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Mailing List Policies and Guidelines:

The Guild doesn't have a large number of policies and guidelines. Most are based on general netiquette and things one would probably expect to find in any mailing list of this kind and are placed here to make everyone's time with the group as enjoyable as possible. We are always open to questions and comments as well, so if you read a policy that seems confusing or if you think of something that you feel should be added here, please write to the president of the Guild at [email protected] and submit any thoughts/idea(s)for possible changes to be included.

We also appreciate input of all kinds on the list itself. After all, discussion is what we're all about. We only ask that you keep netiquette and our general policies and guidelines in mind. And by subscribing to the Gambit Guild, you agree to comply with the policies and guidelines we've established.

Most of all, keep politeness, common courtesy and a little cajun charm in mind and you won't make a mistake.

1. Common Courtesy:

Spoilers: VERY IMPORTANT. *Always* use spoiler warnings and spoiler space for discussion of any part of the plot lines for any issue which is still current and use them with discretion for other recent issues with major turning points or revelations in the story. It is a good idea to put a spoiler notice in the subject area.

As a note, although the Guild has a strong U.S./English base, we aren't just a club for those in the United States or even for only those in English-speaking countries. The Internet is global and since members join from all over the world, plot/story spoiler warnings are especially necessary with this group since many members don't get their comics at the same time.

One liners: While we encourage members to write back and reply, even when they agree or just want to have some fun, we also encourage adding something to a simple agreement. Instead of just saying you agree, tell us why or add some thoughts of your own.

There are *definitely* cases when one line is sufficient and still worthy of sending so don't let it keep you from posting a good message that only requires one line to say it all, but always consider content to keep excessive posting to a minimum.

*Unnecessarily* lengthy posting: Over long posts should try to be avoided and one should be careful of overquotes (see Definitions). This is because it can cost some members extra money to have to read it. Also some members subscribe using an e-mail address at their school or workplace and either may be risking their job/account to have excessive mail or they simply don't have time to wade through it all. This means they might end up having to skip some of the on-topic mail they'd like to read.

This is *not* to say that you should shorten your *on-topic* posts by cutting back on your thoughts. Just try to take the time to think about things like whether or not your post might be of interest to all members or if at least part of it shouldn't be removed to private mail. Think about whether you could cut your quoting a little shorter and still make your point, etc.

Personal posts related to the group: Should you have a questions of another member about posts, etc., please feel free to write to them as long as you are tactful and polite. Many people in this group are a wealth of knowledge and even a net veteran can forget and make mistakes. And you might make a new friend.

If, however, any member should write to you privately with negative personal comments of a disagreeable nature or your privately addressed concerns are not dealt with at that level to your satisfaction, you can send the president a copy of the message(s) in question and ask her to help *if* the matter still concerns the list or future problems that may arise there due to the disagreement. General posting: Please send only text-based messages to the list and refrain from sending mail in any other formats such as HTML or MIME encoding. Please, as a general basis, do *not* attach any files to messages sent to the list (this includes any graphic you wish the Guild to see). Some members are on accounts which do not support these formats and abilities. If you have a file you feel the list members might like, post a message asking anyone who would be interested in a copy to write back to you privately. Then you can send the file to those who are interested via the account they would like it sent to and those who aren't interested need not be concerned.

Any message sent to the Guild address will soon be distributed to all the members of the Gambit Guild. You'll also receive a copy of the message you sent out when it's redistributed from the group's listserver. If you reply to any message that comes in from the Guild, that reply will go out automatically to all the members as well, unless you manually change the "To:" field to the E-mail address of the person or persons you wish to privately receive your message. We suggest using the "cut and paste" or "address book" options available in most mail software packages and on most Internet service providers for this function.

You should also feel welcome to change the subject lines of any replies to better fit the message, especially when the subject is starting to stray from the original.

Ideally, you might consider a good first message to the group to be an introduction of yourself. The Gambit Guild has a suggested bio format that you can fill out. The form can be obtained by sending a mail message to [email protected] and requesting the following file: gambit-guild GGBIO.TXT

Even if you're a long-time member, you can use this bio form and if you wish to update or add to your info at any time, feel free.

Finally, remember that comics are an entertainment medium for all ages and appropriate language should be used when posting and replying to all messages whether or not *you* are over 18.

2. Rudeness and Absolute Don'ts:

Flames, rude yelling (*capitals*), all forms of spam, etc. (see Definitions) are not acceptable to the Guild. These activities are impolite at best and possibly illegal at worst. They are disrespectful to all the members, and lessen the enjoyment of the club for everyone. We want everyone to feel welcome to talk, post on questions and interesting thoughts or ideas, and definitely laugh and have a good time, but don't want members to have to deal with threads of conversation that some might consider unnecessary, excessive, or offensive. Just keep in mind that we're shooting for fun, friendly, and polite, and you shouldn't have a problem.

3. Volunteering for Guild Projects, submissions for use by the Guild and creative ownership:

As the Guild operates on a completely voluntary basis, we welcome volunteers to help with big and small projects. No one is required to volunteer to do anything, however, to prevent work for the Guild having to potentially be recreated upon the departure of a member, there are some Guild guidelines concerning submissions, voluntary projects, etc. You can obtain a copy of these guidelines by sending a mail message to: [email protected] requesting the following file: gambit-guild GGVOL.TXT

It is recommended that all members read these guidelines.

4. On and off topics:

Although we encourage primary group discussion of Gambit, Guild discussion is not limited to matters relating to *only* his character. Conversation about any topics related to the X-Men is welcome at all times.

We primarily discuss the comic book storylines, but there are several members who also enjoy such X-Men entertainment as collecting (X-Men action figures, trading cards, comics in general and figurines) and other X-Men-related media of entertainment such as the animated series, video games, or reading/writing fan-fiction.

Topics that don't concern Gambit and/or the immediate team of X-Men, are generally still fine to post, but try to keep other kinds of posts briefer and more to the point and reply to the off- topic posts you're interested in mainly in private.

If a thread of off-topic messages starts, especially if it isn't caught by the members themselves, the president will probably post a message to the list saying the thread is now considered "off-topic". If you see a continuing thread you consider to be off-topic or find offensive/annoying and the president doesn't seem to have noticed it, please feel free to write to her with your reasons and asked that it be called off-topic.

Once a message has been posted by the president saying a thread is "off-topic", this means that if you wish to continue discussion on that topic, you should do so only in private with those who have also shown interest in the subject. Please *do not* post to the list on a subject after it's been called off-topic.

One such topic concern is the next X-Men movie. Generally, the next movie (especially casting it) is considered "off-topic" with the few exceptions of substantiated facts to refrain from it becoming a long running thread and severely burdening members who can't handle or don't want the mail volume. To obtain a more detailed explanation of the reasons behind this and what can be posted to the Guild on the movie, send a mail message to: [email protected] requesting the following file: gambit-guild GGMOV.TXT

Finally, as off-topic as it may seem, we want to hear about *you*! You are an important part of this group. Just aced a promotion at work or get your first car? Wanna share the good news? Great! We'd love to hear about it! One of the best things about getting together on a mailing list like The Gambit Guild can be meeting and getting to know the other members better. The more we know about each other, the closer and more friendly we'll all be so feel free to share your personal news, good or bad, with the list.

We do ask that if you are following up to one of these messages, to write back privately with those congratulations to the person who just graduated from college or got a new puppy and named it after one of the X-Men. This keeps the folks who are paying for their Internet access in timed increments and who aren't interested in anything other than topical discussion on Gambit from having to pay to read a long thread of personal messages and follow-ups that don't concern them.

Never post to the list with minor disagreements, even with other members. Speak to that member privately about it first or write to the Guild president with your concerns.

We want you to feel welcome to speak up about *any* problems which might arise, but don't want any members (including yourself) having to deal with a barrage of complaints that could have been solved off the list and out of the members' in-boxes who aren't involved.

5. Violations:

Violations of most Guild policies will be dealt with on a sort of "three strikes and you're out" basis. Mistakes happen, and we all make them, especially if you're new to Messaging. Most things will go uncommented on or other Guild members may comment on a specific problem or action to the list. However, if you make a continual one or two, you may receive a private message from the President with a friendly reminder of these policies and guidelines.

Do *not* be upset if you receive one of these messages. They're rare, but they're meant to help. Feedback is always encouraged, and this is an excellent time to give it if you're having problems or don't understand the policy of which you've been reminded. Only by communicating your feelings can we know how to make your membership and that of everyone else's the best it can be.

If you receive a comment from the President, and you have comments or questions, respond to her privately. This is encouraged! Please do use diplomacy. The President will do the same and wants to help you.

We are all friends here, and hurt feeling are what we are trying to avoid with these policies. If you have questions about the feedback, don't hesitate to write back and discuss what's happened further. However, if you receive a message expressly stated as a second warning, you may wish to re-read this message. The President will again be happy to discuss the problem(s) and will try to help you find ways to solve them if she can.

After discussing the situation of the second warning with her, if you decide she is not dealing fairly with you, this is the time to speak up to the Vice President. Write to her and let her know that you have some concerns with the president's handling of the situation. State your case clearly.

At anytime, you can bring this up to the group for polite discussion, and most likely the president may do it for you to get opinions on issues and possibly a vote. However, the president was elected to handle these concerns and should a decision need to be made, her decision will be *final*.

If you have received a second warning on the Guild, you will know. This is not something that will be handed out lightly and if you get one, it will clearly state that this is a second time for you and that you need to address the problem, as a third offense will result in your removal from the group. This will be enforced if a third offense does occur.

The Guild also reserves the right to remove from or refuse admission to the group anyone that the president and/or members has determined to be a disruption to this mail group at any time, especially if the offense is great or long-term with no apparent effort to improve on their part.

These policies do need to be stated. Normally if you are a typical member who gives thought to what you post and you treat other members with courtesy and respect, you'll never receive even a comment, but this message goes out to all members and all members need to be aware of the policies in case they do encounter a problem on the list, even with others.

GambitGuild is neither an official fansite of nor affiliated with Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
Nonetheless, we do acknowledge our debt to them for creating such a wonderful character and would not dream of making any profit from him other than the enrichment of our imaginations.
X-Men and associated characters and Marvel images are � Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
The GambitGuild site itself is � 2006; other elements may have copyrights held by their respective owners.