Q: I have some stuff for the archive! What do I do with it? Previously, to submit a post for inclusion, one needed only to send it in plain text format. However, due to copyright concerns, continued harassment over inclusions/exclusions, and pedantic bitching that really left a sour taste in my mouth, this has necessarily changed. Posts are archived two ways now.
For posters who were original contributors at the genesis of the Archive and for those from whom I have explicit written permission, I am still archiving plain text posts on my server. This is the most reliable way to maintain the archive, as several backups are kept, and display is not dependent upon someone else's server.
Other posters (at my discretion) are linked via Google. If you like having your "name in lights" and find that your posts are here via Google links, I strongly suggest you drop me a note and grant me permission to host your entries. They're safer that way.
Plain text submissions will still be accepted for posters who were original contributors or have granted written permission. It is highly recommended that multiple plain text submissions be sent as a .zip file. All other articles to be considered for submission should be sent in the form of a Google link (or list of links) to the individual article in *original format*. See here for Google format, and click the link for Original Format.
If you are unsure about whether or not a poster has granted written permission, send both the plain text and the Google link, or just the Google link, along with the author's name. Q: How do I give you explicit permission? Just in case someone thinks I'm funny? Copy and paste the following text into an e-mail, and send it to the Submissions address:
"You and your archive associates have explicit permission
to archive posts that I will make or have made on
rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan, and that are submitted
to you in the manner spelled out in the Humor Archive FAQ.
You have my explicit permission to make these posts
accessible through your web page as a part of your Humor
Archive.
I reserve the right to revoke this permission for any or
all posts at my discretion by e-mailing you with a request
to delete specific or all posts attributed to me."
It's also acceptable to drop a note telling me that you give permission. Q: Why not just do all Google links? The choices were clear: Keep what we had, and change only what was necessary or kill it entirely.
Guess what we chose? Q: Oh. Q: Where do I send posts? You will receive an automatic response acknowledging your submission, so if you have several submissions and don't want to keep getting the auto-response, I suggest submitting via the zip and/or list method. IMPORTANT: Be certain to REMOVE spamblockers from your return address prior to submitting an article for inclusion. All submissions trigger the auto-responder. If the auto-ack is bounced, it just triggers again, bounces again, etc., until I've got 1500 bounce messages and my host accuses me of spamming. If you don't remove your spamblocker before submitting, and cause this headache for me, I will permanently filter you out. Darkfriends.net has never spammed, never will, and isn't about to suffer the inconvenience of being listed as a "known spammer" just because someone doesn't have the courtesy enough to remove their spamblocker from personal correspondence. If you're afraid someone is going to spam you, you shouldn't be sending them mail. Q: Will you e-mail me every time I'm going to be included? Q: Why a humor archive? Q: How many posts are archived now? Q: Why is there so much stuff in here not related to WoT? Q: How is the Archive organized? Q: Who has the most posts archived? Q: How often is the archive updated? Q: If I bug you a lot, will that make you update more often? Or faster? Q: What about copyright? Please note that I will not delete posts at someone else's request, only at the request of the author of the post. (That would be the person in the From: field, no one else.) If you don't like what someone else has written, that's your problem. Don't read.
If you find that you have an article in the Humor Archive that you no longer want displayed, and it is here via a link from Google, I will - AS A COURTESY - remove the link from the RASFWRJ Archive when I have the time. I am not obligated to do this - the post does not reside on my server. If you want the post good and gone, you're going to have to take that up with Google here. Q: Do I get credit for sending things in? Q: Hey! I sent in a bunch of my posts! Why aren't they in the archive? Demands that I include your posts will be met with a cheery FOAD, and will be deleted, along with said posts. Whiners will be summarily killfiled and blacklisted, and complaining on the newsgroup of being snubbed will be ignored. Continued harassment will result in being publicly outed, and a complaint will be made to your ISP. Threats to "hack" my computer, website or any e-mail address, public profile or messaging service used by me will be immediately forwarded to your ISP without warning. Any of these sent via "anonymous" e-mail providers such as Hotmail, Yahoo and the like will be forwarded to the appropriate abuse department, as well as the originating ISP - these services all include your real IP, and I track headers.
I am generally an advocate of privacy. However, I no longer feel the need to extend the courtesy of confidentiality to those who would harass me. If you send me abusive e-mail, I will publish it. Q: You're mean! You just won't include me because you don't like me! I grow weary of the brou-ha-ha surrounding this policy, so it's been FAQ'd, and that's the final word. If you're unhappy with the final word, go have a look at the Archive's Statement of Policy. Read it twice. Then fuck off. Those wanting input can pay me for my time and server space. Q: Will you post a .zip file for download? Q: Is that everything?
A: The submissions procedure has changed. Read carefully.
A: Someone might already think you're funny. Better give the Miscellany and Filk pages a look!
A: As a matter of fact, this was suggested by both Jamie Bowden and John Novak. Unfortunately, it is neither practical nor as reliable as maintaining individual posts myself. A "retrofit" of 1100 posts, collected by a dozen people over three years was nigh on impossible - most posts already archived do not include full headers, as a matter of readability, so using a script written to search Google on Message-ID to aid in such a retrofit was impossible (not to mention, Google prohibits wandering about their servers with scripts). Likewise finding enough time/people to attempt a manual retrofit. Additionally, an all Google link archive left the Archive vulnerable in two ways - Google's internal linking occasionally isn't very stable, so links change, and if Google went the way of Deja, so would all of the work put into this Archive.
A: Precisely.
A: All submissions should be sent to submissions@darkfriends.net
A: NO. I'm not in the business of professional publishing, nor the business of ego stroking. If you want fawning and simpering and someone who will tolerate nitpicky assholery, I suggest you hire an agent to do that for you.
A: It seemed appropriate to put the collected humor of RASFWRJ in one easily accessible place, instead of having to search Google's (and previously Deja's) archives for the funny bits. There was quite a lot of interest expressed in the newsgroup, so I put this together and opened it way back when my page was still at GeoCities, in 1999. It's been growing ever since.
A: Currently, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1600, including the most recent update, and growing in fits and starts.
A: This is not a WoT Archive, that's why. This is the RASFWRJ Archive.
A: Unless it's Filk, all posts start off on the Miscellany page. When there are three or more articles attributed to any given poster, that poster's articles are moved to a separate index. All Filk remains in the Filk section, regardless of who wrote it or how many Filks they have archived.
A: Mark Loy, by far. He currently has four pages in his index, and the vast majority of reader submissions are Mark's posts.
A: There isn't really a schedule. My cohorts and I are very BUSY, so it really depends on who has time for what. When their folders start to overflow, or I need a distraction, there's an update. I have kids, a job and A Life, so updates happen whenever I get around to them.
A: No. In fact, it might get you a not at all cheery Fuck Off And Die - in technicolor, probably with surround sound. I'm a busy woman. Be patient, go find something else to do while you wait. Take a nap. Have a Coke. Get laid. Go play in traffic. Just don't bug me, it slows me down and pisses me off.
A: I do not hold copyright for the posts within the archive, nor do I claim to, nor have I ever claimed to, nor do I want it. Copyright for each post is retained by the author of the post. If an author decides that something s/he wrote should not be archived, s/he need only drop me an e-mail to let me know which post(s) s/he would like deleted from the archive. I will comply immediately upon receipt of the mail and send confirmation of the deletion.
A: Absolutely. The archive wouldn't exist without reader submissions! If you send in a post, even one, you'll be added to the contributor's list on the archive credits page. Should you catch mistakes, broken links or other bugs, a note will be made of that as well. Credit where credit is due, after all - I'm grateful for the help.
A: Except in very specific circumstances, self-submissions are not accepted. Those circumstances would include my e-mailing you to ask for submissions because of hard drive failure or accidental deletion of already submitted posts, or if you politely *ask* me to include a post that was very well received by the group and that you're particularly proud of.
A: Yes, I'm mean, but my personal feelings have nothing to do with whether or not people submit your posts for inclusion. There are several people included in the archive who I wouldn't even spit on if they were on fire, but they're funny as hell. Other people have submitted their work and thus they are archived.
A: HELL NO. You think I want to listen to all the copyright bitching again?
A: It is for now. Check back later for updates, and send your questions to humorFAQ@darkfriends.net.
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