Subscriber Information and List Rules for the E-Muse Mailing List

E-Muse (formerly Scullyfic) is an e-mail list designed for discussion of any subject related to XF, XF fanfic, writing, or entertainment, as well as posting of XF-related fanfiction. Following is information on subscribing to and participating in the list. List members are encouraged to review these rules before posting.

1. Subscribing to E-Muse

Send a message to the list administrators at e-muse-request@lists.squidge.org. E-Muse is restricted to members 18 years of age or older. You will be sent an invitation to join the list. By returning it, you are confirming that you meet the age requirement.

2. Posting Messages to E-Muse

Send your post to e-muse@lists.squidge.org. The list is configured so replies go to the entire list rather than to the individual sender. You may also post or reply to messages from the E-Muse Web site at http://lists.squidge.org/wws/info/e-muse.

3. Changing Message Delivery Settings/Unsubscribing

You may modify your delivery setting or unsubscribe from the list Web site, http://lists.squidge.org/wws/info/e-muse. For most members who prefer to receive their list mail in a single message per day, the summary option is preferable to the digest option.

4. Passwords

A password is required to access the E-Muse Web site. An initial password is issued to every member in the welcome message. The password can be changed at the Web site (http://lists.squidge.org/wws/info/e-muse).

5. Bounce Status

If you do not receive any list messages in a 24-hour period, your list mail may be bouncing. Make sure your email account is operational and that your mailbox is not full, then contact the list administrators at e-muse-request@lists.squidge.org to ask them to reset your subscription.

6. Address Changes

If you wish for your E-Muse mail to be delivered to a different account, try changing your address at the Web site. If the changes do not take effect, contact the list administrators for assistance.

7. Posting Guidelines

Respect For Other List Members: Above all, we expect members to demonstrate courtesy and respect toward their fellow list members. Differences of opinions are expected and debate is encouraged. But do not belittle another list member in order to make your point. For example, a list member may post a message extolling the cuteness and gentleness of cows. Cow-phobic listmom Jill will not share that opinion. Rather than saying "That's stupid. Everyone knows cows are evil," Jill can make a stronger point in a non-offensive way by saying, "I disagree with your opinion on cows and here are my reasons why …."

Daily Limit: We ask members to abide by a limit of five discussion posts per day. (This does not include the posting of multi-part stories.)

Message Trimming: We ask that you trim your posts as much as possible. Do not quote back another member's entire message or story when replying. Quote only what is necessary to make your reply clear. Do not post "me too" messages. If you want to show your support for another list member's opinion but have nothing more to add, e-mail that individual privately.

E-mail format: Many e-mail programs do not display HTML or RTF e-mails correctly. Please try to set your e-mail program so that your messages are sent in plain text format only.

Attachments: Please do not send attachments to the list. Some list members have slow internet connections, and others use web-based accounts that can fill up quickly. If you have a file you'd like to share, please post a link instead. If you need a place to house the file, contact Shannon at noelleleithe@mindspring.com for temporary space. (NOTE: This rule does NOT include the attachments some mail systems automatically create on some e-mails. The sender has no control over those.)

8. Posting for Non-Members

We ask that any stories or messages composed by non-list members be submitted to list administration for approval before posting.

9. Message Archive

E-Muse's archive is located at http://lists.squidge.org/wws/arc/e-muse.

10. Removing Posts from the Archive

First, take comfort in the fact that you are not the first, nor will you be the last to post something to the entire list that was meant for a single member. You should be able to remove your own messages from the archive. If that fails, contact a list administrator at e-muse-request@lists.squidge.org. Unfortunately, there is no way to recall a sent message from the inboxes of people who receive list posts via e-mail.

11. Story Posting

Acceptable Stories: We prefer that the stories posted here feature XF characters. Check with a list administrator if you aren't sure about a story's appropriateness. If you don't believe your story is right for this list (for example, a story from another fandom) but would like to publicize it to list members, or if the story is particularly long and you would prefer not to post it directly to the list, feel free to post an announcement with a link.

Posting Schedule: You can post stories at any time by sending them to e-muse@lists.squidge.org.

Posting Limit: There is a voluntary 50K limit on posts; long stories should be divided into sections of 50K or less.

12. Spoiler Policy

Please put a spoiler alert in the heading and a few lines of spoiler space in the body of the message if your message includes spoilers for movies, books, or any episode of any television program that has not yet aired in all time zones in the U.S. Please do not include spoiler information in the subject line of the e-mail.

However, it is the opinion of the list administrators that when you join a discussion group, you accept the risk of being accidentally spoiled. Slip-ups are bound to happen, no matter how careful members are to avoid them. Please, take care when posting spoilers to mark them as such. Please be understanding of the list member who makes an honest mistake.

13. Disciplinary Policy

Members who repeatedly disregard the rules or who have clearly demonstrated an intent to disrupt the list will be placed on moderated status, meaning their messages will be routed to the administrators for approval before they appear on the list. List administration reserves the right to unsubscribe any member if stronger action is deemed necessary.

14. Off-List Disciplinary Issues

The list administrators feel it is our responsibility to create a positive environment here on E-Muse, but we cannot control the behavior of list members in other venues, nor do we wish to try.

15. Daily Topics

A list administrator posts a daily discussion topic (Monday through Friday), but they don't claim exclusive rights. Anyone can post a discussion topic. For clarity's sake, mark your post with a TOPIC label. The list administrators are also delighted to receive your suggestions for the daily topic.

16. Off-Topic Messages

On-topic messages include anything related to XF, XF fanfic, writing, or entertainment. Off-topic posts are strongly discouraged. If you're unsure whether a topic is appropriate for the list, contact the list administrators at e-muse-request@lists.squidge.org. The list administrators will occasionally call an "Off-Topic Friday" when this rule will not apply.

17. E-Muse Improv

The Improv is a weekly story written by a volunteer author from the list. The volunteer calls for list members to contribute story elements and the first five of those elements are incorporated in a story the author writes during the following week. If you wish to volunteer to write an improv story, contact Improv Coordinator Shari Long at slong001@midsouth.rr.com.

18. E-Muse Book Club

The E-Muse Book Club convenes on weekends, although there is currently no set schedule. Books to be discussed are announced well in advance. A volunteer discussion leader posts discussion starters and any member of the E-Muse list can contribute to the discussion. If you would like to volunteer to be a discussion leader, you need to have a specific book in mind and contact the book club coordinator at Redwyne@satx.rr.com to be assigned a date for your discussion.

19. E-Muse Birthday Club

A list of E-Muse member birthdays is maintained by Shari Long, who posts a birthday notification message on a weekly basis. To have your name added to the list, contact Shari slong001@midsouth.rr.com.

20. The E-Muse Lexicon

We've developed some strange jargon and in-jokes over the years. You will catch on quickly, but here's a primer.

Off-Topic Friday: An "anything goes" day on the list. Off-Topic Fridays are declared by a list administrator and usually occur every 6-8 weeks.

Big Cheese: A temporary overlord for the list who takes great pleasure from abusing power (and giving the listmoms a much-needed day of rest).

E-Muse/Scullyfic Madness: A Madlibs-type game we need to start playing again because it was such fun when we did it before.

Spring Training: An annual gathering of list members in scenic Potosi, Mo.

Eclairs: A cyber pastry handed out as a reward on E-Muse.

Prinking: A cross between prancing and slinking. A made-up word with many uses. Often used in conjunction with "fruitbat." Example: Learn to drive, you prinking fruitbat!

Stretchy: Our pet name for a part of the male anatomy that often demonstrates inhuman flexibility and recuperative powers in fanfic stories.

Agitated Sheep: An idea first born on digested but tragically non-cheesy potatoes at Spring Training 2002. Agitated sheep were featured prominently in the round-robin story written at that event.

YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary. The first rule of this list is to demonstrate respect for the opinions of other list members.