[The following is intended to be both a web page and also posted frequently to the newsgroups in a prominent way, e.g., under a subject of "Welcome -- README for Guests and Members -- Newsgroup Charter/FAQ."] Critters (the workshop) has the use of two newsgroups on the sff.net site: sff.workshop.critters and sff.workshop.critters-volcano-bar-and-grill. (Information on how to reach them is here.)

What are the two most important things you should know about posting to the critters newsgroups ?

Please follow the following guidelines when posting messages to the newsgroups, whether you're an active member of the Critters workshop, former member, inactive member, or simply a guest.

The sff.workshop.critters group is intended for serious, writing/critiquing/workshop related topics. The sff.workshop.critters-volcano-bar-and-grill group is for everything else.

Guests, etc. are most welcome to post in either newsgroup. However, anyone who posts to the sff.workshop.critters newsgroup are perceived as an Ambassador of Critters (by virtue of the name having the word "critters" in it and lacking the "bar-and-grill" designation). Never assume that other sff.workshop.critters. readers know whether you're a member or not -- they may be a guest and may be reading your message as the first message in the newsgroup they've ever read. Thus everyone is asked to act with decorum at all times in sff.workshop.critters.

This policy in sff.workshop.critters is strictly enforced (see Rule #2 below).

However, in sff.workshop.critters-volcano-bar-and-grill, expect anything. Most Critters are very nice, friendly people. Most of the time. But this is the Volcano Bar & Grill. The Volcano might blow at any moment, spewing walls of hot ash at you from flamewars in nearby threads. Ol' Boon in the poker game at the corner table has been known to start cussin' & hollerin' and even shootin' at people who don't keep their cards on the table. Of course, you can just slip in for a cold one (beer is a common topic) and sit quietly in the corner. But, in Internet parlance, flame wars may well happen. Participate in the flaming or not, but You've Been Warned. It's a bar & grill. With a volcano in it.

(Name inspired, by the way, by Jimmy Buffet's, "I don't know where I'm a gonna go when the volcano blows.")

Bearing the above generalities in mind, here are the specifics:

Rule #1: The sff.workshop.critters newsgroup is a No Flame Zone!

Why? Because people judge -- have, in fact, in the past, on multiple occasions, judged! -- the Critters workshop based on the behavior of people in this newsgroup (which is separate from the workshop), to the verifiable detriment of the workshop.

Yes, flames are sometimes hard to avoid even when discussing the most rarefied of topics, and exist in most newsgroups. Yes, flames in the critters newsgroup were even less frequent than in most groups on the net (Critters are really very nice people). Bad behavior in most newsgroups, however, does not harm other entities, e.g., the workshop which is Critters primary purpose. (The newsgroup is quite secondary. In fact, for those wondering where the workshopping is going on, that's all done by email. See the web page, http://www.critters.org, for details.)

Besides, there's no reason why we can't all Just Get Along, right? The sff.workshop.critters newsgroup merely takes this a step further (see Rule #2).

This is not to say that you can't discuss tough writing-related issues. Simply do so without rancor, name-calling (or implied namecalling, as often results from sarcasm), deliberately attempting to get someone else to start a flame war ("baiting"), etc. You know when you're doing it. Don't. Take it to sff.workshop.critters-volcano-bar-and-grill. If you don't, it'll be moved there for you.

Be polite and courteous to your fellow humans at all times in sff.workshop.critters. Critters is a writers workshop, and writers should be able to make their points clearly, without being nasty, right? Make it so. If you can't, take it to sff.workshop.critters-volcano-bar-and-grill.

If you have a bone to pick with someone, take it to email or to sff.workshop.critters-volcano-bar-and-grill (and DO NOT cross-post back to sff.workshop.critters!).

If someone does make a mistake and nobody has yet invoked Rule #2, assume the worst: That they're having a really bad day, or that there are extenuating circumstances you're not aware of (happens frequently). If you're a critter member and come across such an inappropriate posting in sff.workshop.critters, invoke Rule #2 yourself.

Again, sff.workshop.critters is a No Flame Zone. Keep it civil, and strictly related to writing/critiquing/workshopping issues. Otherwise, take it to sff.workshop.critters-volcano-bar-and-grill.

To enforce, this we have Rule #2:

Rule #2: Every Critter in sff.workshop.critters is expected to enforce Rule #1.

As an enforcement mechanism, all members of Critters workshop (each and every one of you) are empowered -- and EXPECTED -- to enforce the No Flame Zone rule in sff.workshop.critters. This is accomplished by "retro-relocation": If you believe a specific posting has violated the spirit of these guidelines, you should visit the Relocation web page, http://www.critique.org/critters/relocate.ht. It's amazingly easy to use: You simply tell it which message you want to relocate (and prove you're a critter).

To help prevent abuse, note that two relocation requests (a "motion" and a "second") are required before an actual relocation is performed. The email addresses of the two Critters who've moved & seconded are then sent to sff.workshop.critters with a note saying that a posting has been relocated by those two critters. All relocations requests are also logged, with a copy of the "offending" posting, for review by Andrew Burt, the administrator of the workshop (and generally considered a pretty fair guy).

Also note that the relocated posting is sent back to its author with a note saying it was relocated.

Note that while this mechanism is meant to (and surely will) be used, part of its design is as a deterrent. I should also comment that it was a carefully chosen alternative amongst many unwelcome choices. For those who decry the need for this hard line in sff.workshop.critters, a description of the alternatives considered is available here.

So, What are the newsgroups for?

Although we exchange manuscripts and critiques by email (only!), we have no means of chatting about... whatever. (Members have made it clear they want no idle chatter by email -- 100 "me too" emails is a trying and tiring experience.) So the newsgroups carry that chatter:

The sff.workshop.critters newsgroup is strictly to be used for Flame Free material like:

• Discussions of how to critique, critiquing etiquette, etc.
• Discussions of writing-related questions that you'd prefer to ask of people you know and are comfortable with (if you want pros to answer, try the other sff.net writing groups)
• Public service announcements of the kind I send in the weekly update
• Woohoos (e.g., "I sold my story...")
• Inspirational/informational quotes
• Questions (such as "how do I get Word to properly format my ms. for submission?")
• Getting to know other authors (including pros who might visit as guests); such contacts are often valuable; treat any such guests are if you were at a formal tea with the Pope

The sff.workshop.critters-volcano-bar-and-grill newsgroup is pretty much anything goes:

• Followup discussions of the stories & critiques (after they've been emailed -- please do NOT taint reviewers' minds by discussing a story that is currently under review; wait until I send out the batch of reviews)
• Social chit-chat
• General silliness
• Getting to know other authors (including pros who might visit as guests); such contacts are often valuable; treat any such guests however you damn well please
• Whatever, with the exception that I would frown heavily on personal attacks against critiquers over the quality of their critiques (gripe to me by email, I'm the arbitrator in matters relating to critiques) and I'm likely to forge cancels on manuscripts or critiques that are posted (since those are done by email)

Things that probably belong in other sff.net newsgroups (at least cross-posted):

• Market information
• Research questions
• Discussions of writing, techniques, etc. (particularly ones that you want helpful answers to, since pros are not likely to hang out in sff.workshop.critters or sff.workshop.critters-volcano-bar-and-grill but will be found in the other sff.net newsgroups)
• Anything for which an appropriate sff.net newsgroup exists; remember, sff.net needs your support (buying an sff.net membership is good, too)

  This need not be strictly followed, just remember to move the discussions if they get heated.

While we're at it, here's Rule #3...

Any questions? Please ask the Critter Captain.