Welcome to Spreadnet -- The Widespread Panic Mailing List. Revised 6 August 1999 This message contains some important information about participating in our on-line community. Please read this message carefully. TECHNICAL INFORMATION: 1. More information is available at www.netspace.org/Widespread 2. The humans who own the list can be contacted at SPREADNET-REQUEST@NETSPACE.ORG 3. Access to the list can be controlled by the list owners. Individuals who cannot or choose not to follow the guidelines below may be removed at any time with or without warning. We'll do it in a heartbeat and without a second thought! 4. Specific information on how to subscribe is available at http://www.netspace.org/Widespread/help-spreadnet.txt 5. Posts to the list must be sent to SPREADNET@NETSPACE.ORG 6. Spreadnet is not actively moderated. Anyone may subscribe to the list. Only subscribers may post to the list. 7. If you email is unreliable or your email address changes, you may be unable to post. Free web-based email services can help you manage spreadnet messages. 8. Spreadnet is designed for text messages only. Do not attach tape lists, graphics, web pages, encoded messages, V-CARDs or anything else to a spreadnet message. Set your mail program to TEXT ONLY. 9. Spreadnet is concerned with subscriber privacy. The list of subscriber addresses is not publicly available and is used only to do technical maintainance. 10. There is no need to set the conceal option on listserv. (A list owner will just unset it anyway!) CONTENT: 11. Spreadnet was set up so that we may discuss the music of Widespread Panic. Let's keep the discussion to WSP and directly related topics. 12. New subscribers should take some time to read the ongoing discussion before posting. Also, look over the web-based archives to see topics that have been recently discussed. Repeated conversations are boring, and just becuase you haven't discussed it doesn't mean it hasn't been discussed. 13. Keep the "In Search of" personals to a minimum. 14. Don't ask for directions to venues (see www.mapquest.com, maps.yahoo.com, or www.expedia.com). 15. Read through all the messages in your box before posting. Someone has probably already made the same point you were going to make. 16. If the thread is 10 messages long, don't be the 11th to add to it unless you really have something to ADD. Don't post "Me Too" and then include the entire post you're agreeing with. Learn how to cut and paste. 17. It is fine to post setlists, but please check to see if it has already been posted. 18. If you can get your point across to someone in a personal message there's no reason why everyone has to read it. Public flames do not impress, but rather make you look like an idiot. 19. Don't post "Where's last night's setlist?" People who went to the show have better and more fun things to do than run home to their computers. 20. Don't ask for setlists to be sent to you. www.netspace.org/Widespread has a number of setlist page links. 21. Use your discretion. If you are an idiot, don't let it shine in your posts. 22. Constructive criticism and praise are always welcome on the list. 23. Rudeness, insults, invasions of privacy and disregard for the feelings of others (including subscribers, band members, crew and home office staff!) are never welcome. Life's too short for that. 24. Posting rumors is welcome, as long as it doesn't conflict with the above. Special Notes on Tape Trading, Merchandise, and Exploiting Others: 25. We encourage the spread of live music through tape trading. There are many generous and diligent people on spreadnet who are willing to trade tapes and even willing to make tapes if you send blanks and adequate return postage. From time to time, people on the list also organize tape trees for the purpose of spreading the music. 26. In keeping with the band's policy, we discourage the sale of live tapes and the copying of the officially-released material of Widespread Panic and other musicians. 27. Although opinions differ on what exactly constitutes the "sale" of live tapes, requesting extra blank tapes or cash in excess of the reasonable cost of blanks is pretty clearly a "sale". There are always people who will make the same tapes without asking for anything in return, so trade with them instead. Do not undermine the privileges of taping and trading! 28. Keeping in contact with trading partners and completing trades in a reasonable amount of time is important. If you are having personal or equipment problems and therefore experience major delays in meeting your obligations, let people know (one short message to the list would suffice). 29. We discourage the sale of merchandise that includes the trademarks of Widespread Panic, especially bootleg CDs. 30. We discourage the selling of concert tickets for more than face value plus service charges. Thanks for joining us. Please contact spreadnet-request@netspace.org if you need assistance.