At Indiana University

When you subscribe to Copyediting-L, the Listserv server at Indiana University sends you two messages -- one with general guidelines for any mail-based discussion group and this message with specific information about CE-L.

WELCOME TO COPYEDITING-L AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY

Please save this message for future reference. If you don't, you'll wish you
had. And please read this message before posting.

BEFORE YOU POST A MESSAGE TO CE-L, READ AT LEAST THIS SECTION!

By reading or posting messages to Copyediting-L, you agree to abide by Indiana
University's "Computer Users' Privileges and Responsibilities" as shown at
[http://www.itpo.iu.edu/policies/cupr.html]. You also agree to abide by
standard Internet etiquette (netiquette), as described in the book
_Netiquette_ by Virginia Shea, and to the guidelines shown here.

The 10 primary Net Etiquette rules:
1. Remember the human.
2. Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real
life.
3. Know where you are in cyberspace.
4. Respect other people's time and bandwidth.
5. Make yourself look good online.
6. Share expert knowledge.
7. Help keep flame wars under control.
8. Respect other people's privacy.
9. Don't abuse your power.
10. Be forgiving of other people's mistakes.

By reading or posting messages to Copyediting-L, you also agree that CE-L's
list owners and associates cannot be held responsible for any damage caused by
this system. This includes, but is not limited to, damage caused by its users,
hackers, and hardware or software failures. There is no guarantee of reliable
service or security of information. All information placed on CE-L is to be
considered public. While we do our best to stop inappropriate use of the list
and harassment, we cannot prevent it entirely. List owners reserve the right
to limit posting, suspend accounts, or deny access to anyone at any time. List
owners will never ask you for your password; anyone doing so is a fraud.

So that spammers may not abuse the list, all new accounts are set up so that
messages must be approved by a list owner. After your first few posts, your
account will be set so that messages are no longer reviewed.

Existing subscribers who inadvertently unsubscribe instead of using the
"nomail" option will go through the new-subscriber process each time they
leave and return.

Never send HTML or RTF e-mail to a list--this list or any other. For an
explanation of why this is a bad thing and how you can avoid it, see Gerald E.
Boyd's website:  [http://www.expita.com/nomime.html].

Copyediting-L is a busy list. We recommend that you choose to receive
individual messages because this allows you to filter messages based on the
special "tags" that subscribers use when posting messages. Subscribers who
receive the messages as digests always receive all messages posted to the
list.

Regarding the use of the "chat" tag: NO TOPIC SHOULD EVER START AS "CHAT". If
you wish to begin a topic that is not editing related, post the message to
Copyediting-Off-List-L (CEL-O). EXCEPTION: If you wish to make a comment that
is tangential to a topic that is being discussed, CHANGE the tag to "chat". We
strongly encourage that any *discussion* that ensues be moved to CEL-O. (For
more information about CEL-O, see section 7 -- "CEL-O, the off-list list."

When replying to a message, keep in mind that excessive quoting is annoying.
As editors, we should be able to trim quoted material to include only the
essential parts. When a question includes a long and involved explanation that
sets the stage for the question, there is no need to repeat the introduction
in the answer. Those who quote excessively will receive reminders from a list
owner; continued excessive quoting may result in posting limitations.

On-line resources:

If you lose this file, you may obtain another copy from
[http://www.copyediting-l.info], where you will also find the CE-L FAQ.

The Copyediting-L archive is at
[http://listserv.indiana.edu/archives/copyediting-l.html].

The Copyediting-L-Off-List archive is at
[http://listserv.indiana.edu/archives/copyediting-off-list-l.html].

Users may view current and past messages here, use "Subscriber's Corner" to
change their account settings, and even post messages to the list. The archive
is available only to subscribers.

Privacy:

CE-L and CEL-O are set up so that only the list owners may see the names and
e-mail lists of the subscribers. Other subscribers will, of course, see your
name and e-mail address when you post messages. The archive is available only
to subscribers. This does not mean that what you post to the list is private.
Anyone may join the list. Always assume that your mother, your mother-in-law,
and your immediate supervisor are subscribers.

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS SECTION! The information below is also important;
we expect and appreciate your cooperation.

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CONTENTS
1. General information
2. Guidelines for posting messages
3. Subject tags
4. Managing your subscription
5. Adding yourself to the list of freelancers
6. The archives
7. CEL-O, the off-list list
8. Contacting a list owner

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1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Copyediting-L is a list for copy editors and other defenders of the English
language who want to discuss anything related to editing: Sticky style issues;
philosophy of editing; newspaper, technical, and other specialized editing;
reference books; client relations; Internet resources; electronic editing and
software; freelance issues; and so on. Carol Roberts started the list at
Cornell University in December 1992 and passed ownership of the list to Beth
Goelzer Lyons. Bill Blinn and Jane Lyle are the current list owners.

Copyediting-L is an unmoderated list. The default mail setting is DIGEST. This
option combines several individual messages (up to about 500 lines) into one
larger e-mail message with a table of contents. DIGESTS ARE NOT EDITED OR
CONDENSED. See "Sending Commands to the Server" to learn how to make changes
to your subscription.

Only subscribers may send messages to Copyediting-L. If the address you use to
send mail varies in any way from the address from which you subscribed, the
server will not recognize you as a subscriber. Contact the list owners for
help.

Copyright restrictions apply to all Copyediting-L material, including archives
and FAQ files. Copyediting-L material may NOT be used commercially without the
permission of the author(s).

These guidelines are subject to interpretation by the list owners. We make
every effort to apply the guidelines consistently and fairly. Those who fail
to comply with the guidelines will receive off-list reminders and, if
inappropriate posts continue, may have posting rights restricted, suspended,
or revoked.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

2. GUIDELINES FOR POSTING MESSAGES

To send a message the list: [copyediting-l@listserv.indiana.edu].

CE-L shorthand:
   CE-L = Copyediting-L.
   CEL-O = Copyediting-Off-List.
   Fe = irony or sarcasm (Fe is the chemical symbol for iron).
   GDR = "Grin(ning), duck(ing), and run(ning)."
   TIA or "Spanish aunt" (aunt in Spanish is "tia") = "Thanks in advance."

Please keep messages as short as possible. CE-L is a busy list and needlessly
long messages are tedious.

When replying to a message, delete or edit the original text.

Use a descriptive subject line with the appropriate tag. Many people use the
subject line to decide whether they want to read a message, and some use tags
to filter messages. See "Subject Line Guidelines" for details.

Do not post a question that may be unequivocally answered by consulting a
dictionary, the Chicago Manual of Style, the AP Stylebook, or any other common
reference. Questions about variations in the answers provided by those
references, as well as questions about interpretations, are welcome.

Do not point out mistakes (grammar or spelling, for example) in messages,
unless the author has explicitly asked for advice. We are all human. We all
commit typos. In short: Respect each other. Diversity in editing and opinions
about editing is encouraged. Argument and debate are fine. Character digs and
personal attacks are not. You are responsible for what you write. Those who
cannot be civil will be removed from the list.

Some topics are not appropriate. Political comments are not permitted, period.
The Internet is home to many political discussion lists, but CE-L is not one
of them. Evangelizing for Windows or Mac platforms is unwelcome. Choose your
computing platform, religion, word processor, and pet to suit yourself. Allow
others to choose theirs.

Posts reporting minor typos in publications or mispronunciations by radio or
television performers are not appropriate. People have been confusing "libery"
with "library", "Febuary" with "February", and "Calvary" with "cavalry" since
these words entered the language. Likewise, hand-printed signs have shown
"it's" as possessive for centuries. The planet is also surrounded by air, but
most of us do not find this fact to be worthy of comment.

Advertisements are forbidden. Brief (up to 10 lines) "help wanted" ads are
allowed if you include off-list contact information. Brief (up to 10 lines)
announcements of editing-related conferences, seminars, and meetings that are
open to non-members are also allowed if you include off-list contact
information. Do not post an entire conference schedule and do not post the
announcement more than once.

If you are traveling and would like to meet CE-L subscribers in your
destination city, post a message to the list and indicate the dates you will
be in the other city. Follow-up arrangements should be made off-list.

Avoid posting messages from other lists. If you have a list of one-liners that
you want to share, post 3 or 4 of them to CEL-O (not to CE-L) and offer to
send the full list to those who contact you privately to ask for it. If you've
received an e-zine or e-mail that contains information you feel would be
helpful to others, describe it and provide a link to the original or offer the
full message to those who request it. Do not post urban legends or virus
warnings.

Copyright restrictions apply to the Internet. Provide a complete bibliographic
citation for all copyrighted materials and obtain permission as required from
the original author before posting.

Poll or survey questions (Example: "How many of you ...?") may be asked, but
those who ask such questions should request that all responses be sent to them
privately. It is their responsibility to compile the responses and provide a
brief summary to the list.

Thanks, but no thanks. While it might seem unfriendly or even rude, we
discourage posting "thank-you" messages to the list. If everyone thanked each
person who helped, about 50% of the list traffic would be thank-you notes.
Unless someone has gone to extreme measures to help you, please post thank-you
messages privately.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

3. SUBJECT LINE GUIDELINES

No message is complete until it has a tag and a descriptive subject. No new
topic should ever begin with a "chat" tag.

Before sending a message (an original message or a reply) glance at the
subject line to confirm that the tag and the descriptive subject are properly
formatted and appropriate to the subject matter.

TAG: Descriptive subject (The tag is followed by a colon, a space, and the
descriptive subject.)

Tags may be upper case or lower case, but must end with a COLON and should be
followed by a descriptive subject. Tags may not contain spaces. A space must
appear after the colon and before the descriptive subject.

CHAT should never be combined with any other tag and it should be used
sparingly. No topic should ever begin with a "chat" tag. If the topic is so
far afield that the first post would require a "chat" tag, then the message
belongs on CEL-O, not on CE-L.

URGENT is NOT a tag. If need a prompt answer, place the word "URGENT" in the
descriptive subject section:
   QUERY URGENT: This is incorrect
   QUERY: URGENT This is correct

STYLE is NOT a tag.

ADMIN: List owner use ONLY.

BIZ: Business practices, rates (limited, please), journalism, media,
and conference announcements (announcements are limited to a MAXIMUM
of 10 lines).

CHAT: Humor, trivia, essays (brief, please), threads that have mutated
from their original tag, and anything else that's not directly editing
related. Do NOT combine CHAT with any other tag! DISCUSSIONS SHOULD
NOT START AS CHAT AND RESPONSES TO CHAT POSTS SHOULD MOVE TO CEL-O.
Exception: The occasional pun war because these are usually of short
duration.

CONF: VERY SHORT (10 lines maximum, preferably less) about upcoming
conferences and other programs OF INTEREST TO EDITORS. No more than
one such post per subscriber per quarter.

JOB-OP: Job opportunities. NO advertisements or "position wanted"
messages are allowed. NOTE THE HYPHEN, WHICH IS REQUIRED.

MISC: Anything that doesn't fit a standard category.

QUERY: Question that needs a quick answer. (Add the word URGENT
*AFTER THE COLON* if you need a reply ASAP.)

SUMMARY: Use this tag when you report information that you have
collected off-list in response to a QUERY.

TOOLS: Hardware and software, books, desks, pencils, and anything else
an editor might need.

USAGE: Grammar and style issues.

*** "URGENT" is NOT a tag.

Tags must be spelled and punctuated exactly as shown or the filtering system
will not work.

If you cannot decide between two tags, you may combine them. CHAT SHOULD NEVER
BE USED WITH ANY OTHER TAG. Dual tags follow this format:
   TAG TAG: Descriptive subject

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

4. MANAGING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

This is the self-service section of the Internet. You are expected to manage
your own subscription. Two methods exist to modify your subscription:

   1. Use the Web interface.
   2. Send an e-mail message to the server.

Those who have not subscribed to Listserv-based discussion lists before will
probably find the Web interface easier to use:
CE-L:
[http://listserv.indiana.edu/archives/copyediting-l.html]
CEL-O:
[http://listserv.indiana.edu/archives/copyediting-off-list-l.html]
You'll be able to make subscription changes in the "Subscriber's Corner"
section. The website has its own self-contained instructional files. You are
expected to read these before asking for help.

Problem or question? See:
[https://listserv.indiana.edu/cgi-bin/wa-iub.exe?SHOWTPL=LISTSERV-HOME-HELP&L=
COPYEDITING-L]

Those who have experience with Listserv-based mailing lists will probably find
the e-mail interface to be faster:
[listserv@listserv.indiana.edu]

Because Listserv is a computer program, you must follow the command format
*exactly*.

   * Type the command on the first line of the message BODY. Not the subject
line, the body.

   * Do not indent the command or place any text in front of it.

   * If your message contains a signature below the command, the server will
reply with one or more error messages; even so, it will usually process the
command properly.

   * Commands may be upper or lower case. They are shown here in lower case.

To check the status of your subscription:
Command: query copyediting-l

To subscribe:
Command: subscribe copyediting-l Firstname Lastname

To unsubscribe:
Command: unsubscribe copyediting-l

Receive digests (default):
Command: set copyediting-l digest

Receive individual messages:
Command: set copyediting-l nodigest

TEMPORARILY stop receiving messages (when you're busy or on vacation):
Command: set copyediting-l nomail

Start receiving messages again:
Command: set copyediting-l mail

Receive copies of your own messages (default):
Command: set copyediting-l repro

Choose not to receive copies of your own posts:
Command: set copyediting-l norepro

Those who subscribe to INDIVIDUAL MESSAGES may set the topics they wish to
receive. Those who subscribe to the digest will always receive all messages.

Receive all messages (default):
Command: set copyediting-l topics: all

Receive all messages except "chat":
Command: set copyediting-l topics: all -chat

Receive only "usage" and "biz" messages:
Command: set copyediting-l topics: usage biz

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

5. ADDING YOURSELF TO THE LIST OF FREELANCERS

As a service to Copyediting-L subscribers, Helen Court at
[celery.free@gmail.com] maintains a list of freelancers (part-time and
full-time). The list is posted here:
[http://www.copyediting-l.info/]
and Helen sends it privately to anyone on request. Keep in mind that there is
no control over what happens to the list once it's posted. You must be a
Copyediting-L subscriber to be listed.

To add yourself to the list, send a message to [celery.free@gmail.com] and use
the format specified below. Those who fail to follow the format will not be
listed.

Doe, Jean
100 Elm St., City, State/Province, Zip/Postal Code, Country jdoe@email.land
607-555-1212 (fax 607-555-1313)
Type work: Copyediting, proofreading, indexing
Type materials: Books, journals, manuals, technical materials
Experience: Since 1950
Subjects: Business, computers, mathematics, natural resources

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6. THE ARCHIVES

Copyediting-L's Web interface gives you access to the archives. The archives
are closed to non-subscribers, but users should keep in mind that anything
posted to CE-L is essentially visible to everyone in the World.

The first time you use the Web interface, you will be asked for a password. If
you haven't yet set up a password, you may do so from the screen that asks for
a password. You will need to enter the e-mail address from which you are
subscribed and then type a password. The server will send a copy of your
password to the e-mail address you gave it and YOU MUST REPLY to that message
to confirm that you are who you say you are.

Once you have successfully established a password, the server will offer to
write a "cookie" to your computer. This will save the password on your PC so
that you will not need to enter it again from that PC. If you use other PCs
(at home, for example) you will need to enter the password once from that
location.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

7. CEL-O, the off-list list

CE-L has a "CHAT" subject tag that is intended for OCCASIONAL off-topic
comments that are TANGENTIAL to an EXISTING DISCUSSION.

NO TOPIC SHOULD EVER BE *STARTED* WITH A "CHAT" TAG.

In 2002, we added CEL-O, the "off-list list," for use by those who wish to
discuss non-editing topics with those who belong to CE-L. Those who wish to
subscribe to CEL-O, must first be CE-L subscribers. Subscribers must be
approved by the list owner, who will confirm that the subscriber is a CE-L
subscriber.

CEL-O runs on the same LSoft Listserv software that powers CE-L, so all of the
standard list management commands described here also apply to CEL-O; the only
difference is that you must replace copyediting-l in the command with
copyediting-off-list-l. No topics are banned on CEL-O, but those who post
excessively or who are abusive to others will be removed at the sole
discretion of the list owners.

NEVER cross-post a message to both lists. However, if you want to start a
discussion that is vaguely related to editing, you may post the original
message to CE-L (and ONLY to CE-L) with a "CHAT" tag. Place this text at the
TOP of the message:

"Please respond on CEL-O."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

8. CONTACTING A LIST OWNER

CE-L and CEL-O are administered by Jane Lyle and Bill Blinn.

If you have questions or if you're having trouble getting the server to do
what you want, send a message to:
[Copyediting-l-request@listserv.indiana.edu].

Using this address ensures that your message will be read without delay
because messages sent to the "request" address reach both list owners.

Last updated: 4/24/2005

Main page • General information from Indiana University
Copyediting-L information from the list owners
Blogs by CE-L subscribers • Directory of CE-L Freelancers
Style guides contributed by subscribers
How to kill spyware and ads • Other useful or interesting topics
MS Word macros

Except as otherwise noted,
by William F. Blinn.All rights reserved.