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PCOSList.org Frequently Asked Questions

List Guidelines and Netiquette Rules

Maintained by Lahle Henninger
Release Date June 2001
Version 2.0

DISCLAIMER
Web site and Internet list content is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for proper medical care. Messages posted by list members, moderators, volunteers or staff of The Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association (PCOSA) do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the PCOSA. The PCOSA does not provide medical, health or nutritional advice, nor does the PCOSA engage in the endorsement of any specific product, company or practitioner. Please consult a licensed physician or practitioner before beginning any new diet or exercise program as well as when making health treatment decisions.
Additionally, please note that any person subscribed to our lists can access list archives. Therefore, you should consider any post you send to one of our lists accessible by anyone with Internet access. For this reason, never include identifying information in posts to our lists.

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to PCOlist.org! This list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) is designed to answer many of the questions you may have about being a member of one of our lists. This FAQ will also be available on the PCOList web site at http://www.pcolist.org.
Any questions about this document should be directed to Lahle Henninger, the PCOSupport Director of Online Community Services.
If you follow the simple List Guidelines and Netiquette Rules contained in this web site, you will help preserve our lists as a valuable resource in the ongoing struggle to increase understanding and awareness of PCOS. Our lists are intended for support, to touch lives in a positive way, and offer a community forum of friendly information exchange, and not as a debate forum for ideas, opinions, or treatment options.

Index
1.0 Basic List Information
1.1 What is PCOList.org?
1.2 Who can join and what are my posting privileges?
1.3 What does it cost?
1.4 What topics are covered on the list?
1.5 How do I subscribe?
1.6 How do I suspend getting e-mails?
1.7 How do I resume getting e-mail?
1.8 How do I get digest e-mails?
1.9 How do I unsubscribe?
1.10 What if I forgot my password?
1.11 What if I have questions or problems with my subscription?
1.12 What if I don't follow the List Guidelines and Netiquette Rules?

2.0 Getting Started
2.1 Help! I can't understand what you are talking about?!
2.2 What do all these abbreviations mean?
2.3 When will I receive letters from the list?
2.4 How do I post a message to the list?
2.5 How do I reply to a message?

3.0 Rules and the Moderators
3.1 Tolerance
3.2 Standard (N)etiquette
3.3 Private E-mails
3.4 The List Moderators and Their Duties

4.0 Troubleshooting
4.1 I am not receiving messages
4.2 I want to switch to the digest (8 letters in one) format
4.3 I want to switch to the single letter format.
4.4 I can't reply to the posts - it says I am not a member.
4.5 I sent a message but have not seen it on the list, or no one has responded.
4.6 I tried to unsubscribe but can't.
4.7 I have another problem....

1.0 Basic List Information
This section of the FAQ gives basic information about PCOlist.org, including who can participate on the Internet email lists, what kind of topics are covered, and how to subscribe, unsubscribe from the list and change your mail settings. It also states the consequences of failing to comply with the List Guidelines and Netiquette Rules.
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1.1 What is PCOlist.org?
PCOlist.org is a web site that acts as a clearinghouse for the online list communities part of the PCOSA. In addition to PCOSA-sponsored lists, we may also host other lists started by individuals as well as have links to lists located on other web sites.
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1.2 Who can join and what are my posting privileges?
Anyone with an interest in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) can participate in our lists to find support or exchange thoughts and ideas with others concerned about issues related to PCOS. Some lists have membership restrictions which are pertinent to the list topic. Please consult each individual list description for details.
Medical professionals, women, men, and industry professionals are all welcome to participate as long as the posts are relevant to the PCOS. Since many walks of life and faces of PCOS are represented on our lists, everyone who posts should be treated with respect and kindness. There is no them or us, we are all members of the PCOSA family.
All members are subscribed with full posting privileges. Failure to comply with our List Guidelines and Netiquette Rules may result in moderation of posts or suspension of list posting privileges at the complete discretion of the PCOSA. Moderation or suspension of privileges resulting from actions on one list apply from to all other lists under our domain. The PCOSA reserves the right to block access to any of our lists by anyone
who does not adhere to the List Guidelines and Netiquette Rules.
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1.3 What does it cost?
PCOlist.org is a free service offered to the public by the PCOSA. However, we encourage you to become a member of the PCOSA or make a donation to help offset the costs associated with maintaining and operating our online support services. The PCOSA is a nonprofit organization that depends on the financial support of its members. See our mission statement.
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1.4 What topics are covered on PCOlist.org?
Most topics related to PCOS are welcome to be discussed on our lists with some exceptions. Topics typically covered include insulin resistance, the use of medications, fertility, pregnancy, weight gain, acne, hirsutism, herbal remedies, how to talk to your family about PCOS, how to find the right doctor, nutrition, exercise, and medical procedures. Some lists also have restricted topics such as no motherhood talk on the NonFert list. If you are uncertain about topic restrictions, please check the individual list posting guidelines or ask your list moderator.
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1.5 How do I subscribe to a list?
You can control a host of list settings, including subscribing, unsubscribing, and suspending mail, from your list's public information page. You can find your list's public information page here. You will receive an e-mail from the list asking you to confirm your subscription. You must reply to this message to become a member. Once you are subscribed you will receive a Welcome Letter from the system with more specific information about your list. Additionally, within a week you will receive an email from the Director of Online Community Services welcoming you and giving you detailed contact information about the PCOSA organization and our lists.
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1.6 How do I suspend e-mails from the list?
You can control a host of list settings, including subscribing, unsubscribing, and suspending mail, from your list's public information page. You can find your list's public information page here. Please note you will need your password to change settings. If you do not remember yours, you can ask the system to email you a copy from this site.
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1.7 How do I resume getting e-mails from the list?
You can control a host of list settings, including subscribing, unsubscribing, and suspending mail, from your list's public information page. You can find your list's public information page here. Please note: you will need your password to change settings. If you do not remember yours, you can ask the system to email you a copy from this site.
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1.8 How do I get the digest format e-mails from the list?
A digest e-mail is one large e-mail that contains several e-mail messages within the body. You can control a host of list settings, including subscribing, unsubscribing, and suspending mail, from your list's public information page. You can find your list's public information page here. Please note you will need your password to change settings. If you do not remember yours, you can ask the system to email you a copy from this site.
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1.9 How do I unsubscribe from the list?
You can subscribe, unsubscribe, suspend and control a host of other list settings from your lists public information page. You can find your lists public information page here. Please note you will need your password to change settings. If you do not remember yours, you can ask the system to email you a copy from this site.
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1.10 What if I forgot my password?
To unsubscribe, suspend and control a host of other list settings from your list's public information page you need to use your password. If you do not remember your password, you can ask the system to email you a copy of your password from your list's public information page here. Monthly passwords reminders are automatically sent out privately to each member. You can change your password to something more easily remembered than the system's by accessing the public information page for your list here.
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1.11 What if I have questions or problems with my subscription?
Please send an e-mail to listname-owner@pcolist.org (where listname is the name of the list).
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1.12 What if I don't follow the Guidelines and Netiquette Rules?
Failure to comply with list Guidelines and Netiquette Rules will result in a warning. If a second offense occurs, the member may be fully moderated, suspended or even permanently banned from ALL our lists at the sole discretion of the PCOSA.
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2.0 Getting Started
This section will give you information about getting started on the list. You'll have references for some common abbreviations and information about receiving messages and posting to the list.
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2.1 Help! I can't understand what you are talking about!
Joining a list can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you have been searching for answers for a long time and suddenly you have more information than you know what to do with! Take some time and go back to the archives (email messages stored on the system from past postings to our lists) and review discussions from the last week or two. This will give you a feel for what some of the issues related to PCOS are. You can read the archive by simply going to your list's public information page here. You can search and read posts by date, subject, topics (threads) or author.
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2.2 What do all these different abbreviations stand for?
The terms below are a list of the most commonly used abbreviations on PCOS@pcolist.org. This list is by no means exhaustive and you can find a more complete listing at http://www.pcolist.org/abbreviations.php
AF = Aunt Flo (menstruation)
BCP = Birth Control Pills
BMS= Baby-making Sex
BTW = By The Way
CAD = Carbohydrate Addict's Diet
CD = Cycle Day
CM = Cervical Mucus
D&C = Dilation & Curettage
DH = Dear Husband, Darling Husband
Dx = Diagnosis
ENDO = Endometriosis
FSH = Follicle Stimulating Hormone
FTTA = Fertile Thoughts To All
GnRH = Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone
GP = General Practitioner
hCG, HCG = Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
HPT = Home Pregnancy Test
HRT = Hormone Replacement Therapy
HSG = Hysterosalpingogram
IBS = Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion, In My Honest Opinion
IMO = In My Opinion
IRC = Internet Relay Chat
IUI = Intra-uterine Insemination
IVF = In Vitro Fertilization
LAP = Laparoscopy
LH = Luteinizing Hormone
LOL = Laughing Out Loud
MC, m/c, misc. = Miscarriage
MIL = Mother In-law (also FIL, SIL, BIL for the others)
NP = Nurse Practitioner
OPK = Ovulation Predictor Kit
PCO,PCOD = Polycystic Ovary Disease
PCOS = Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
PCP = Primary Care Physician
PG = Pregnant
PID = Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
RE = Reproductive Endocrinologist
ROTFL = Rolling On The Floor Laughing
ROTFLOL = Rolling On The Floor Laughing Out Loud
ROTFLMAO = Rolling On The Floor Laughing My A** Off
SO = Significant Other
US, u/s = Ultrasound
UTI = Urinary Tract Infection
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary
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2.3 When will I receive posts?
Once you have replied to the confirmation letter that the list generates, you will begin receiving posts. If you receive either single or digest posts, it will be anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours before you receive messages. If you are subscribed to receive single messages, you will receive messages as they are processed by the server. If you receive the digest format, you will receive messages once daily or when the combined messages in the server reach the maximum size limit for each digest, this varies with each list.
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2.4 How do I post to the list?
You can use your e-mail program to send an e-mail message to listname@pcolist.org.
Please put a description of the message content in the SUBJECT line of your message. This allows people to skip over topics that they don't wish to read. The subject will let other members know what your post is about. Please see section 3.0, Rule of the List for more guidelines about posting.
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2.5 Replying to a specific message.
You can reply to a post using two different methods.

  1. Click the Reply button on your mail program. Be sure to CHANGE THE SUBJECT line to reflect the subject, especially if you get the digest version which will otherwise simply reply with the digest issue information.
  2. Open a new e-mail and enter listname@pcolist.org (where listname is the name of the list) in the TO field. You can cut and past (copy) any relevant text from the letter you are responding to in the body of the e-mail and type your response.
When you are replying to an e-mail be sure to keep enough information from the original letter to give a context for your answer. BUT PLEASE BE SURE to clip extra headers and footers out of the e-mail.
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3.0 PCOlist.org Rules and Moderators
The rules in this section are guidelines to help keep the list service functioning smoothly. This section also describes the roles of the moderators.
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3.1 Tolerance
Tolerance is the most important thing on PCOList.org. There are literally thousands of people on this list and they come from many different backgrounds. If something offends you, either shrug it off or contact the list moderators at listname-owner@pcolist.org (put the name of the list in where listname appears). The number one rule of PCOList.org is to treat someone as you would wish to be treated and DO NOT send combative or complaint posts to the list, ever. Bear in mind, that even an on-topic thread or post can be rejected or moderated if it is phrased in a way that would have negative impact on this list.
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3.2 (N)etiquette
Standard (n)etiquette is simple:

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3.3 Private E-mails
Private emails may not be sent to other participants on the list unless they have been invited to do so by the poster, or because other list policies, such as when a member queries for information via survey or polls warrants a private response.   If anyone requests that you stop posting them privately you must respect their wishes. If this rule is not followed, sender will receive a warning. Subsequent noncompliance may result with the member losing all posting privileges to all lists on this server.
Additionally, private e-mails should never be quoted on any list without the author's prior consent, and in fact, rarely have their place on our lists with the exception being a published article, medical reference or resource site. Anyone posting a survey to the list automatically assumes responsibility for receiving private replies since list members are not permitted to respond to surveys on the list. All surveys and polls must be responded to privately.
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3.4 The List Moderators
The list moderators are the guides for the list, they are volunteers and are not to be used for medical or psychiatric counsel. They are here to keep the list focused on PCOS-related topics and to help you solve any problems you may experience with the list.
The Moderators duties include:

You can contact a list moderator by sending a message to listname-owner@pcolist.org (where listname is the name of the list).
Contact the list moderator if you
  • have any questions about the list or what to do
  • are bothered by someone or something on the list
  • have technical problems with the list
  • have any suggestions, comments or complaints about a member, a posting, or the list itself.
All moderators who govern our lists volunteer their time to the PCOSA and we cannot thank them enough. We also ask that you offer them the respect they deserve and be mindful that their time devoted to the lists is strictly on a volunteer basis. Moderators may participate in group discussions and their opinions do not necessarily represent the opinions of the PCOSA.
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4.0 Troubleshooting
This section describes troubleshooting procedures. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to write one of the moderators at listname-owner@pcolist.org (where listname is the name of the list) and ask it.
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4.1 I've subscribed but I am not receiving any messages.
There are any number of things that could be wrong with your subscription.

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4.2 How do I switch to a digest format? I can't handle all this e-mail.
When you subscribe to a list the default setting is for you to receive individual emails. If you wish to get digest version you will have to change your settings. You can control a host of list settings, including subscribing, unsubscribing and suspending mail, from your list's public information page. You can find your list's public information page here. Please note: you will need your password to change settings. If you do not remember yours, you can ask the system to email you a copy from your list's public information page here.
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4.3 I want to have single e-mails. How do I do that?
When you subscribe to a list the default will always set you to receive individual emails.
You can control a host of list settings, including subscribing, unsubscribing and suspending mail, as well as selecting digest versus single emails from your list's public information page. You can find your list's public information page here. Please note: you will need your password to change settings. If you do not remember yours, you can ask the system to email you a copy from your list's public information page here.
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4.4 I'm getting my mail just fine, but when I try to post, the server says I'm not a member. What's wrong?
Probably, something has changed in your e-mail address. Sometimes your Internet Service Provider (ISP) might make a slight change to your e-mail address (from JaneDoe@server.com to JaneDoe@123.server.com, for example) and you may not even know it. Your ISP is still making sure you get your mail, but the PCOList server doesn't recognize you any more. Contact the moderator at listname-owner@pcolist.org (where listname is the name of the list) and have them help you. If you do wish to post from a different name than the one you originally subscribed to, you must subscribe both names. You can set the post-only screen name to receive no mail. But the administrator is not responsible for manually putting your posts through if you are not subscribed under the exact name you are posting from and your posts will be rejected even if you are a member under another screen name.
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4.5 I sent a message, I have not seen it on the list or no one answered me - Why?
I have not seen my post:

No one has responded:
If your message was received by our server you will know if it was, because you'll get a copy of your own message back either in a digest or single e-mail. So if you know that your message was received, it may just be that no one knew the answer to your question, or no one had time to answer, or it was a question that has been answered many times before. Feel free to post your question again.
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4.6 I've tried to unsubscribe. Why am I still getting messages?
You may have been subscribed under two different aliases, many people do this. Contact the administrator at listname-owner@pcolist.org (where listname is the name of the list) and send a description of the problem.
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4.7 I still have a problem. Can you help?
If you still have a problem, feel free to send an e-mail to listname-owner@pcolist.org (where listname is the name of the list) and send a description of the problem. If you can forward an example of the e-mail as an attachment, it will also help speed up the resolution of the problem.
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