Contents
- What is the GPDD ?
- Is it free ?
- I have a small email inbox. How large is
the GPDD ?
- How can I receive it ? (about subscribing)
- How do I unsubscribe from the GPDD ?
- How do I post a message to the GPDD ?
- I am going to change my email address. What
do I need to do to continue receiving my daily copy of the digest
?
- Why are my messages rejected saying that
I am not subscribed ?
- I am a subscriber, but I have been missing
the GPDD for days. What should I do ?
- How can I receive elder/missing/evaluation
copies of the GPDD ?
- Is there a way to search for articles covering
a certain topic ?
- What is HTML code and why is it bad for the my message posts?
- How can I receive the most up-to-date GPDD
FAQ ?
- How can I contact a human being ?
- Why did GPDD reject my message because it
was too long ?
- May I send a pictures or other attachments
to the GPDD ?
- Do you really compose the GPDD by hand??
And how much time does it take ?
- Someone from the GPDD list is sending abusive
e-mail email to me off the list.
What can I do to made him/her stop ? (the Fire Brigade)
- How can I join the Fire Brigade ?
- What is the "Digest Safety Net"
?
- What is the privacy policy of the GPDD ?
- Is advertising allowed on the GPDD ?
- I have heard something about "pigiquette."
What is it ?
1. What is the GPDD ?
The Guinea Pigs' Daily Digest (GPDD) was founded on the simple
premise that guinea pig lovers of all types, ages, worldwide,
should be able to get together and discuss their common interest
in their special companions. Discussion themes range from health,
feeding, housing, care, shows, books, breeding, funny stories
and even poetry about GPs.
This daily newsletter was founded by Carlo Ferrari in March 1995,
making it one of the oldest forums on the Internet. Today it boasts
1,900+ subscribers. On July 14, 2003, Carlo closed down the GPDD.
Almost immediately, a band of dedicated volunteers formed to resurrectthe
GPDD. On September 4, 2003, the GPDD was restarted with the mission
to deliver "a friendly cyber-piggie in your inbox" each
day.
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2. Is it free ?
Yes, it's completely free. Once you're subscribed, you should
receive your copy in your email inbox every day at absolutely
no cost. GPDD has always has been a non-profit organization.
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3. I have a small email inbox. How
large is the GPDD ?
This varies each day, depending on the number of messages and
length of each message. The most recent digests have averaged
between 25KB to 50KB a day.
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4. How can I receive it ? (subscribing)
1. via the web: http://www.gpdd.org
You will be sent email requesting confirmation to prevent others
from subscribing you without your knowledge.
2. via E-mail: send mail to gpigs-request@gpdd.org
Type "help" (without quotes) as the subject or the body
of your message to receive detailed subscription instructions.
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5. How do I unsubscribe from the
GPDD ?
1. via the web: http://www.gpdd.org
The right section of the page will lead you to unsubscribing.
2. via E-mail: send mail to gpigs-request@gpdd.org
Type "help" (without quotes) as the subject or the body
of the message to receive detailed instructions.
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6. How do I post a message to the
GPDD ?
Send email gpdd@gpdd.org.
Please be sure to review the Posting
Guidelines page before you post. Once the moderator approves
your message, it will appear in the very next issue of the digest.
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7. I am going to change my email address.
What do I need to do to continue receiving my daily copy of the
digest ?
First, you must unsubscribe your old email address, then you can
resubscribe your new email address. If you have any problems,
contact the list maintainer at the address stated below.
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8. Why are my messages rejected saying
that I am not subscribed ?
If you want to post to GPDD, you must subscribe first. Rejecting
any messages from non-subscribers is the GPDD's best defense against
unwanted junk mail or spam appearing on the list.
If you are subscribed but your messages are bounced back to you,
then you are probably sending from a different email address then
the one you originally subscribed with. Please contact the GPDD
list maintainer at gpigs-owner@gpdd.org about adding your alternate
email address to the subscription list.
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9. I am a subscriber, but I have been
missing the GPDD for days. What should I do ?
If you have been missing the digest for more than three consecutive
days, please contact the GPDD list maintainer at gpigs-owner@gpdd.org
to research the problem.
Depending on your network connection and your email host, and
the route the GPDD host takes through cyberspace, an occasional
issue may be late or lost. To retrieve the missing issue, see
the next question (#10).
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10. How can I receive elder/missing/evaluation
copies of the digest ?
Complete archives of old digests are available at http://www.gpdd.org
Older digests are stored as compressed zip files, arranged by
month.
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11. Is there a way to search for
articles covering a certain topic ?
There will soon be a fully configurable search box on the Archives
page. The index will be compiled on a monthly (more or less) basis.
Please be patient as we will try add this feature as soon as possible.
Before posting a question, you may wish to look if the topic had
already been covered on the GPDD web pages.
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12. What is HTML code and why is it bad for the my message posts ?
If your email program is using multiple font styles, sizes and
colored text in your messages, you may are probably sending messages
containing HTML code. Many email programs like Microsoft Outlook,
Eudora, and Netscape Composer are capable of sending HTML email
messages and sometimes do this by default.
Readers using text-only email clients would see a double copy
of your message - one in plain text and one in (almost unreadable)
HTML code. The GPDD will automatically filter HTML posts to save
space and ensure the best readability for every user.
To avoid using HTML code in your email (at least in that addressed
to the GPDD) you must configure your email program to send plain
text.
A very detailed list of configuring specific mail clients is available at http://www.expita.com/nomime.html courtesy of Gerry Boyd. He also gives very good reasons why HTML is not being used for the mail list.
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13. How can I receive the most up-to-date
GPDD FAQ ?
This FAQ should not need to be updated very often. When it does
change, a notice will be sent out to GPDD. The latest version
will always be right here. Note the update date at the top of
the page.
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14. How can I contact a human being
? (I hate those dumb processors!)
Send email to: gpdd-admin@gpdd.org.
Please note that the GPDD team maintains the GPDD in their spare
time, so please be patient get if we do not answer as fast as
you would like.
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15. Why did GPDD reject my message
because it was too long ?
Due to the of the increasing size of the GPDD, messages longer
than 7KB will be automatically bounced back to the sender. This
reduces the likelihood of someone, say, quoting the entire digest
in their reply.
Keep in mind that this is intended to be a digest, not a full
length book. Consider sending long messages in several parts rather
than one long message. Readers are happier reading several short
messages rather than having to scroll through several screens
to get through one message.
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16. May I send a pictures or other
attachments to the GPDD ?
No. Only plain text messages will be accepted. Attachments quickly
increase the size of the digest, which is problematic for many
subscribers to view (and they could potentially spread computer
viruses).
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17. Do you really the GPDD by hand??
And how much time does it take ?
Not really. A list processing program called "mailman"
automatically (more or less) handles the list, the incoming messages
and the subscription requests.
However, a dedicated volunteer group of moderators review each
message to make sure that all post meet the GPDD posting guidelines.
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18. Someone from the GPDD list is
sending abusive e-mail email to me off-list.
What can I do to make him/her stop ? (the Fire Brigade)
While neither the GPDD (nor its maintainers) can truly control
what happens in your private e-mail, we would like to do our best
to keep the GPDD list as pleasant and friendly as possible.
Following this idea, a mediation board (called 'The Fire Brigade')
has been established to investigate any abuse complaint. This
volunteer panel if and when requested
will arbitrate disagreements and offer help/guidance/solutions
if you are being sent private flames. The Fire Brigade has the
final authority to suspend or ban any subscriber if abuse is discovered.
The Fire Brigade members, with their e-mail addresses, are listed
on the Posting Guidelines page.
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19. How can I join the Fire Brigade
?
Fire brigade members are selected by the GPDD Team as being the
most diplomatic and helpful subscribers. Fire Brigade members
themselves may nominate a subscriber to join them.
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20. What is the "Digest Safety
Net" ?
(this answer courtesy of Helen - DSN Maintainer)
The Digest Safety Net (DSN) was started when Carlo (the original
list-owner) needed to shut down the GPDD for a while due to computer
problems; it was designed as a way of having help always available
to piggy people even if the Digest was 'out' for some reason.
It consists of a list of several piggy people (all GPDD subscribers),
all of whom are highly knowledgeable in various guinea pig matters
and are willing to answer questions on pig-related matters. The
DSN members are a mixture of all sorts of people who have owned
pigs long enough to gain expertise in one area or another - breeders,
rescuers, breeder/rescuers, and so on.
The DSN is NOT intended to replace
the advice of a qualified veterinary surgeon, but is there as
an aid for worried owners; sometimes you aren't quite sure whether
a pig needs to see a vet or not for example, and asking someone
with experience may save a piggy's life. Perhaps the vet has said
something that you don't quite understand, or you aren't too sure
that your vet is good with pigs and want to ask someone who knows,
so that you can change vet if necessary.
You do not need to subscribe separately to the DSN; it is published
in the GPDD around the first of every month and also available
as a webpage.
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21. What is the privacy policy of
the GPDD ?
GPDD is not in any way affiliated to any for-profit business.
We will not disclose, sell or give away subscriber information
unless required to do so by law enforcement officials investigating
criminal activity.
While GPDD will not give away your address, malicious individuals
still may collect email addresses from the digest postings. Generally
speaking, anything appearing in the GPDD should be considered
public and widely accessible on the Internet.
You may want to consider using a free email account rather than
your main work or home account so that you can change your email
address if you are receiving too many unwanted spam messages.
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22. Is advertising allowed on the
GPDD ?
Strictly speaking, no.
We do not accept payments to insert commercial advertising within
the GPDD. However, the concept of advertising may be stretched
to include discussion about a particular brand or commercial website,
or include communication about an opportunity to buy something
that could be of interest to this GP community. The list moderator
will reject messages that are viewed as too "commercially
oriented."
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23. I have heard something about
"pigiquette." What is it ?
The "pigiquette" (Guinea Pigs' etiquette) is a list
of some simple rules that apply to all the messages sent to the
GPDD.
It contains some obvious things that people sometime forget to
respect when using e-mail, like avoiding inappropriate language.
Pigiquette guidlines are listed on the Posting
Guidelines page.
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Thank you for your questions,
Guinea Pigs' Daily Digest Team | 