Subject: Alt.Devilbunnies Frequently Asked Questions *** part 2/2
Date: 12 Apr 1996 02:51:43 GMT
Summary: More of what you never wanted to ask about the Evil that Fluffs (tm)

Posting-Frequency: Approximately twice per month

. ***** ALT.DEVILBUNNIES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ***** 
                     The Ground Rules for Posting

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Written on March 24, 1994.  Updated Sep 11, Dec 10 1994, May 12, and 
July 9, Nov 9 1995.

Compiled, written, and edited by Bill Keyes (bkeyes@lamar.colostate.edu),
with help from Steve Jenkins, Benjamin Franz, Lisa O'Donnell, and others
too numerous to list.  Thanks all.

On alt.devilbunnies, we fight imaginary bunny rabbits who kill people and
eat their toes.  We fight them using urine and fireman's axes, not f-16
fighter jets or heavy calibre laser pulse-rifles.  But let's try and be
specific about what the group does and does not consist of...

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1.  Ultimate death weapons need not apply.

Omega weapons that will kill everybunny in a 10,000 mile radius are 
no-nos.  We try to maintain a sort of status quo, as well.  The bunnies 
win one, the Fudds win one, and so it goes.  The war should last forever 
(or at least as long as Usenet!).  

2.  If you play in our sandbox, you need to use our toys.

Alt.devilbunnies is a group with a long and very strong tradition,
a mythology of its own, and certain rules (both spoken and unspoken)
that are followed.  It is not an anarchic group.  We have an established,
strong, and logical mythos of our own.  There is plenty of room for
adaptation and creativity, but if you try to bring in your own mythos,
or one from a different usenet news group, then don't be surprised
if you are ignored or jeered.  If you show an unwillingness to adapt to
the established view, there's little that anyone can do to stop you. 
But don't expect the established mythology to adapt to you.

3.  This isn't an arms race.

The war isn't going to be won by those with the biggest guns.  It's going
to be won by the most creative people.  We're alt.devilbunnies, not 
alt.fan.tom-clancy!

4.  Don't monkey with other's characters w/o their permission.

We've had this problem in the past on occasion.  If you want to run a 
plotline with someone, then email them and ask for permission/input.  
There is a list of most everybody's addresses available, if you need it.

5.  Bunnies versus Fudds.

Keep the aliens, bears, foxes, ameobas, killer dinosaurs, etc. out of the 
group.  We're all about killing Bunnies (or humans, if you are a wabbit).
Be original with your character, but don't go overboard.  The premise is that
there are *bunnies* which are trying to take over the world, not that Fairies
and mutants and time travellers are around.  Work within the mythos, even if
you think you see someone else doing something odd.

6.  What's the fun in playing an unstoppable character?

Sure, go ahead and make yourself tough and mean. It wouldn't do for
your character to get killed!   But no one likes to see SuperFudds and
UltraBuns.  Folks who go too far overboard will very likely be ignored.
Even an Achilles heel that no one knows about is pushing it. 

7.  Flame free.

I don't know how many times it has to be said... but alt.devilbunnies is 
supposed to be a flame-free environment.  Sure, Bunnies hate Fudds and vice
versa, but the banter is friendly.  The war is what's important.

8.  Private discussions should take place in email

If you have a plot to plan, or you want a private word with someone, do it
via email.  If you have a complaint, mail it to them personally, don't air
out your dirty laundry in front of the whole group.  Or, heck, talk to me.
I'm sure I can help.  Just remember this simple rule:  Too many alt.dbs
*off* posts spoils the war.  

9.  The Codes (Bunix and BunnyStumper) should be inviolate.

Don't crack somebody's coded message.  You might act on what you read, but
if you are a Bunny, don't reply to a Fudd's coded message, and vice versa.
Codes should also be used sparingly.  If all the messages are encrypted, then
there's nothing that anyone can respond to.  Half the fun is in the banter.

10.  Delete all that you can before posting.

Nobunny likes to read 600 lines of text, especially when we've already read
it 10 times before.  Delete anything that you aren't directly responding
to.  This includes other's .sigs.  Try not to lose the attribution, though.

11.  We're only human!  (or bunny...)

Yes, sad to say it, many of the old timers on this group really don't spend
as many hours as we should answering posts, and so are often rather selective
as to which ones we answer.  If you are a newbie and you don't get an
immediate response to your postings, please *don't despair!*  Rest assured
that we *are* reading your stuff, and probably enjoying it, but likely
don't have the time to respond.  Keep at it!

12.  Read the FAQ!

It's a masterpiece.  Send it's creator lots of money.  Praise, praise.

13.  Ignore Spams, trolls, and flamewars.

Yes, even alt.devilbunnies, peaceful and friendly fringe group that it is,
gets these.  Your best course would be to ignore them.  Alt.folkore.herbs
FAQ keepers Gloria Mercado-Martin and Henriette Kress suggest the following:

>Instead of fretting over commercial posts, we all should take a cool
>approach to the problem.  Whenever I see a message like "Make quick
>cash!", "Great Anti-Cellulite Cream!", "Don't be Lonely!", "Earn
>$50,000 a week!" or something along those lines, I forward the message
>to the postmaster where the message originated from, explaining why I
>find the post inappropriate or offensive.  Chances are that the
>postmaster will look into the issue and have a talk with the abuser,
>if not go ahead and cancel his/her account altogether.

This works equally well for spammers and the folks who try to start multi-
group flamewars!  But above all, don't post a response to the group!  This
really only encourages them...

14.  Be creative!!!!!!

The most important.  This group is here for fun!  Short posts with good
jokes, long posts with important storylines... One of the most interesting
and important things about alt.dbs is that it isn't just a storytelling group,
it's also about character interaction and banter.  Alt.devilbunnies is only
as good as we make it!

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I think that's about it.  If anyone has anything else to add, feel free to
mail it.   I'm at bkeyes@lamar.colostate.edu, for your convenience... =)

"This is alt.devilbunnies.  It's little furry bunnies that "kill" people -
it's imaginative - it should be light and airy, not whiny and abusive."
                                                         -- John Chaffey

This document and all information contained within is copyright (c) 1994
by Bill Keyes.  All rights reserved.  It may not be reproduced or reposted
by any means, electronic or otherwise, in part or in whole, without prior 
permission from the author.  

Bill.

*  Bill Keyes                 /\     *  bkeyes@lamar.colostate.edu         *
*  c////////=================|__|=>  *  Sic semper culiculis daemoniacis!  *
*  NoCoAnDeBHQ Commander &  /    \   *   alt.devilbunnies FAQ Keeper       *
*  Bunny hunter Extreme    <______>  *   http://www.netimages.com/archives *

