MC-CookbookRecipes

Welcome Letter

Please save this post for future reference. Yes, you see that on a LOT of mailing list welcomes. But it is ESSENTIAL for this one! At the bottom of it, the list server has given you a password that you will need to access and manage everything to do with your subscription. You will need this information at some point.

Before we dive too deep into this Welcome Letter, here's the address to send list messages to:

MC-CookbookRecipes@cooking-lists.com

This is a long and involved Welcome Letter. Do read it over at least once!

Here's what you'll find below:

General List Information
The Nitty Gritty
Posting Guidelines
List Etiquette
Administrivia

If you are on more than one of my lists, the Posting Guidelines and List Etiquette are always essentially the same. So you only need to read those once.

GENERAL LIST INFORMATION

Thanks so much for joining the list! With your help, we'll all have lots of Mastercook-formatted cookbook recipes soon!

Just a reminder...this is a Mastercook formatting list, where we each format from cookbook(s) of our choice.

Each month, you will format and post 10 recipes per month (within the calendar month) from the cookbook(s) we've agreed upon. You will format from each cookbook until every recipe has been formatted. When you finish a cookbook, let me know...and we can discuss what you'll work on next.

You can work as many cookbooks at a time as you like. Variety makes this kind of *work* more interesting.

If you've joined us later than the 15th of the month, you need only format 5 recipes your first month.

Along with this welcome letter, you should have received 2 other files:

Mastercook Help File
How to Format and Share Recipes For This List

Please read these files and this letter all the way through!

If you are missing either of these files, let me know ASAP...and I'll get a copy to you. Please read through all the files, especially 2...as they tell you how to format and share your recipes with the list.

NOTE: If you ever need to unsubscribe from this list...please let me know privately so I don't just see the unsub notice come through my mailbox.

All recipes should be posted in Mastercook text format.

THE NITTY GRITTY

HOW THIS WORKS

At the beginning of the month, I will post a reminder of what each member is working on. You can work on any number of cookbooks at a time that you wish. Just always remember to discuss with me any book you would like to format before you start, so we can be sure that it is still available.

During the month, format 10 recipes from your cookbook(s) into Mastercook...and send them into the list. The address is: MC-CookbookRecipes@Cooking-Lists.com

Details on what I would like the recipes to look like (including the very important subject identifiers) ...are at the end File 2 mentioned above...as well as how I'd like you to post them to the list. Please read this file!

Near month's end, I will post a status report, noting how many recipes have been completed by or are needed for each listmember.

If you see an error in the Status Report...just let me know privately.

You are supposed to finish your 10 recipes for the month before the month's end. If you finish your monthly requirement within the calendar month, you will be able to download all finished cookbooks for that month. If you are late, you will not be able to download those finished cookbooks with everyone else. If you are too late, you will be removed from the list. More details about this aspect below.

When you have completely formatted a cookbook, you will need to send it to me, zipped, at the Listmomma address (DO NOT SEND TO THE CRAFTNCOOK ADDRESS!). At the very least, I need the text file of the cookbook. If you use MC5 or above, please also send the *little red book*, zipped, as well as any photos of recipes or the cover (zipped, of course). You can also upload your completed book to our 4shared account. (Details will be forthcoming each month.)

Goodies for Good Behavior!

If you submit all of your 10 recipes by the calendar end of the month, you will be given access to download zipped files of all books completed in that calendar month...by both this list AND Cookbook-Recipes (my non-formatting version of this list). I will wait until the 1st of the month of the NEXT month to tabulate who has done what in the PREVIOUS month. Those who submitted ALL 10 recipes on-time will be sent a link to download the previous month's zips.

Newer members can *purchase* access to old archives by simply being good, contributing members: for each month you are an on-time, participating member, you will be given access to a previous months archive until you have EVERYTHING! This is not automatic; you will need to keep track of what you have and what you don't....and inform me when you've earned an archive (and the archive that you want).

If you submit double the required recipes in a calendar-month (20+), you will be given a special treat! I've collected zipped files of recipes from all over the Internet over the last 6 years, as well as having made lots of my own. I will share one or more of these per month with the super-posters of this list!

[Note: If YOU would like to share a special collection of your own with the super-posters of the list...just talk to me about it! If you share a special collection in a given month...and have your regular assignment completed...you will receive the link to the ALL the special collections in a month.]

[Please note: If you send in any of your recipes after the calendar month, you will not be given access to the THAT month's archive until you have completed your past dues AND the current month.]

IF YOU ARE HAVING A PROBLEM

If you are having a problem with Mastercook...please write to me privately or on list...and I will help you out as best I can.

If for any reason you cannot complete your assignment in any month...just drop me a quick line privately. No need to go into a long explanation ...I trust you; we are all adults here, working toward the same goal. Just let me know...so I don't drop you automatically at the end of the month if your assignment is uncompleted.

NON-PARTICIPATION

This list is meant to be a participation list. You filled out a pre-subscription questionnaire before you agreed to subscribe...letting you know what your responsibilities would be if you joined. I expect all list members to live up to that. I do understand that *life happens*...but there do need to be some boundaries here.

You need to get in your 10 recipes in the appropriate calendar month. September's recipes...need to be sent to the group in September (not August or October!) Your required recipes CAN be sent early by pre-arrangement if you know that you will not be able to do your assignment in the given month (vacations, planned hospital stays, etc.)

You will be unsubscribed with or without notification at the start of the new month, if your assignment has not been done OR you have not contacted me to explain why you need an extension. Barring extreme circumstances, you will only have a two week extension to complete the previous month's assignment.

If you will need more than two weeks to complete your previous month's assignment, you should unsubscribe from the list until your life gets less hectic. No hard feelings, either way (I hope!)...if we communicate.

POSTING GUIDELINES

ATTACHMENTS & TRIMMING

Many of us are accustomed to posting on YahooGroups and other free servers that will strip attachments sent to the list if the listowner sets the preferences that way. And, as a listowner, I have been able to trim listmember posts from the admin page at YahooGroups.

The newest version of the listserver software at Cooking-Lists.com has some facility to strip attachments and convert HTML/Rich Text e-mails to plain text. This must be configured by me, though, so it is possible that I have not taken all possibilities into account.

So I ask you to send your messages in plain text, and without attachments of any sort.

To keep list mail flowing easily, I need all listmembers to:

Send messages in plain text ONLY. Most e-mail clients have a place you can change your preferences globally (for all messages you send), some allow specific preferences to be set for each address in your address book, and all have a place you can change the format for the individual message before sending.
Do not send attachments to the list. No pictures or stationary....nothing except a plain text e-mail with no attachments of any sort. We have the power to stop most posts that have an attachment (thus hopefully sparing the list of any viruses)...but as I have to configure the listserver software...obscure attachments might not be on my *list*.
Keep your anti-virus software up to date and run it regularly. I have configured the list to stop most attachments...but all attachments are not stoppable (and many worms can get through anyway!). Never open an attachment from the list...it isn't supposed to be there.
Trim your posts. Never include the whole previous message in your reply, when you reply to another list message. We usually only need a line or two of the original post to know what you are talking about. Do, however, include a copy of a recipe, if you refer to one in your post. If you don't...I'll get lots of requests for that recipe!
Look at your post before you send it. Is it in plain text...have you removed anything not completely necessary? To remove excess text in your replies, simply click your mouse where you want to delete from...hold...and drag the mouse down to where you want to stop deleting. Press Delete/Backspace or Return/Enter.
If I need to edit your post for any reason (to strip attachments, to convert to plain text, to remove excess quoting), the From field of your post will have your address but will say "By way of Jamie R".

LIST ETIQUETTE

HOW TO BE A GOOD MEMBER

Keep your questions and comments relevant to the focus of the list.

Disagreement is OK; disrespect is NOT.

Follow any and all guidelines that the ListMom posts; Jamie establishes the local *netiquette* standards and posting guidelines for this list. For your ease in spotting these posts, they will start with ADMIN in the subject. (There will also be ADMIN posts about various issues that effect listmembers). All ADMIN posts must be read and complied with, if necessary. If you have problems with my decisions or any aspect of an ADMIN post, contact me PRIVATELY about them. On-list discussion of ADMIN posts is not allowed, except when I explicitly tell you so in the post.

Please consider whether or not a reply you are planning to send to the group would be better sent to the original poster. If it would be of interest only to him or her, or to a small part of the group, please send your reply privately.

If you want to forward a list recipe to your family and friends, or even another list, it is perfectly acceptable to do so *IF* you include the list and the poster in your e-mail. This is just common courtesy and respect, properly accorded to those who brought you a particular recipe in digital format. If I discover you have been posting recipes from the list without proper attribution in other places, you may be dropped from the list. Please do not forward ALL or MOST of the list recipes to other lists; forward only a reasonable amount.

Please keep discussions of administration with the ListMom private. If you transgress one of the rules of etiquette/topicality, you may very well here from me privately. I ask that you keep these private conversations private. Do not feel as though you must take the private admin discussion to the list, to plead your case. Such action may be cause for removal from the list.

Similarly if you ever feel that because of my actions as ListMom you must unsubscribe from the list, you are responsible to do it yourself. Sanctimoniously demanding that I unsubscribe you, will not result in your removal from the list.

Never post (in whole or in part) personal e-mail that you have received to the list, unless you have permission to share. Such is considered extremely rude. Keep private electronic mail private, just as you would wish others to do for you.

If you are a listowner yourself, please do not plagiarize my writings here or in any admin posts. If you want to use my words, please ask, and do give me credit!

MANAGING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

You are expected to be able to fully manage your subscription (sub, unsub, switch between digest and single messages and change your address). Asking the list or listmom to do it for you is NOT an acceptable way to manage your subscription.

Further details are given below to manage your subscription via e-mail. It is tricky, as your list password (NOT your YahooGroups password...rather, the password assigned to you at the bottom of THIS welcome letter) is required to make everything happen. The password is case-sensitive.

If you have web access, the easiest way to manage your subscription is at the list webpage:

http://www.cooking-lists.com/mailman/listinfo/mc-cookbookrecipes_cooking-lists.com

Enter your subscribed e-mail address next to the *Unsubscribe or Edit Options* button...press the button, and you will be taken to a page to log in with your password to edit your options. If you don't know your password, it can be sent to you from this page. If you just want to unsubscribe, it can be done from this page. Just press the *Unsubscribe* button in the middle of the page, and you will be sent a confirmation e-mail to completely unsubscribe.

One you log in with your password, you will be taken to a page where you can edit all your list options.

Change to a new e-mail address
Retrieve your list password
Change your list password (if you have the current one)
View all subscriptions at the listhost
Disable mail delivery
Set digest or single messages
Choose digest format, if digest member
Choose whether you want to receive your own list messages
...and a few other things

You might want to change your assigned to password to one that you will remember!

Note that one of the list options you can set is to Conceal your address on the member list. Do NOT do this. As I abhor spam myself, I have set this to be so at the management level; no one besides me has access to the member list. If you hide it at your level...you are only hiding it from ME! If I've found that you've hidden your subscription, I may remove your subscription altogether. Please DO NOT change this option.

SOME BASIC NETIQUETTE

Let your subject lines reflect your subject. (And the digest number doesn't reflect your subject!)
Always be kind to other list members. No flaming. Publically or privately.
Signatures should be short and non-commercial.
Don't post in ALL CAPS.
Don't send/forward any chain letters, virus alerts, sick children letters, etc., to the list. If you are concerned that you may have sent or received a virus to another listmember...write me about it privately...and I'll respond publicly if I need to.
Don't send any spam to the list; doing so will mean automatic unsubscription from the list. For those new to the Net, spam is unsolicited commercial e-mail (when sent to mailing lists, it is usually not on the list topic). If you do have something to sell that is cooking related, please put your URL or e-mail address in your SIG (with a little *Write me for more information about....*).
DON'T send unsubscribe messages to the list. Doing so will NOT get you unsubscribed, and will just annoy your fellow list members. Take the time to unsubscribe properly, following the directions set out below and in the list help file. I don't, as a rule, unsubscribe or change listmember's addresses, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Don't complain about too much mail! (If it happens!) Learn to manage your mail, switch to digest (a long e-mail with all messages of a certain time period), or if you really can't take it....unsubscribe.

I am a ListMom to other lists, and I have a few pet peeves that are my own.

First, if someone posts something you don't like, don't post to them about it on list or in private. Learn to use your delete key! If someone is really out of line, I will say something publicly or privately....no need for you (as a list member) to do anything.

Second, I will sometimes make administrative decisions regarding topicality or some such. If you disagree with me, talk to me about it privately and NOT on the list.

Third, since I am the ListMom, only I will determine how recipes are posted, topicality, etc. Please don't send *listcop* posts to the list, where you tell other list members what to or not to post on the list or how to post recipes, etc. I am pretty liberal about what I allow on list...you need to be charitable/friendly too! Write to me privately with any concerns.

ADMINISTRIVIA

The address, again, to send list posts to is: MC-CookbookRecipes@cooking-lists.com

Jamie Rahm is the listowner, available at: listmomma@gmail.com

Send all completed cookbooks to: listmomma@gmail.com

The URL for the list's main page at cooking-lists.com is:

http://www.cooking-lists.com/mailman/listinfo/mc-cookbookrecipes_cooking-lists.com

SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS AND E-MAIL COMMANDS

The list is available in single message and digest format. You can also switch your subscription between these formats as well as put your mail on hold if you are going to be away from the computer. This can all be handled via your configuration page at cooking-lists.com (URL below and accessible from the list's main page) or via e-mail.

Here are some of the more commonly used e-mail commands (see how important that password at the bottom of this Welcome Letter is?):

Send all commands to: MC-CookbookRecipes-request@cooking-lists.com

Single line commands can be sent in either the subject or message body. For the best results, send Unsubsribe commands in the subject.

If the command requires 2 lines, you must send it in the body of the e-mail (and make sure that HTML or rich text is turned off...or the server will not recognize your commands).

Do not use the placeholder PASSWORD! Use your real list password...and remember that it is caSe-seNsiTive.

To unsubscribe from the list, send this command line:

unsubscribe PASSWORD

(PLEASE NOTE: only subbing and unsubbing do not require a password. Changing all other list options requires use of your list password.)

To temporarily hold mail delivery:

set authenticate PASSWORD
set delivery off

When you want to receive mail again, send this to the request address:

set authenticate PASSWORD
set delivery on

To switch your subscription between single messages and digest, send this:

set authenticate PASSWORD
set digest plain

To switch your subscription between digest and single messages, send this:

set authenticate PASSWORD
set digest off

You can find out what your list options are set to by sending the command SET SHOW to the request address.

You can get a list of all the commands available to you via e-mail by sending an e-mail to MC-CookbookRecipes-request@cooking-lists.com with HELP in the body or subject.

BOUNCING / MISSING MAIL

If your mail bounces for too long (more than 10 days), the server will remove you from the list. Just ask me to resubscribe you.

If you miss any posts or digests, write me off list, and I can send you any digests you missed during your mail problems.

Happy Cooking,
Jamie
MC-CookbookRecipes ListMom
MC-CookbookRecipes-owner@cooking-lists.com
http://www.grassrootsrecipes.com - Lots of Recipes in Mastercook Format!
http://www.cooking-lists.com -- Recipes and Cooking Info Via E-Mail
http://store.cookingupideas.com -- My Specialty Food Store

-----------Here's the official stuff from the cooking-lists.com server!

NOTE: If you join the list, this is where the server gives you your list password.

Cooking-Lists.com | MC-CookbookRecipes Pre-Sub Form