim your posts. That being said, there are no "style police" here so don't panic if you don't toe the line for every post you send. See the Resources section[4] for more info on this topic. * Please refrain from posting what are commonly referred to as "me too" messages. These are posts where one replies to a message with "Me, too" or "Agreed" or the like. It is normally understood that those who either have no opinion or agree with the post remain silent, unless they have something more specific to add to the discussion. If, however, you feel you _must_ post a "me too" message please, please delete the bulk of the quoted material in your reply before you do. A message consisting of one line, usually comprised of two and three words, followed by a few pages of quotes is considered quite impolite. * As with all text based communication, it is often difficult to judge the emotional context of someone's posts. It is not uncommon on any list for someone to post a statement in jest or as an off-hand comment and have it end up starting a flame war. Some people use what are known as emoticons, or 'smileys', to help convey the intended emotional reference for their messages. A good rule of thumb is to always read all posts as if they were sent to you by your mother (or any person you have a strong, loving relationship with). Even the harshest criticism is blunted and eased if you read it with the mindset that it is a caring and friendly comment from your dear ol' mum. * The most important thing to remember is that this is all about fun. We're not trying to solve world hunger or bring world peace. It's for the joy and excitement of all things Sumo. Q: Is there an archive of this list? A: There are two, actually. The list was hosted from 1994 to 2005 on Banzuke.com but now is hosted on WebTrek. See the Resource section[5] for URLs. Q: Can I search the list archives? A: A search form has been implemented for the archives hosted on WebTrek. The archives from Banzuke.com are not yet searchable but it is something that is being worked on. See the Resource section[6] for the URL to the search form. Q: Can I send attachments through the list? A: No, attachments are not permitted in order to keep the traffic down and keep any potential viruses from being propagated. Q: Why are replies automatically sent to the list instead of the person who posted the message I'm replying to? A: There is some debate as to where replies should be directed in a mailing list. The SML is set to have replies automatically sent back to the list. An informal survey of list members showed this to be the preferred action. See the Resource section[7] for more information on replying to list messages. Resource Section ---------------- [1] Glossary of Sumo Terms http://www.sumoforum.net/glossary.html [2] Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.webtrek.com/mailman/listinfo/sumo [3] Sumo Games http://www.sumogames.com/ [4] Email etiquette http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html http://www.gweep.ca/~edmonds/usenet/ml-etiquette.html http://web.presby.edu/~nnqadmin/nnq/nquote.html http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Mail/challenge-response.html [5] List archives: '94-'05 - http://www.banzuke.com/ArchiveIndex.html '05-Present - http://www.webtrek.com/pipermail/sumo/ [6] List archive search form http://www.webtrek.com/SML_search.html [7] "Reply-To Munging Considered Harmful" http://www.unicom.com/pw/reply-to-harmful.html "Reply-To Munging Considered Useful" http://www.metasystema.net/essays/reply-to.mhtml EOF