The BibliaFiles FAQ

The BibliaFiles Website
This is a somewhat outdated FAQ written by the listowner in the early days of the list. If any listmembers have suggestions of revisions or new Qs&As to add, mail the listowner.

What is a mailing list?

Mailing lists are widespread on the Internet, especially since Usenet seems to have been overrun with net.twits. A mailing list is a group of people (subscribers) who send e-mail to the list by sending mail to a single address. It enables this group of people to talk about a particular topic that interests them in a semi-private way. All you have to do is send one e-mail to the list address, and you're sending it to everyone else on the list. Similarly, once you subscribe, you get a copy of all the mail that is sent to the list.

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So, do I need web access to join this list?

No. The discussions are conducted entirely on e-mail. It's true that the list has a webpage, but the listowner maintains that, and it's not necessary for you to have access to the webpage to participate in this list. All you need is an e-mail address.

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What do you talk about, anyway?

This is a book discussion list, so we tend to talk about books! Sometimes the discussion veers off in other directions, too. We talk about all kinds of books from cookbooks to science fiction to contemporary fiction to comic books to classics. There are no 'rules' about which books can be discussed. If you've read something interesting lately and want to talk about, post! You may find that someone else on this list has read it too. See the list guidelines on the front page of the site for more information.

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But I haven't done any literary analysis since high school. . .

Relax. We're a fairly diverse bunch, and it doesn't matter if you're a literary critic or not. The only thing that matters is that you're able to read, and willing to comment on what you've read. If you only read 18th-century British literature, that's ok. If you only read contemporary bestsellers, that's ok. If you only read science fiction, that's ok. It's likely that someone else on the group reads a bit of what you do, and if not, then introduce the rest of us to some of your favorite books! A few of us were english majors, a few of us are techies, a few of us read the backs of cereal boxes, a few of us stopped reading for a few years and are now getting back into it. If you like books, like to read, and like email, then you'll definitely have something to contribute.

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So, is this like Oprah's book club or something?

Well, yes and no. Offline book groups (i.e. groups that can meet in real life) tend to discuss one book at a time. At any given point on our list a few people might be reading the same book, but not necessarily. When it happens, it's fun, but if it doesn't, that's ok too. Sometimes someone will read a book that another listmember read 3 years ago, and they can talk about it. Sometimes it's just fun to get ideas of things to read from other people. Nobody on the list is required to read anything in particular in order to participate.

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What did you mean when you said "semi-private"?

Well, like anything to do with e-mail, completely confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. However, listmembers are not to forward e-mail to someone not on the list without the author's permission. If it's found to be happening, the offending subscriber will be warned, and if it happens again, booted. People should feel comfortable that the list is a reasonably flame-free, safe zone in which to converse. However, the listowner cannot guarantee that posts won't leak -- this is the Internet, after all. However, there are some safeguards in place to try to protect against breaches of confidentiality. (See Why do I have to know someone on the list already?)

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How do I join?

As noted on the front page, subscribers to this list must be approved by the list owner. In practice, what that means is you must already know someone on the list who has invited you and will vouch for you to subscribe. Have that person send a message to bibliafiles@uncorked.org when you subscribe to verify that they’ll vouch for you. To subscribe, send a blank message to bibliafiles-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. To unsubscribe, send a blank message to bibliafiles-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. Finally, be sure to introduce yourself when you subscribe. The list owner will gently remind you to, if you don’t.

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Why do I have to know someone on the list already?

This is part of those safeguards that I was talking about. We'd like the list to be a pleasant place for discussion, and so we don't allow just anyone to join. When that happens, the chances for net.twits and people who just want to harass others joining the list increases. So each subscription request has to be approved by the listowner. What that comes down to is the listowner has to know that someone else on the list knows you, and will vouch that you're not a net.harasser or net.troublemaker. Then you can join. Once you've joined, then tell your friends and they can use your name when they join.

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I'm thinking of posting X, should I do it?

If it's in response to an ongoing discussion, or it has something to do with books, or you've been on the list long enough to know that people are probably interested, then go right ahead! Don't wait, post post post!

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Where does the name "The BibliaFiles" come from?

For the curious: our name, suggested by Vicki, comes from the name of our fictional patron goddess Biblia, the word bibliophile and is a double pun in that the digital aspect of our community makes the use of computer files ubiquitous. Check out Biblia's sacred commandments, as revealed to subscribers to The BibliaFiles.

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How come you never talk about XYZ?

There is no one person responsible for deciding what's going to be discussed. If you feel the discussion has been dominated by boring topics, then please post some stuff that you're interested in. It's quite likely there are other people who are interested, too. Don't be shy, and don't be afraid to post a few times. The list tends to be a bit bursty, and you may have to mention something more than once before a discussion gets going. Post, post, post!

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Is there a digest version?

Yes. Check out the yahoogroups website for information on managing your subscription and how to receive the list in digest format.

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