Below is a copy of the welcome letter Carl Strang wrote for our new listserve members. I hope it helps classmates who seek answers to questions about the listserve. I have taken some liberty in commenting on any changes since this letter was first published. Your Webmaster |
| USNA 55 Welcome to USNA55, the electronic back fence of the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1955. We're glad to have you aboard, and we hope you enjoy communicating on the Internet with more than 200 of your classmates, some of whom you might not have heard from since we all went our separate ways on 3 June 1955. OVERVIEW usna55@six-ten.com is a service of the Class of 1955. It is technically known as a "mailing list" or "mail exploder", using the Rockliffe Mailsite software, and it resides on the servers of the Six-Ten Corporation in Winter Haven, FL. List Coordinator (or SysOp) is Carl Strang (16th Company), a/k/a "Carlos". Carl can be reached at CJ33880@aol.com. MEMBERSHIP Subscription is open to all members of the Class of 55 including non-graduates; to survivors of classmates; and, in the case of classmates who are not online, to a nearby relative or friend designated to relay messages. Others are not admitted, and have actually been turned away. Please pass the word. The more '55ers, the merrier. If you know of a classmate who isn't on board but ought to be, then sign him up. If he isn't online but someone close to him is, let us know. HOW DO I POST A MESSAGE? Compose your e-mail message to the list, address it to: usna55@six-ten.com and click "Send". It's as simple as that. It'll then be distributed to more than 200 classmates. ETIQUETTE Since the earliest days of our class Internet conversations, at least as far back as 1994, our discourse has been often candid, spirited, and wide-ranging, but never offensive. We know you'll want to keep it that way. That spirit of respect, consideration, and mutual support is a matter of great pride and comfort to the participants. While anyone may post a message on any subject, or initiate a discussion of any issue or topic, the freedom to raise any subject, issue, or topic, or to voice objections thereto, carries with it responsibilities which need not be spelled out in detail here. If by chance you find a "conversation" not to your liking, remember there's always the good old "Delete" button. COMMERCIALISM This list is not a place to regularly advertise your products, goods, and services. An occasional "plug" for yourself, a friend, or a relative who has something to offer subscribers, is welcome provided it is done in good taste. You will be accused of "spamming" and probably flamed if you try to push a product or service on a regular basis. (As with the rest of the Net, tasteful advertising in the signature block of your e-mail is acceptable.) ATTACHMENT OVERLOAD Please be sparing in sending attachments with your e-mail. Remember that many classmates live in rural precincts or other areas with narrow bandwidth connections, and thus have a low tolerance for long e-mails. If you have an attachment you think would be of interest, consider sending a description of the file to the Listserv with an offer to send the attachment directly to anyone who requests it. CHANGE OF ADDRESS - IMPORTANT Please, please remember to notify SysOp promptly when you change your e-mail address. Likewise, when you expect to be off-line for a protracted period such as an extended trip, you might consider asking SysOp to suspend your subscription temporarily. If you do, then don't forget to notify him to restore your service when you're back "in battery". Why is it important to make sure that the Listserv is notified of your current preferred e-mail address? The first and simplest reason of course, is to make certain that you receive messages. And, you want to ensure that the e-mail roster of the class web site reflects your current address so your classmates can communicate directly with you. In addition to those two reasons, you should know that Listserv messages which can't be delivered are "bounced" back to the SysOp. It makes your SysOp more cranky than usual when he finds his mailbox filled with bounced emails every time he logs on. CLASS WEB SITE Thanks to the ingenuity and hard work of Norm Palladino (24th Co.), we have a marvelous web site which contains a wealth of photographs, memorabilia, links to other web sites, and all sorts of useful information. Point your browser to: http://www.usna.com/classes/1955 ROSTERS From time to time, we publish rosters of Listserv participants on the web site. There are several sorts: alphabetically, by ZIP Code, and by USNA Company. (Webmaster Comment: This format changed in 2005 to a single roster that is not exclusively listserve members. The new roster lists about twice as many classmates and is updated more frequently thanks to our class secretary.) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Listserv owes its birth and early development to a number of classmates without whose initiative, creativity, and sage advice it wouldn't have happened. We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the Board of Elders, including (among others) John Roberts (01), Alex Aronis (01), Joe Clarkson (08), Hal Guffey (19), Don Miller (09), Bingy Moore (04), Bruce Newell (19), Ted Parker (19), Steve Ruth (14), and of course Norm Palladino (24). Again, welcome! We're glad you're with us. Carl Strang, SysOp |