Subject: ADMIN: Keywords FAQ (17apr02)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Keywords: admin, keywords, 17apr02
From:
[email protected] (David Harden)
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Guide to Keywords in Callahan's
Lots of people find alt.callahans a fun place to be. The group can
therefore be quite busy at times, and many people may find it hard to
follow what they find important in all the goings-on. Callahanians can
help out their fellow patrons by using Subject lines which clearly
state what a particular discussion is about or like. One way you can
do this is to use keywords which are relevant to your post.
With keywords in the Subject: line, many newsreaders will let you
search ahead for any post with a keyword in which you're interested.
Or you can skip all the posts with a keyword in which you're not
interested at the moment. Either way, people find it easier to
participate in alt.callahans as they like.
(Note that we're talking about keywords in the Subject: line. You may
also see a header line in some articles labelled Keywords:, but most
newsreaders pay a lot more attention to the Subject: line.)
You may use more than one keyword in a Subject: line, or none at all.
There will, in fact, be many posts where none of the keywords listed
below apply. The set of keywords given here is not meant to be cast in
stone, and may change as conventions change. However, if a keyword
given here does not apply to a post, please don't use it. Likewise, if
part or all of a thread drifts so that one or more keywords in the
Subject line no longer apply, please remove them, even if you don't make
any other change to the Subject line. That will be very helpful to
people who are trying to filter by keyword.
If nothing else, remember the keyword TOAST. These is a keyword you can
use for signalling a fireplace toast, as described in Spider Robinson's
Callahan's stories and in the alt.callahans Allabout. The keyword can
also appear in replies to the person making the original TOAST.
Here's what Spider said about toasts in his first Callahan's story:
``If a patron, having proposed his toast and smithereened his
glass, feels like talking about his troubles, he receives the
instant, undivided attention of everyone in the room. (That's why
the toast is obligatory. Many a man with a hurt locked inside finds
in the act of naming his hurt for the toast that he wants very much
to talk about it. Callahan is one smart hombre.) On the other hand,
even the most tantalizingly cryptic toast will bring no prying
inquiries if you display no desire to uncork. Anyone attempting to
flout this custom is immediately blackjacked by Fast Eddie the
piano player and dumped in the alley.''
Toasts are the heart of Callahan's. They deserve attention, and the
toaster may well expect some sort of reply or followup, though not
always. Toasts can have several purposes, whether a cry for help,
simply sharing news, or just a private reflection and dedication to
something. Read the post carefully and you should be able to figure it
out. But an e-mail response to a heartfelt toast is often welcome.
Keep in mind that some posters may not use an established keyword when
they want the room's attention, particularly if they're newcomers.
Some other words to watch for might include HELP. But we recommend
using a keyword people will know.
Here are some well-established keywords. Some are very common, others
more rarely used, but anything on this list should be recognised by
most of the Patrons in the Place:
* AAE:
This keyword is used by members of the Callahanian Army of Light,
to label posts describing their continuing search for Action,
Adventure, and Excitement. Also, posters to these threads
sometimes use the keyword OOC (for Out Of Character), to
indicate that they're speaking as themselves, but within the
shared fiction they're creating.
* ABEND:
Originally meaning ABnormal END to a program run, it has come to
be an acronym for Absent by Enforced Net Deprivation, and is
used to announce absence from the newsgroup due to technical
problems, travel, and the like. Also seen is ABVND, where the
`V' stands for 'voluntary' and ABSEND, where 'SE' stands for
'self-enforced'. Sometimes accompanied by GOODBYE (see below).
* ADMIN:
For posts and discussions about alt.callahans itself. Most posts
which use this keyword will be regular informational posts
('FAQs') such as this one.
* AMOTQ:
A thought question, typically of the 'what would you do if ...?'
variety, with no right answer. The 'if' may be, and very often
is, something that's not actually possible. Named after a Patron
known as Amot, who had a habit of asking such questions.
* BEST BRAINS: or BB:
Denotes a request for advice on or assistance with a topic. It's
sometimes used with requests for information, but those are more
likely to use EC (see).
* BOARD:
For posts on the `message board'; announcements, notices, or
queries to the group in general. Lamplighter's Almanac uses it.
The Board is also a good place to post changes of e-mail
address or temporary absences from the group.
* CEPT:
Originally stood for Callahan's Ecumenical Prayer Team, but
several other phrases have been fitted to the acronym. CEPT posts
are requests for prayers, good thoughts, good wishes, etc.
* DANGER ROOM:
Used to label posts involving the Danger Room, a sealed area of
Callahan's where Patrons can work off any frustrations by being
as violent as they like, with no possibility of harm to anyone
else in the bar.
* EC:
Used to label requests for information about a subject. (The
collective knowledge of the Patronage has, at times, been called
the 'Encyclopedia Callahanica'.)
* FILK:
A song parody, often containing science-fiction elements.
* GOODBYE:
Sometimes posted by people who are going away for some time.
Occasionally accompanied by ABEND (see above).
* GRUMBLE:
A post about something that irritates or annoys the poster, but
not enough to provoke a RANT. It's more of a 'this bothers me'
than a 'this angers me'.
* HELLO:
If you'd like to introduce yourself, particularly if you're a
new arrival, use this keyword to help welcomers spot you. You
may want to watch for INTRO too, but HELLO is preferred.
* LOUNGE:
For resting, recuperating, and blowing off steam. The lounge
was designed to let the weary relax, to carry quiet
conversations, and just hang out a little outside of the normal
din of The Place. See the Allabout for more details.
* LPS:
For readings and discussion of poetry. Many posts which use this
keyword will be from Patrons reading their own work. (LPS stands
for Live Poets' Society.)
* PARTY:
Lets you find virtual parties (planned and in progress).
* PLAQUE:
A posting in memory of someone close to a Patron. Often, but
not always, accompanied by a TOAST. Consult the Plaque FAQ
for further information.
* RANT:
This one is used when you want to vent steam at something which
bothers you, or the world in general. This is sort of like a
DANGER ROOM post, except the Patron just yells a lot and doesn't
smash any furniture.
* REALSPACE: or RS:
Used to announce, discuss, and report on gatherings of
alt.callahans folks out in Real Life. Meeting fellow
Callahanians outside the Net can be one of the most enjoyable
aspects of the Place.
* RETURN:
Sometimes used by returning patrons who have been away for some
time, announcing their re-appearance.
* SERIOUS:
In the past, this was often used for labeling serious discussions
about possibly contentious issues, such as abortion, gun control,
and so on. If it's used nowadays, it's more likely to be with
posts about events the poster views as serious and/or urgent.
* SOAPBOX:
Used for traditional `soapbox style' posts, where people stand
up and give their opinions on a topic, sometimes in quite
emphatic terms. Such talk frequently leads to other people
getting on their own SOAPBOXes to engage in discussion and
debate. While ideas and positions can be challenged or even
attacked in SOAPBOX threads, SOAPBOXes, like the rest of
Callahan's, should not be used for flaming or personal attacks.
If you find a SOAPBOX thread becoming unpleasant for you, it's
perfectly fine to just climb down from the soapboxes.
* TOAST:
Used for fireplace toasts meant for everyone to hear. Discussed
in more detail above.
* WINDOW:
For posts describing scenes occurring `outside' the walls of
Callahan's Place, usually in things called X-windows. Past
examples include lakeside cookouts, stargazing sessions, and
visual descriptions of real places, like the Australian
outback.
* WORMS:
Sometimes used to label posts that may be likely to open, well,
a 'can of worms'. WORMS threads can get very large very quickly.
and will frequently become rather ... heated.
Here are some keywords which aren't firmly established yet, but have
potential, or have been used a few times:
* [GUNS]
For threads about guns, gun control, use of guns, etc.
* [URL]
To label posts that are essentially suggestions to check out a
website.
* FUN:
A sometimes-used keyword for general amusement threads not
fitting under more specific keywords here. (The synonym FLUFF
is also sometimes used.) Many such posts have no keyword.
* POLITICAL:
This word labels posts which are specifically devoted to either
RANTing or SOAPBOXing about politics. It's such a common
subject that it may well need its own keyword!
* PUN:
Used in threads specifically devoted to puns. In Spider's
Callahan's stories, Punday (Tuesday) was specifically devoted
to them. Here, people puntificate all through the week.
* STORY:
People sometimes post pure works of fiction in Callahan's, and
this keyword can be used to label them.
* TALL TALE:
Used to label an elaborate pun or shaggy dog story, which
usually rambles on a bit before delivering the pun-chline.
Here are some hypothetical examples of these keywords in action:
Subject: ADMIN: New Patrons' Guide I
Subject: SOAPBOX: Why I hate duck hunters
Subject: PARTY: Slartibartfast's Celebration!
Subject: Re: TOAST: To lost love
Subject: Favorite books
Note that the last example uses no keyword. This is fine; you
shouldn't try to make established keywords cover cases where they
don't really apply. And in many cases, they won't.
You're also welcome to try a keyword not mentioned here, if none of
the keywords mentioned above apply. Successful keywords tend to define
a clear category, which won't be likely to change over the normal
course of a discussion thread. If you're introducing a new keyword,
you may want to explain in the post what you intend it for, so other
people know how to use it. If it's successful enough, it may appear in
later editions of this post.
If this seems a bit confusing to you, just try watching the group in
action for a while. Or pick out a friendly-looking regular and ask
them for help in e-mail. Most of us will be happy to get newcomers
into the stream of things.
_________________________________________________________________
This file was originally written by John Ockerbloom, with help from
Lamplighter, Merrigold, Nick Chopper, and lots of others who gave
suggestions and encouragement. Thanks to all. It is now being
maintained by David Harden. Any suggestions for changes or additions
can be sent to him at
[email protected] , or simply posted to the
group for discussion.
