Are there any special considerations when posting messages to alt.music.bootlegs in particular?
Definately! If someone posts asking for a Backstreet Boys bootleg, it may be tempting to reply with a “flame”, telling them that BSB are crap and they should get a life and listen to some real music for a change. But don’t. We are a mixed bunch in alt.music.bootlegs. We all have different tastes in music — chances are that someone feels exactly the same way about your favourite band. Think about how to reply. You have two options — you can reply to the newsgroup, or reply by email to the original sender. Only reply to the newsgroup if you feel that other people there will be interested in your reply. It is very important to choose an appropriate subject for your posts. Alt.music.bootlegs is a high-volume newsgroup which usually receives between 50 and 100 posts per day, so most people skim the subject lines, and only read the posts if the subject looks interesting. Good subject lines are: • WTD: band, venue (date) • ISO: band, venue (date) “WTD” is short for “Wanted” and “ISO” is short
