The Silver Streak Discussion List is an e-mail based discussion group
for Silver Streak travel trailer owners and enthusiasts. The list is open
to all comers regardless of Silver Streak ownership or not. You do not need
to be a Silver Streak owner in order to participate in the discussions of
The Silver Streak Discussion List.
Contents:
A. How to interact with The
Silver Streak Mailing List and the automated Mailing List Server:
The most important thing about joining the Silver Streak discussion
group is to have a clear mental picture of how it works. Consider for a moment
the ubiquitous daytime television chat shows in which live audiences participate
in the discussion and debate of whatever happens to be the subject of the
day. These shows are open to all, and often free to attend, but still require
a ticket to get in. Once in, you are free to participate according to whether
you feel that you have something to contribute, and you do so in the open
forum of all the other ticket holders. Once you have your ticket, you have
no further dialogue with the ticket office, except perhaps to have the doors
opened so that you can leave again when you're ready.
The Silver Streak Discussion List works in much the same way, except
instead of calling a toll free phone number to reserve a ticket from the ticket
office, you send an e-mail request to the mailing list server, which promptly
sends you your ticket. Once you have your ticket, and the server lets you
in, you have no further need to communicate with it, until you want to leave
again. If you want to contribute your opinion or experience to the discussion
of the day, you simply talk to the open forum.
In this way, the mailing list operates around two different e-mail addresses.
One address is for sending requests to the automated mailing list server,
and the other for sending messages to the actual discussion group. These addresses
are as follows:
1. E-mail messages sent from The
ticket office.
This internet address is used ONLY for interacting with the automated
mailing list server. You automatically send e-mail from this address when
you make a selection on the web page. From here you can join the mailing list,
leave the mailing list, or request help information about the mailing list.
2. sslist@tompatterson.com (The open
discussion forum)
This is the address you use to send messages to the entire discussion group.
A single message sent to this address will be duplicated and automatically
forwarded to every member of the group. This address is NEVER used for sending
subscribe or unsubscribe messages to.
How to Join The Silver Streak Mailing List:
You can join the Silver Streak Mailing list by visiting the
List Office homepage and follow the instructions.
Signing up will generate an automated confirmation message from the
mailing list server, asking you if you really do want to join the group.
This is a protection mechanism designed to keep pranksters from signing
up other people without their knowledge. In order to confirm that you
really do want to join the group, just follow the instructions in the
confirmation e-mail, and send back the confirmation message. This will
then elicit a final message from the server welcoming you to the group.
IMPORTANT: If you use more than one e-mail address, make sure you
remember which e-mail address you used to subscribe to the mailing list.
IMPORTANT: Decide if you want to join in the Digest mode or as individual
postings. This list can generate up to 50 postings a day on a hot subject.
It is recommended that if you don't read your e-mail at least every other
day or so to select the Digest mode.
How to leave The Silver Streak Mailing List:
Leaving the mailing list is extremely simple. You visit the List
Office homepage and follow the instructions. You will be automatically
removed from the mailing list, and will receive a confirmation message
from the server confirming your removal.
How to participate in the Mailing List discussions:
By joining the Silver Streak Mailing List, you will automatically
receive an e-mailed copy of every message posted to the discussion group.
In this way, the entire conversation is conducted by follow-up e-mail's
from the many group members. In order to participate in the group, all
you need to do is send an e-mail to sslist@tompatterson.com and your message
will be instantly relayed to every member of the group. Alternatively,
if you want to respond to a message from another member, all you need
to do is hit the 'Reply' button on your e-mail software, type your response,
and then send it. It is as simple as that.
IMPORTANT: Make sure you send the message with the e-mail account you
subscribed under as the the 'reply-to' address, otherwise your posting
will be rejected.
Receiving the Discussion e-mail messages as a once a week Digest:
Many people prefer receiving the days postings only once a week
as one condensed e-mail. This is especially handy for those traveling,
or when you go on a short vacation and don't want to miss the discussions,
yet don't want your mail box filled with hundreds of e-mail's upon your
return. The digest is sent out overnight on a weekly basis. To select
this option, visit the List Office homepage
and follow the instructions.
To change back to receiving each posting as an e-mail, visit the
List Office homepage an follow the instructions.
Do introduce yourself:
It's not obligatory, but when you join the list, you'll get the warmest
welcome from the friendliest group of RVers on the Internet if you
post a short introduction. You don't need to say much, just post a little
message with your name, where you hail from, and what your Silver Streak interests
are. If you've got a burning question or problem relating to your Silver Streak,
take the opportunity to ask - there are a lot of very experienced owners
in the group, who are only too happy to help if they can. Lurking is okay.
If you are just curious to see what's going on, you are more than welcome
to just sit back and listen in to what's going on. You are guaranteed to learn
something new from the group.
Do talk about Silver Streaks and RVing with particular
emphasis on Silver Streaks:
This is what everybody is here for - the group is orientated around using,
owning, and admiring Silver Streaks with the particular interest of restoration
of the Silver Streak travel trailer. The group is monitored, but you
are free to post anything you like to the list. However, because of this
open policy, it is extremely important that you do not stray too far from
the subject of Silver Streak Restoration. Model identification, tow vehicles,
tow hitches, sources for parts, chemicals to clean your trailer with,
tire sizes, in fact anything that is directly relevant to Silver Streaks
is okay, but allowing yourself to spin off on an unrelated tangent isn't.
It is a matter of etiquette that the subject matter be kept under control.
Do not use the service as a chat line:
For the most part, one word answers and innuendo type discussion has
no place on this list. The focus should remain on Silver Streaks and
not get sidetracked into other non-topical chatter. Avoid short quips
and non-essential replies. Everytime you send a posting, it generates
a number of e-mails to be processed.
Do be polite:
RVers are by definition some of the friendliest people on earth,
so this is almost irrelevant - but: It is extremely important to bear in mind
that a message posted to the group is going to a large number of people. The
way you conduct yourself in such a large arena reflects directly upon you,
and will influence people you do not already know. If you find yourself in
a debate with somebody, and absolutely cannot understand their perspective
or attitude - Do Agree to Disagree. Don't resort to arguing, swearing, or
personal attacks. It can be frustrating sometimes if you know you are right,
but cannot convince the other party - however: any instance of the above types
of behavior will result in immediate removal from the discussion group.
Do update the Subject line:
Due to the volume of messages that come across the mailing list, it is a
matter of courtesy and etiquette that you keep the subject line on your replies
and follow-ups updated to reflect the content of your message. Very often
a message will be posted on one subject, and elicit many responses, which
in turn generate further replies and follow-ups, each of which modifies and
changes the subject in hand, to the extent that messages quickly become completely
unrelated to the original posting. Evolving subjects are what the group is
all about, but not every subject is of interest to every member, so it speeds
things up greatly if people can just scan the subject lines without having
to wade through every single message just in case they miss a gem of information.
The list is littered with many pearls of wisdom, but they are easily obscured
if the subject line is allowed to become detached from the message.
Do edit the messages you are replying to:
If you are posting a reply to a previous message, it is good practice to
delete the parts of the original message that you are not responding to, and
to leave only the parts that are directly relevant to your response. For example,
you don't need to quote header text, or the footer text quoting the list homepage
address that the server appends to every posting. The accumulation of irrelevant
quoted text makes for difficulty in reading replies, and slows down the distribution
of messages to the list members.
Do remember to sign your message:
Okay, so you can't sign it as such, but it makes a big difference if people
can read your proper name at the bottom of your postings - at least to begin
with. When you've made a few posts and people know who you are, then feel
free to revert to your nickname, initials or other such handle. It can be
a little disconcerting to respond to somebody when they don't sign their message,
or do so only with initials or an e-mail address.
Do you need to have a private conversation in public?
It's easy to do, and it's no great faux pas, but if your message is really
only of interest to one other member of the group, then send it directly to
their e-mail address rather than to the entire discussion group. Think about
whether people all over the world really need to know that you're meeting
up with Mary for coffee at Cedar Pines RV park on Saturday. Of course, if
you don't know the person's e-mail address, then by all means contact them
on the list - that's what its for - bringing Silver Streak enthusiasts together.
Do check who you are replying to:
If you are going to address the person you are replying to by name, make
sure you've got the right name. Its easy to get the wrong name from the
header lines when you are two or three follow-ups down a subject thread.
Don't use the List to Push your wares:
Using the List for commercial enterprise is frowned upon. Offering or
advertising the same items repeatedly - or non-Silver Streak related items,
will get you expelled. It is acceptable to let other Listees know that
you have some extra Silver Streak parts left over from your renovation, or
to introduce a new restoration or repair product that you've developed
and now have available. Just please conduct the business transactions
off list. Many people don't understand this and will flood the list with
what is equivalent of a flea market feeding frenzy - be explicit! List
your e-mail or website in the posting.
It is also acceptable to point out Silver Streak related items on auction
sites, the classifieds and websites. After all, you can't restore a Silver Streak
without parts, and most people appreciate the chance to get valuable restoration
parts, or to learn of their existence.
Attaching photographs:
There's nothing more interesting to the group's Airstreaming community
than the opportunity to look at pictures of other people's trailers. However,
due to the fact that images are typically very byte intensive, the mailing list
server is configured so to strip html from messages. This precludes the
distribution of digitized photographs.
Instead, we suggest that you post any photographs on your own website, or
on some of the commercial websites which allow storage of personal photos,
and refer to such sites in your posting.
Due to the volume of messages that the list can generate, the management
of your mail can become a hitherto unanticipated consideration. The following
points are worth bearing in mind.
Suspend deliveries if you are going on vacation:
Many Internet access providers place a limit on the amount of mail they
will store on their mail servers for you between downloads. What this means
is that if you go away for a few days or weeks, there is every probability
that the volume of messages from the mailing list will fill your mailbox to
its limit and cause it to start rejecting messages sent to your e-mail address.
This creates a number of problems for anybody trying to communicate with you
by e-mail For you, it means you may lose important mail that you really do
need to receive. For us, it means that we get bombarded by error messages
from your mail account; and for the people you correspond with, they have
no way of communicating with you by e-mail - not even to tell you your mailbox
is full.
When we discover that a mailbox is overflowing in this manner, we immediately
remove the overflowing mail address from the mailing list. Since there is
no way to tell you what has happened, the only way you can detect that you
have been removed from the list is by the fact that you no longer receive
Vintage List mailings. If you want to resume your participation on the list,
you will have to subscribe yourself again.
To avoid this problem - if you are going to be away - suspend deliveries
before you leave, then resume deliveries when you return. This will save everybody
a lot of problems.
Alternatively, you can select to receive the postings as a once a day
e-mail (Digest) while you are away. To select this option, visit the List
Office homepage an follow the instructions.
To change back to receiving each posting as an e-mail upon your return,
visit the List Office homepage and follow
the instructions.
Autoresponders and Mailing Lists don't mix
If you are one of the few Internet users who has an autoresponder for answering
incoming e-mail messages, make sure you don't subscribe the autoresponder
address. You must not use an address that sends automatic replies
to incoming messages, since this will cause a reply to be sent after every
message posted to the list. Right there, the list traffic would double
from 50 per day to 100 per day, with 50 of them carrying your name, and
the same auto response.
Avoid HTML formatted E-Mail Postings
The daily Digests and the archived postings may display all the HTML
formatting commands if the stripper mal-functions, which will make your message difficult to read gibberish.
Please turn off HTML formatting when posting to the List.
Filtering your mail
As a tip - if you like the list, and you plan to hang out for a while, you
might want to consider setting up your mail software to filter mailing list
postings into a separate mailbox folder, directory, or mailbox. This is usually
possible with most e-mail applications by using the [SilverStreak] in the subject line,
and helps to keep mailing list traffic separate from your regular e-mail messages.
This serves the useful purpose of allowing you to manage your regular mail
without it being completely swamped out by the list traffic. Its easy to lose
track of important messages when you have several dozen messages dropping
into your box every day.
Comments, Requests, Updates and Modifications to:
Server Administrator:
Tom Patterson - pattersontj@sbcglobal.net
Silver Streak List Administration: Silver Streak List Office