Sending messages to Mailtalk groups is generally a matter of common sense and courtesy, and users should be able to use their own sense of what is appropriate to guide their behaviour.

However, the following are practical guidelines, which should help you use Mailtalk groups in a way which will most benefit yourself and other people on the group. Not all these guidelines work for all situations, so use your discretion.

Please familiarise yourself with the Mailtalk Acceptable Use Policy and the following points:

• Respect copyright when forwarding messages - if in doubt check with the author
• Respect people's privacy - don't give out the private email addresses or contact details of others
• Think before cross-posting - some people belong to more than one group
• Don't call someone names or be rude, sarcastic or condescending
• Watch where that reply is going - should it go to the whole group, or just to the original sender?
• Send your commands to the correct address - listserv@mailtalk.ac.uk
• Make sure your email address is correct
• Complain to the group owner - not the group
• Suspend mail when going away - you can always catch up via the archives
• Avoid sending large attachments to Mailtalk groups - use the files area associated with your group
• Use a meaningful subject line - it will increase the chances of your message being read and found within the group archives
• Write relevant messages appropriate to the purpose of the group
• Don't quote an entire message when replying as this leads to very long messages
• Keep your lines short and don't send long messages - waffle is off-putting
• Use a short, well-designed signature
• Only use ASCII (plain) text - ie don't use pound (£) signs