LMA List Guidelines

The LMA List is the discussion list for the Legal Marriage Alliance of Washington. This list is for people who support legal marriages for same sex couples in the state of Washington. Through the LMA List, subscribers learn about activities of the LMA and events in the community that relate to the pursuit of legal marriage equality. Subscribers can participate in discussions and exchange information that pertains to the pursuit of marriage equality.

A separate "LMA-Announcements List" is available for those who would like to remain informed about LMA events and activities but who do not wish to participate in or view the discussions on the LMA List. To switch your subscription over to the announcements-only list, send a request to lma-owner@lists.qrd.org. Please include something in the message body asking to be dropped from the LMA List and switched to the announcement-only list so we're sure what you're asking us to do.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN POSTING TO THE LIST:

If replying to someone else's message, please delete all but the relevant sections of the earlier message(s). Since some subscribers receive many messages compiled into a digest, this helps keep their digest package a manageable size.
If you're replying to a message you received as part of a digest, please change the subject line to reflect the subject of the message (rather than the default subject, "LMA List Digest [dates]").
The LMA List currently has over 1,300 subscribers. This is a diverse group of people who support the mission of LMA. Think about them and the value of their time before posting a message. Be sure the message is for their benefit.

POSTING GUIDELINES:

All postings are read by a moderator before going out to the subscribers. A moderator approves messages when they fit with these guidelines:

Postings to the list must relate directly to legal marriages for same-sex couples, mainly as it relates to the state of Washington. We have experimented with various ways to define the list topics, and have concluded that this definition keeps the most people on the list happy -- this is what people hoped to read and talk about when they subscribed.
Disagreeing with others' ideas is welcome. Attacking people as individuals is not OK. In general, the LMA List should be a supportive, informative community.
Postings must contain new information. Very short messages like, "I agree!" or "I couldn't have said it better myself!" do not add information and would force hundreds of subscribers to spend time opening and deleting a message. (Of course, you are welcome to send an appreciative message privately to the person with whom you agree. If you merely click "reply" in your mail reader, you will send your reply to the entire list. To send a private reply you must make sure that your recipient's address is shown, rather than that of the list.)
The LMA List is not a place to win debate points. Moderators may ask that a discussion of fine points of an argument be taken up outside the LMA List.
The LMA List is not a press clipping service. Posting an article from another source is fine when the poster explains how subscribers might benefit from reading it. When just a portion of an article is pertinent, the poster should cut-and-paste it, sharing only the pertinent material. An extensive marriage-related clipping service is available via "The Marriage List," (not an LMA project). To subscribe, send a message to marriage-request@lists.qrd.org, with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.
There is an archive of the LMA List. You can read all previous messages there. To read archived messages, browse to http://lists.qrd.org/mailman/listinfo/lma and click on the "LMA Archives" link near the top of the page. (You will need your password to access the archives. If you need a password reminder mailed to you, browse to http://lists.qrd.org/mailman/options/lma , enter the address you're subscribed under, and click the "Remind" button.) Moderators may refer writers to the archives for a review of previous discussion on a topic rather than post a message that might only start the same discussion once again.
The moderator usually lets a subscriber know when and why the subscriber's message is not being approved for distribution to the entire List. Sometimes a message is held while the moderators confer about it. Posters should not assume their messages will be published immediately.
Posts cannot contain non-text attachments. To protect subscribers from viruses, the list software discards messages that contain anything other than plain, unformatted text or HTML. Even HTML creates difficulties for many readers, especially those receiving the digest version. While HTML posts are allowed, we strongly urge you to set your e-mail software to create only plain text posts when sending to the list. The moderators may ask you re-post a message they suspect will trigger the content filtering function of the list software.

Postings written by LMA List subscribers may not be reprinted, quoted publicly, or forwarded to other lists without the permission of the author.

HOW TO POST, SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, SET YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TO DIGEST, OR SWITCH TO THE LMA-ANNOUNCEMENTS LIST:

To post to the LMA list, send your message to LMA@lists.qrd.org
To manage your account (unsubscribe, suspend/resume delivery, change your address, switch to the digest version) navigate to http://lists.qrd.org/mailman/options/lma. You will need to have your password at this point. If you have misplaced it, enter your subscribed address and click on the "Remind" button.
To access your options page, the list software must recognize your e-mail address as being on the list of subscribers. It is not unusual for your subscribed address and the address at which you receive list messages to be different, for a variety of reasons. If you have difficulty gaining access to your options page, the moderators are there to help. You can reach the moderators at lma-owner@lists.qrd.org.