Subject: [Wash-at] FAQ for WASH-AT
uwat@u.washington.edu
Date: Thu May 06 2004 - 01:00:01 PDT
Information and Instructions for Using WASH-AT
************** Bulletin ***************
To post messages to this newsgroup, send them as e-mail to
wash-at@u.washington.edu. This will ensure that your message reaches
all participants in the forum.
***************************************
Welcome to WASH-AT! Now that you are a member of the assistive technology
electronic discussion forum, here are a few notes about the discussion
group and some basic guidelines about posting.
Table of Contents:
1. Definition of AT
2. About WASH-AT
3. Subscribing to WASH-AT
4. Sending messages to the WASH-AT group
5. How to unsubscribe from the list
6. How to change the subscriber email address
7. What the LISTPROC is and how it works
8. On-line help
9. WASH-AT guidelines
10. Typical postings
11. What the forum does well
12. What the forum does not do well
13. Who runs WASH-AT
14. Membership participation
15. Postal address
16. Retrieving Message Archives
Definition of AT
Assistive Technology -- technology for more independent, productive and
enjoyable living -- can be simple or complex. It includes, Velcro, adapted
clothing and toys, computers, seating systems powered mobility,
augmentative communication devices, special switches, assisted listening
devices, visual aids, memory prosthetics, and thousands of other
commercially available or adapted items.
About WASH-AT
WASH-AT was founded in June, 1995, with the goal of allowing anyone with an
e-mail address to participate in the discussion on the earlier established
USENET newsgroup wash.assistive-tech . This forum was established as a
networking resource for consumers of assistive technology (AT) and their
families, AT professionals, and others interested in AT in Washington and
Pacific Northwest Region. Typical postings to the group include requests
for help in tracking down devices or services, wanted / for sale
announcements, notices of upcoming events, and employment opportunities..
WASH-AT is an independent entity and not part of any professional group or
organization. The discussion group was established as a result of the
collaborative efforts of University of Washington Assistive Technology
Resource Center and Patricia Dowden, Ph.D., but the group is not allied
with any organization. WASH-AT is fortunate to have received technical
support, publicity, and participation from the Washington Assistive
Technology Alliance, a statewide project funded by the Department of
Education under the Technical Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities
Act.
Subscribing to WASH-AT
To subscribe, send the following message to listproc@u.washington.edu:
subscribe wash-at . Leave the subject line blank.
For example:
To: listproc@u.washington.edu
Subject:
----------Message Text-----------
subscribe wash-at Bill Clinton
Sending Messages to the WASH-AT GROUP:
When you want to "post" a message to WASH-AT whether as a reply to
something you have read on WASH-AT or to introduce a topic for discussion,
you send your message in the usual email way, addressed to:
wash-at@u.washington.edu
If you want to reply only to an individual whose message you read on
WASH-AT and not to the whole WASH-AT group, make sure that only that
individuals e-mail address shows on the appropriate line and that the
WASH-AT address is not included on any other line (for instance the
cc--COPY line).
Any message sent to "wash-at@u.washington.edu" gets distributed to all
wash-at subscribers, AND you receive any messages sent to that address by
other people. You also get back a copy of any message *you* send, which is
a good way to tell whether or not the system is working.
Any messages sent to wash-at@u.washington.edu ALSO gets automatically
posted to a "USENET newsgroup" called "wash.assistive-tech," for those who
are not members of this list.
How to Unsubscribe from the List
If you decide that you no longer want to receives message posted to WASH-AT
send an e-mail message to: listproc@u.washington.edu requesting that your
address be dropped from the list. Leave the subject line blank and in the
body of the message type: unsubscribe . This is what the message would look
like:
To: listproc@u.washington.edu
Subject:
---------------------message body-------------------------------
unsubscribe wash-at Bill Clinton
The message must be sent from the same address you used to subscribe to the
list. After unsubscribing to the list you will still be able to participate
at the group (to read postings from others and to contribute yours) via the
USENET newsgroup called "wash.assistive-tech"
How to change the subscriber email address
If you want to change the subscriber email address where you receive messages posted to WASH-AT,you must first unsubscribe yourself using the 'old' email address, and then re-subscribe using the 'new' email address.
1. Send an e-mail message to: listproc@u.washington.edu requesting that your address be dropped from the list. Leave the subject line blank and in the body of the message type: unsubscribe [your] [name] . This is what the message would look like:
To: listproc@u.washington.edu
Subject:
---------------------message body-------------------------------
unsubscribe wash-at Bill Clinton
The message must be sent from the OLD address you used to subscribe to the list.
2. To re-subscribe, from your new e-mail account, send a message in the following format to:
listproc@u.washington.edu
[Leave the subject line blank]
subscribe wash-at [your] [name]
------- For example ---
To: listproc@u.washington.edu
Subject:
----------Message Text-----------
subscribe wash-at Bill Clinton
What the LISTPROC is and How it Works
The list is managed by the "list processor" -- a program running on the
mainframe computer at the University of Washington. The "listproc" (as the
jargon goes) is a kind of a robot that controls many different mailing
lists. It has its own e-mail address (listproc@u.washington.edu), and it
handles all requests for subscribing and unsubscribing. Once you subscribe
you need to address your messages to wash-at@u.washington.edu, not to the
listproc.
On-line Help
We realize that many WASH-AT members are new to electronic mail and that
most are also new to the LISTPROC program. We also remember our own first
days "on-line" and the frustration of not having help at hand. We try to
offer help for members of WASH-AT, but it may take us a while to get back
to you. If you need help with posting a message, replying to message, or
dealing with the listproc computer, please send an e-mail message to
uwat@u.washington.edu and provide a clear description of your problem. We
do appreciate your respect and patience; we will do our best to give
accurate information based on our knowledge and experience.
WASH-AT Guidelines
BASIC: All posts must be related to the topic of the list and must offer a
contribution of general interest and application.
Guidelines - do's:
1. Relevance: All posts must be related to the focus of WASH-AT which is
assistive technology and disability issues.
2. General Interest: Posts should be made for the general benefit of
members. Personal messages, and those that benefit only one or two
people, should be sent as private messages.
3. Tone: Messages should have a pleasant, collegial, tone.
4. Courtesy: Regardless of the practice on other lists and newsgroups,
courtesy is required on WASH-AT.
5. Clarity: All messages must have a clear subject in the header.
6. Brevity: Make your posting complete, but concise. Repostings from
other lists, and quotations from other messages, must be edited before
re-posting on WASH-AT. Old headers, signatures, and other extraneous
information must be removed before re-posting.
7. Problems: Problems with hardware and software should be addressed to
uwat@u.washington.edu
Guidelines - don'ts
The following kinds of posts are NOT ALLOWED ON WASH-AT:
1. Baiting, goading, insulting, or demeaning messages are not allowed at
all.
2. Personal requests/thanks should be sent as private messages.
3. Questions and requests of limited interest should be posted to other
lists or newsgroups, or to uwat@u.washington.edu.
4. Complaints about other posts should be sent as private messages to the
original sender of the "offending" message.
5. Complaints about WASH-AT should be sent as private messages to the
management at: uwat@u.washington.edu
6. Gossip (such as virus warnings) are inappropriate, unless verified
from the source.
A. WASH-AT is a discussion group focusing on issues concerned with the
assistive technology issues, and we try to keep messages relevant to that
field. Discussing general disability related issues is welcome and
encouraged. WASH-AT is not a suitable forum for personal messages and/or
for-profit advertising and marketing, although BRIEF announcements about
services or products available in Washington State are welcome.
Announcements of meetings relevant to people with disabilities and those
who serve them are welcome as well, as long as they are open to the public
and/or new members are accepted. When deciding whether a posting is
appropriate, try to answer the following question: Could this posting be of
benefit to many or most members of this list? If the answer is no, do not
post. If in doubt, please e-mail the list managers at:
uwat@u.washington.edu
B. WASH-AT is as effective as its members make it, so the free
participation of everyone is hoped for and appreciated. Please try to keep
your posting to no more than 2-3 screens. Some WASH-AT members have to pay
for e-mail messages on a per message or even per word basis. Some members
use screen readers to read the message to t hem and the unnecessary headers
and signature boxes (especially those with in-line graphics and quotations)
are very cumbersome. Please be considerate. Just as it is important to try
to share public information with the whole group, private correspondence
should remain just that: private. Messages that _only_ say "thanks" or "I
fully agree with you" should be sent as private. Personal messages do not
belong in a public forum.
C. When sending messages to WASH-AT ("posting"), please make sure that your
posting has a clear and descriptive entry on the "Subject:" line of the
header. Some members decide solely based on the subject whether they will
look at the message or not. Subjects such as: "re: you mail" or "re:
forwarded mail" are not at all helpful.
D. If you find something posted on the net objectionable, you have every
right to voice your objections...but not in public. Please express your
complaints in private to the person responsible. If enough complaints are
received, it is unlikely that the "offender" will post those kinds of
things any more. Some mail software packages allow you to screen out mail
from a particular writer, so those messages will not appear in your mail
box. Please check with your service provider whether this option is
available to you.
Typical Postings
The forum is not meant to be simply a platform for technical discussions.
The forum serves as a networking resource for consumers of assistive
technology and their families, AT professionals, and other interested
parties throughout Washington. Typical postings to the group include
request for help in tracking down devices or services, wanted/for sale ads,
notices of upcoming events, and employment opportunities.
What the Forum Does Well
* Questions about local resources, e.g.: "Where can I buy _____ ?"
"Where can I get information on ____ for someone who is _____?" "Who
in the local area knows a lot about ______ ?" "What are some of the
local agencies that might fund a _______?"
* Questions about commonly used products, e.g.: "What are the advantages
and disadvantages of ______?" "How does ____ compare to _____?" "Is
_____ compatible with ______?"
* Questions about non-local resources for information, e.g.: "Is there a
national bulletin board or forum to discuss ____?" "My child has ____.
How can I find other parents across the country whose child has the
same diagnosis?"
* Discussion about issues and solutions to common problems: "What are
the Washington State rules about aides in the classroom?" "I have
never been to an IEP meeting before. What should I expect?" "What can
a parent do if he or she disagrees with part of an IEP?" "My sister
has ALS and is having more and more trouble speaking. Is there
anything that can help her communicate?" Or, "I have a disability and
I didn't finish high school. Is there any way I can finish? Also, I
don't have a job or any money. How can I pay for this?"
What the Forum Does Not Do Well
* Recommendations of equipment for an individual:
Why not? Because AT is more successful when the technology is selected
and customized to fit the individual, rather than the individual
adjusting to fit the technology. Even detailed descriptions here are
not enough information for anyone to make a good, reliable
recommendation.
* Step by step guidance through a problem:
Why not? Because the flow of people participating in the discussions
means that responses will rarely come from the same person, and many
people will become uncomfortable if they feel they must respond to a
particular posting simply because they responded once before. If the
problem is this complex, it may be better to seek professional
assistance.
* Complaints about local services or vendors
Why not? Because it is far better for you to communicate directly with
the people who have frustrated you. If you have such a strong concern
about a local service provider that you want other families or
consumers to avoid them, it is more productive to write positively
about another agency to steer them in that direction. People find that
kind of information more useful anyway. If you must write something
negative, please say it politely. Rude comments will drive away other
network users.
* Urgent needs or problems with uncommon equipment:
Why not? Because responses will not likely to be fast and the local
community is too small to assume that there always will be someone who
knows every piece of equipment no matter how obscure. Instead, contact
the vendor or manufacturer of the equipment.
Who Runs WASH-AT
Patricia Dowden, Ph.D., Dagmar Amtmann, and Susan Adams help with the
day-to- day running of WASH-AT.
Although Pat, Dagmar, and Susan manage and maintain WASH-AT, this is an
unmoderated forum , which means that what is posted on the network is not
edited or censored by them or anyone else but the writer. We are committed
to maintaining an uncensored network, or "list".
Membership Participation
We seek participation from the members of WASH-AT in the on-line
discussions as well as in making policy about WASH-AT, the setting up and
running of branches, and in publicizing WASH-AT. We would also gladly
provide you with fliers and other necessary information if you would like
to give a presentation on WASH-AT. Please e-mail your proposals, comments,
notes of appreciation, suggestions, and complains to uwat@u.washington.edu.
Postal Address
You are also invited to share your suggestions, comments, and criticism
(preferably constructive) with us, the list "owners" and managers at any
time:
WASH-AT Discussion Group Management
AT Resource Center
Box 357920
Seattle, WA 98195-7920
uwat@u.washington.edu
Retrieving Message Archives
You can retrieve the wash-at message archives if you wish to review them.
In order to do this, you need to send the following message to
listproc@u.washington.edu: index wash-at. Leave the subject line blank.
This will retrieve an index of all the messages archived.
For example:
To: listproc@u.washington.edu
Subject:
----------Message Text-----------
index wash-at
The listproc will mail you back a long list of the various subjects under
which messages are archived. Choose an archive you wish to retrieve and
send the following message to listproc@u.washington.edu: get (the name of
the archive you want)
For example:
To: listproc@u.washington.edu
Subject:
----------Message Text-----------
get wash-at.log9704
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Go back to WATA homepage
Assistive Technology Resource Center
uwat@u.washington.edu
Modified: 12/4/96
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2a24 : Thu May 06 2004 - 09:41:56 PDT