• When you send your first post to the list, please tell us about yourself. If you work for a company that is a diabetes-related business, please disclose this information from the beginning.

By observing the guidelines, we all do our share to make this the best possible list, enjoining all subscribers to do their best in this respect.

Check out this link for information on common etiquette for e-mail:
Common Etiquette

• Our goals for this list are support and information. Please keep that in mind at all times.
• Humor is welcome. To show that you are being humorous and not serious, use emoticons in your message. Examples are :-) (a smiley face); ;-) (a wink); :-{) (a smiley with a mustache).
• Always be polite and respectful! Flames and personal attacks are not allowed. Nor are responses to flames allowed. People who post flames to the list and people who respond to the flames may be immediately unsubscribed.
• Polite disagreement, based on tolerance of the views and ideas of others, is the way our discussions are conducted.

• Advertisements in any guise or disguise are not allowed. People who post advertisements may be immediately unsubscribed.
• Proselytizing of any type is not welcome. We want to hear about your treatment and diet, but please do not try to impose them on others. Remember that your mileage may vary and that the management of diabetes is highly individualized.
• Religion and politics are not suitable topics for discussion on this list.

• Sign your post with your name and your e-mail address. Some mail systems do not provide full mail headers.
• Do not add a one-line message to a quoted post. Don't embed a long post into your own post. Edit the message to include only the pertinent parts.
• Use appropriate subject lines. If you change the subject when you answer a post, please make the appropriate change in the subject line. If you cannot change the subject line, start a new post with a new, appropriate subject line.
• If your post is not about diabetes, put the word CHAT in the subject line.
• Think carefully about the relevance and suitability of your posts, and use private e-mail when appropriate. Although CHAT posts are allowed on the list, please be reasonable and considerate about the amount of CHAT posts you send to the list. The majority of posts should concern the topic of the list: diabetes. Ask yourself if the post you are about to send is really of interest to the entire group or just one person. Personal messages should go to the poster via private e-mail.
• If you are asking for advice, be sure to tell us what type of diabetes you have and describe your treatment regimen (diet, pills, insulin, combination, number of shots a day, pump, etc.). This helps us answer your questions more accurately. Even if you are not asking for advice, other list members will better understand you and your life with diabetes if you provide medical background and information.
• Be careful about the accuracy of the information you provide. Make it clear when you offer a personal opinion. Cite your sources when you quote them. Posting misinformation may cause problems and confusion for list members. Repeated posts of misinformation may be considered as a violation of the guidelines by the Board of Overseers.
• Remember that posting private e-mail without the writer's permission is considered to be poor netiquette.
• Please try to provide nutrition information with any recipes that you post.
• Reminder messages sent from the BOO to an individual are sent via private e-mail and are not appropriate for discussion on the list. BOO members are available to answer questions about what is or is not appropriate for the list, again via private e-mail only.
• Also remember that some of our members use e-mail readers that are not able to process an HTML formatted document. When you send your message to the list please try to send it in Plain Text format. Those that are not able to read an HTML formatted document only see your messages as a bunch of computer code and have a hard time picking out your comments. The traffic on the list gets heavy at times and your post will most likely be skipped. If you don't know how to send text only messages, please contact the technical support of your e-mail reader software or send a message to Barb Horner. She has generously volunteered to help members with proper settings and has documentation for the more popular packages.