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The TECHWR-L Discussion List provides a forum for any discussions related to technical communication. Started in 1993, this list has about 3,000 direct subscribers and an estimated daily readership of 10,000 people worldwide (through newsgroups and the Web). Typically the TECHWR-L list generates 50-60 messages per day, and you'll find approximately 250,000 archived email messages in the Archives. (All postings to the list are automatically archived.) If you're interested in participating--either as an active member or as a lurker--you're welcome to join.

Please Note: Your registration on the TECHWR-L site is (deliberately) separate from a subscription to the TECHWR-L Mailing list. If you want to receive mail from the list or post questions and messages to the TECHWR-L list, follow the instructions below:

• How do I subscribe to TECHWR-l?
• How do I unsubscribe from TECHWR-L?
• How do I post messages to the TECHWR-L list?
• How do I read TECHWR-L through a newsgroup?
• How do I read TECHWR-L through a browser?
• How do I have a message removed from the archive?
• How do I get help with my subscription?
• What are the posting rules?

How do I subscribe to TECHWR-L?

Send a message (content and subject do not matter) to:
techwr-l-subscribe@lists.techwr-l.com

When you receive the confirmation email, follow the instructions in that email to complete the process. If you do not receive a confirmation email, contact admin@techwr-l.com

How do I unsubscribe?

Send a message (with any or no content) to:
techwr-l-unsubscribe@lists.techwr-l.com

When you receive the confirmation email, follow the instructions in that email to complete the process. If you do not receive a confirmation email, contact admin@techwr-l.com

How do I post messages to the TECHWR-L list?

Send a message to:
techwr-l@lists.techwr-l.com

Please note that the first postings from each new address are moderated. This helps reduce the "post and go" spam issues, and also catch some messages that people didn't really intend to post. Even if you've been on the list for years, but you've changed your address, postings will be moderated--the server has no way to know that you're the same person after a change of email address. Contact admin@techwr-l.com with questions.

Also note that messages sent to TECHWR-L are archived and are available on the Internet. Please take care not to send postings that you would rather not have associated with your email address.

How do I read TECHWR-L through a newsgroup?

The bit.listserv.techwr-l newsgroup (widely distributed throughout the Internet) is a mirror of this list.

How do I read TECHWR-L through a browser?

You can read TECHWR-L through the archive address at http://www.techwr-l.com/archives/.

How do I have a message removed from the archive?

One of the significant value that TECHWR-L provides to the community is a historical record of the issues and themes of the profession over the years, including the more interesting or contentious issues. As a general rule, postings are not removed from the archives. You are encouraged to use care in your postings, and not to post messages that you might later regret.

How do I get help with my subscription?

Just drop an email to admin@techwr-l.com and we'll take care of you.

What are the posting rules?

Check the archives before posting: http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/archives.html

What to post

• If it is about technical communication and of general interest, post it.
• If it is about technical communication and original and humorous, post it.

What not to post

• If it doesn't clearly and directly relate to technical communication, don't post it.
• If it relates to language use but not technical communication, it probably isn't appropriate. Don't post it.
• If it relates to computer use but not technical communication, it probably isn't appropriate. Don't post it.
• If it continues an irrelevant thread in any way (rebuttal, rebuke, rerun, revision, remark), don't post it.
• If it is a personal message to a single subscriber, don't post it. Even if mail to that person bounces.
• If you aren't sure, don't post it.
• If it is a test message, do not post it. Ever. Contact the listowner if you have problems posting or with your subscription, or send a test message to techwr-l-test@lists.techwr-l.com to check your mail settings.
• If it's a job ad or other ad, don't post it--send it to amin@techwr-l.com for inclusion in the daily ad posting.
• If it is something cute, interesting, or funny that you found on the Internet (e.g. Dr. Seuss on Tech Writing, origin of spam), don't post it. I assure you that most readers have seen it already.

Other

• Check your facts on anything you post. Do not under any circumstances post virus warnings or anything else designed to be "forwarded to everyone you know" to this list.
• Do not directly attack anyone for anything on the list. Take issue with ideas, not personalities, and do NOT point out grammatical, spelling, or usage errors. This forum is not the place to exercise editorial frustration.
• Edit all unnecessary quoted messages and TECHWR-L footers out of your postings, and make sure that you send only plain text messages and no attachments to the list.
• Please do not post ads in any form. Send job ads and other ads to announce to admin@techwr-l.com for inclusion in the daily ad posting.
• Please make sure your E-mail address is included in the body of the message you post to the list.
• If responses are sent to you--not to the whole list--please summarize and post the entire summary back to the list. A summary should include attributions so others can pick up conversations offline if necessary with original posters. When you send a summary back to the list, use the word "SUMMARY" as the first word of the "Subject" line."

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