Harley Email Digest

Definitions:

• article
  an Email message you wish to share with everyone else receiving the Harley Email Digest.

  Initially, you will only be allowed to post 1 article(s) of the most recent 16 articles being published. This number will improve for every year you remain a subscriber. I generally refer to this number as your 'Quota'. An extra +1 weekend bonus is added to your quota between Friday 6pm and Monday 7am Eastern North American time.

  Misbehaving subscribers may get their quota reduced, people I like may get their quota increased -- I reserve the right to make totally human and biased decisions in this regard.

• digest
  a collection of "articles" gathered up since the last collection was Emailed to everyone. Rather than get everyone else's messages one at a time, their (and your) "articles" are bundled into one giant message. During this bundling extraneous and useless Email headers and overhead junk is removed. New "digest-specific" headers and overhead junk is added to the beginning and end of the whole collection.

• subscription
  there is no fee to be part of this activity. You will incur the same (might be zero) costs you would incur for receiving any other Email (ie: the cost of your internet service provider.) Be warned this is service generates large Email messages on a very regular basis.

You are expected to obey some specific rules laid out in this document, and some non-specific and unstated "traditions" of the Internet, Usenet, and all-round being a non-hostile human being. I'd use the word common-sense. But common it isn't. The manager of this publication reserves the right to be arbitrary. I don't intend on scaring you, but I won't put up with anything perceived to be reducing the intended purpose and value of this service.

How to get an article published:

You may not contribute messages until you finish the subscription process as described in this document, after which, you may send messages that will automatically be included in the digest by Emailing them to:

harley (at) the-hed.net

The subscriber database will be using: YourEmail@Site.Domain as your address. Your submissions to be published MUST come from this EXACT same Email address. If you wish to send messages from 'alternative' Email locations, you may request up to two 'alias' addresses.

The subscriber database has also assigned you the UNIQUE MEMBERSHIP NUMBER (password PIN) of: nuketext This number is useful for using the automated web administrative interface at https://secure.the-hed.net/cgi-bin/selfadmin.cgi Do not lose the PIN, you will need it.

This publication is a *digest* format. This means your posting does *NOT* go out to everyone right away. It is queued up by the automated software until such time as it sees fit to send out a digest. Usually the digest is published twice a day Monday to Friday, once Saturday.

If you use Netscape or Outlook or other mail programs that are web/html/web 'aware', you may request digest format in an html format. This allows you to click on subject lines and any referenced web addresses (URLs). An example of this style of digest may be found at http://www.the-hed.net/sample-issue.html

If you use Microsoft Windows Email products: Windows Email programs tend to have default option settings that generate volumnous and non-portable Email. (Not readable by anything other than their own progams.) Please remember that not everyone uses a PC with Microsoft programs. Fancy graphics, pretty colours, very long lines, etc. are just not polite to inflict on a large and diverse Email community.

Your articles to be published will NOT be accepted if they are sent out by your Email program as "web format" (html format, or rich text, or multimedia format, or with attatchments, or 8-bit encoded, that sort of thing). Turn off such options in your Email program. Do not ask me how, I do not choose to use such programs and simply do not know how. However, visit the web pages at http://www.the-hed.net/textemail/ for some quick Email configuration tutorials provided by other Digest subscribers.

This is a common problem for first time users of the Harley Email Digest. The incoming filters will reject your article attempts with a return message to you that looks similar to the following:

This notice has been generated for the following reason(s):
 * your message had at least one of 'text/richtext', 'text/enriched',
   'text/html', 'x-ms-attachment', 'base64' or 'multipart/' MIME attribute
   (most other digest readers can't handle this, try turning OFF
    any 'richtext', 'multimedia', 'hypertext' or 'attachment' style
    processing in your mail program or address book)
   [choose Plain Text as your sending format],
   go read http://www.the-hed.net/textemail/

Your message was not accepted for publication **

The list-manager WILL NOT help you solve the above problem, figure it out or seek professional help.

Another problem with Microsoft products is the constant infestation of Email worms and viruses. These programs like to secretly send out your personal files or other messages to everyone in your Email address book (which probably includes this Digest). Often times using a forged sender address found elsewhere in the same address book. If you get back a rejection notice for something you never sent, the first thing you should consider is that you have been infected. Or perhaps a friend of yours who has your Email address in THEIR address-book is infected.

Please note, as repeated below in the section "Off topic", do NOT post to the digest warnings about the latest Email virus/worm attacks. This is the Harley Email Digest, NOT the Virus Warnings for Users of Sloppy Consumer Systems Digest. If you ever post a virus/worm warning to the digest, your subscription will be cancelled without warning or recourse.

If you never intend on posting articles, but just wish to read the digest, you may request by Email to harley-request (at) the-hed.net that your subscription be put on a "read only" basis. This way any virus/worm attempts to send your personal files to the digest will be rejected for sure. And helps you avoid the embarassment of admitting you are just another victim of sloppy Microsoft computer applications.

This "read only" status also helps you avoid embarassing slipups of hitting the "reply" key in your Email program thinking you are replying to a different message (the current mesage pointer in your Email program is not where you thought it was in your hurry to reply to someone like a cow orker or lover).

How to unsubscribe/quit and other administrative messages:
Administrative requests concerning your subscription (change of address, quit, add aliases, etc.) are best handled by yourself through the special form at https://secure.the-hed.net/cgi-bin/selfadmin.cgi

If the above method is not possible for some reason, you may get a human to do your requests (this takes much longer). Phrase your Email in such a way as to assist me in knowing what you are REALLY trying to achieve. For instance, instead of just quitting and rejoining after a brief vacation or business trip, just ask me to put you on 'vacation status'. And on your return, ask to be removed from vacation status. You would then avoid having to re-read this big document.

To quit, change your address, any questions, administrative stuff, ask for html/web format, suggestions, ask for vacation status, whatever not intended for the *whole* membership, Email to:

harley-request (at) the-hed.net

Do NOT Email my personal address with correspondence related to the Harley Email Digest. I cannot access relevant control files and correspondence from my personal account. This is why I'm not telling you my personal address. But I still make the above statement because some folks feel 'creative' in hunting me down. Such behavior gets MUCH slower response (if any...).

Also note, using a drop/rejoin method for change-of-address or vacation will lose any quota you have earned.

Avoid the delays of list-manager's slow reading of the Email based requests, and try to use the web administrative interface at https://secure.the-hed.net/cgi-bin/selfadmin.cgi

If you accidently send an *article* to the harley-request address, I will NOT be nice and move it into the harley (at) the-hed.net incoming queue. If you send QUIT/UNSUBSCRIBE messages to the whole digest, I will probably either miss it, or ignore you. Many of us will laugh at you.

Off topic:
The following lists only some EXAMPLES and is not complete. You are EXPECTED to exercise some intelligence. I am very, very (did i say VERY yet?) willing to drop your subscription for violations.

Messages that are NOT to be sent:

• copyrighted material from other sources
• messages of a 'personal attack' nature
• messages that are intolerant of the diversity in the human race
• message written entirely or mostly with your CAPSLOCK key on
• messages that are essentially directed at an individual -- no need to waste the time of hundreds of people over something best sent by direct personal email
• commercial advertisments even about harley related products
• solicitations of mercy/charity for dying children with a wish
• 'chain' letters
• messages warning us about the latest computer virus or disaster or expensive cookie recipes.
• messages about government threats to the freedom of electronic networks. Just because this publication uses the Internet, does NOT make it the correct place to post copies of dire-warnings and call-to-action that everyone else is going to see a bunch of other online places.
• jokes and humour not directly related to the digest topic
• conversations about guns or other politics not directly related to Harley-Davidsons. saying "a lot of us partake of such & such activity" is NOT justification in it's own right. we eat food and urinate; do you want this to be a cookbook and plumbers handbook too? I don't. Also remember, this is a WORLD WIDE publication -- most politics tend to be very USA-specific. There are MANY other PROPER forums for political discourse and education via the Internet.
• politics is actually just religion. stay away from religion in general
• messages of an incredibly "social" chit-chat nature.

I don't care how NOBLE your intentions are, if it isn't directly about Harley-Davidsons don't submit it.

It is STRONGLY advised you read the digest for several issues before making your own posting, this will allow you to get an idea what is and is not appropriate. If in doubt, feel free to Email the above mentioned administrative address asking if your intended article is appropriate.

Subject headers:
Reply/followup mail program functions create USELESS subject headers. My automated software will not allow any mail with a subject line similar to "Subject: Re: harley-digest #123" Learn how to SET your subject lines using your Email software. Don't tell me it CAN'T be done. If it can't, the software is crap and you need to move onto better Email living.

Cute, picturesque, graphical or long 'signature blocks':
While you may think you have a way cool way of signing your name, all your known addresses and contact information, trivia and/or some neat quotation. Everyone else thinks it's boring. Don't do it.

** Huge and picturesque signatures grow real tiring real quickly. **

WE ESPECIALLY ASK that you do NOT include other people's signatures/cute-things in your followups. The noise police will be thankful. They won't be merciful. Your subscription will be lost.

Re-distribution/Copyright:
* This digest is intended for individuals and is not to be posted into any sort of News, Notes, or BBS type of public area. This digest is NOT to be gatewayed or otherwise redistributed, packaged or aggregated in any fashion without explicit permission from the publisher. I maintain the "compilation copyright", individual message authors maintain their copyright to what they wrote. Ask them for permission to redistribute their words, ask me at harley-request (at) the-hed.net for permission to redistribute any whole or significant portion of the digest.

Back-issue of the digest:
The most recent issue of the digest will be mailed to you following this message.

World Wide Web:
Web pages in support of the Harley Email Digest and other closely related items are accessed with the URL http://www.the-hed.net/ This web site contains recent issues, subscriber services, and links to other web sites of interest.

A 'FAQ' (Frequently Asked Questions) document is located at the web site. The public version is less flexible than the subscriber version. Before posting any messages to the Digest, it is recommended you read this FAQ document.

The web pages do evolve regularly -- usually improving the links to other pages and sometimes adding new features. Please feel free to visit regularly.

Certainly feel free to send Email to harley-request (at) the-hed.net suggesting additions, improvements, or corrections to the web documents.

Rejection of your articles:
You will always get an Email message if your article is not accepted for publication. If your article does not get published and you did not receive a rejection notice, consider the following three possibilites in order of likelihood:

1. your return Email address is mis-configured, or your service provider is doing screwy things with your return address, or some gateway along the way messed with it.

2. it never arrived here -- did you remember to 'upload' your mail packet to your service provider? ...sometimes Email does simply vanish.

3. software problems here, but... do I look like the kind of guy who would have a bug in his code? <grin>

[warning, the following may get a little confusing for novice Email users, just ignore it for now]

If you are having problems with mail delivery, or just simply neurotic
  you may request 'receipts' for articles that are accepted for publication.
  This way you would always get back a return Email message for your postings.

  If your Email program has a configuration for "delivery receipt" or
  "delivery confirmation" or "confirm reading" or similar concepts, you may
  turn on that feature.  They usually just insert into the Email system
  headers one of the following two headers:
       Return-Receipt-To: <your-email-address>
  or   X-Confirm-Reading-To: <your-email-address>

  If you are surprised/irritated by getting receipts you didn't realise
  you asked for, check for the above configuration options and turn them off.

  If your Email program doesn't have a friendly button for receipts, but you
  know how to edit your Email headers, just insert one of them.

[you must now start paying attention again]

RSS Feed:
The HeD provides an RSS feed at http://www.the-hed.net/rss.cgi

What is RSS you may ask? Please read the following link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS

Financially Supporting the Harley Email Digest:
The list manager is not a rich person. Running the digest has many costs with respect to Internet Service, domain-name registrations, filespace storage, etc. You can be a nice person and help support the digest by making semi regular contributions using a Paypal donation, or perhaps buying a Tshirt or something.

Please visit https://secure.the-hed.net/saddlebag/ To see what you can buy or just to make a small (or large :) donation.

Thank-you!

Disclaimers & Warnings:
This service is not affiliated with Harley-Davidson, Inc or the Harley Owners Group.

The list manager along with Dognose Productions, and their employees do not assume any responsibility or liability for your usage of any information obtained through this publication, publication archives or list management correspondence. Receive and supply all information and corresponsdence at your own risk. We also reserve the right to terminate your subscription at anytime; with or without notice or explanation.

* You will not start actually receiving this publication if you do not send a message to harley-request (at) the-hed.net stating you have read and completely understand all aspects of this message. If you send an acknowlegement to the digest itself, harley (at) the-hed.net, you will without doubt be delisted (as well as laughed at by several hundred people). If you have sent such an acknowlegement before receiving THIS COPY of this message, it will be ignored. You must do it again. Do not send me back a complete copy of this document. For your convenience you may instead use your web-browser on the link https://secure.the-hed.net/cgi-bin/acceptance.cgi?email=YourEmail@Site.Domain&pin=nuketext&accept=yes instead of sending Email to accept these terms and conditions. To NOT accept, but unsubscribe, you may use the following web link https://secure.the-hed.net/cgi-bin/acceptance.cgi?email=YourEmail@Site.Domain&pin=nuketext&accept=no

Remember:

   harley-request (at) the-hed.net   for administrative matters.
   harley (at) the-hed.net           the digest itself, hundreds of readers
   You are: YourEmail@Site.Domain
   Your unique and secret member number is: nuketext
   The WWWeb pages are at  http://www.the-hed.net/
   Save this message for future reference.

Ride Free.

-Ken, your not so humble immoderator
'87 FXRS-SP

Computer and network resources to operate the digest are made available courtesy of: Dognose Productions, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2R 3K2 along with generous voluntary financial donations from the list subscribers themselves.

Content modified: February 28, 2006

©opyright 1995-2006 by harley-request (at) the-hed.net