Archive-name: AudioFAQ/part11
Last-modified: 1995/12/7
Version: 2.01

18.0 Network Protocol

18.1 What are the audio newsgroups? Which group should I post to?
	It is important to post to the right group. There are a few
	reasons for that. First, you want to be read by people who
	are knowledgable and/or interested in your topic. Second,
	you want to avoid the ire of people who don't have your
	perspective or won't tolerate your ignorance.  The audio
	newsgroups are frequented by a wide group of people, including
	some outspoken experts who know their stuff and some serious
	purists who won't consider lower levels as acceptable.

	That said, here's the list of newsgroups and an explanation
	of their content:

	rec.audio: The original newsgroup, which is being phased out.
	rec.audio.car: This newsgroup supports discussion on different 
		brands and models of car stereo, and also is an open 
		forum for talk about car stereo installation, speaker 
		selection, custom crossovers, and the special noise 
		problems which occur in cars.
	rec.audio.high-end: This newsgroup caters to audiophiles and 
		serious music lovers who are interested in discussing 
		the subtle differences between expensive equipment, the 
		nuances of selecting the best cables, the love and lore 
		of LPs, and other details of audio that are inaudible to 
		the untrained ear.  Currently, rec.audio.high-end is
		the only group which is available by e-mail.  To get
		this group sent to you, contact:
			audio-request@lerc.nasa.gov
		This is also the only group which is moderated.
	rec.audio.marketplace: Here's the place for selling and buying
		equipment.  This is also a good place to discuss
		dealers, pricing, product sources, and models with
		specific features.
	rec.audio.misc: If you don't think it fits well in any other
		newsgroup, post it here.
	rec.audio.opinion: Everyone has opinions. Share yours here.
		Not sure which is better? Ask here. Think you hear
		a difference? Say it here.
	rec.audio.pro: This newsgroup is dedicated to professional 
		audio.  It includes discussion on record production, 
		studios, studio equipment, DJ equipment, recording 
		concerts, sound reinforcement, mastering, mixing, 
		special effects, and other topics which might apply to 
		audio professionals.  If you are a home audio buff but 
		like tape recording, you can find good advice here.
	rec.audio.tech: Discussion here is about audio theory, home
		made audio equipment, specifications, and other
		technicalities. 

18.2 What network mailing lists are out there which aren't on usenet?
	There is an informal group of people interested in using DAT 
	recorders to record "Grateful Dead" concerts. These people call 
	themselves "Dat-Heads" and have a daily E-Mailing List.  This
	is also a great resource for DAT information. They maintain an
	excellent DAT FAQ with detailed information on DAT machines 
	and tapes.  The FAQ is a bit obsolete, but still great.  To 
	subscribe to the list, or get a copy of their faq, send a 
	message to: 
		DAT-Heads-Request@fedney.near.net
	Include one of the following as the body of the message:
		SUBSCRIBE
		SEND FAQ

	There is also a general turntable chat mailing list. To 
	subscribe to this list, send a message to: 
		analogue-addicts-request@maths.ex.ac.uk
	asking to join the mailing list.

	There is the bass mailing list, devoted primarily to low 
	frequency reproduction, although there is also much discussion 
	of general speaker building issues.
	To subscribe, send a message to:
		bass-request@lunch.engr.sgi.com
	with the word ``subscribe'' as the body of the message.

	There are two mailing lists devoted to mini-disc related issues.
	To subscribe to the MD-L list, send mail to:
		listserver@nstn.ca
	with the following request in the body of the message:
		subscribe MD-L Your Name
	To subscribe to the minidisc-users list, send mail to:
		minidisc-users-request@steffi.dircon.co.uk
	with the word ``subscribe'' as the body of the message.

	There is a general interest audio mailing list sponsered by 
	"Sound Practices" magazine.  To subscribe, send mail to:
		sound-request@tpoint.net
	with the word ``subscribe'' as the body of the message.

18.3 Should I post a question about "XXXXXXX"?
	If it isn't addressed in the FAQ and it isn't a question for 
	one individual, do it! However, try to post to the right 
	group (see above).

18.4 How can I suggest a change to the FAQ?
	Send an E-Mail message to neidorff@uicc.com and explain your 
	suggestion or correction in detail.

18.5 Where is the FAQ for rec.audio.* archived?
	This FAQ is available by ftp from   rtfm.mit.edu   in
		/pub/usenet/news.answers/AudioFAQ
	To get the entire FAQ from this archive, you need to 
	get all 13 of the following files:
		part1
		part2
		part3
		part4
		part5
		part6
		part7
		part8
		part9
		part10
		part11
		part12
		part13
	The FAQ is also available on the world-wide web at:
		http://hydra.unik.no/~robert/hifi/faq/

18.6 What does FAQ stand for?
	FAQ stands for "Frequently Asked Questions".  It is assumed 
	that a FAQ also contains FGA or "Frequently Given Answers".  
	The rec.audio.* newsgroups have few FGAs due to the 
	personalities involved and the subjective nature of audio.  
	For that reason, this document is called a FAQ.

18.7 Why did I get a bitter reply when I posted a simple opinion?
	Some feel that rec.audio.* is populated by people with 
	very strong opinions.  The whole audio industry is 
	filled with opinionated people.

	However, for the most part, these people like voicing their 
	opinions and reading others.  What may have sounded like a 
	severe rebuttal may have instead been an outlet for the other 
	person's frustrations or a challenge to you to "play the 
	`rec.audio' game" and back up your words with some spirit.

	Be sure to stay light when reading rec.audio.  Otherwise, you 
	are likely to take yourself and everyone else too seriously.

18.8 Can I post a "FOR SALE" notice on rec.audio?
	The newsgroup rec.audio.marketplace is specifically for these
	postings. Do not post For Sale to any other rec.audio.* group,
	except perhaps rec.audio.high-end.  Only post to
	rec.audio.high-end if the item is of interest to the high-end 
	crowd.  rec.audio.high-end is moderated, so if the post is
	deemed inappropriate by the moderator, it will not post.

	All For Sale posts need to have a real name and a real phone
	number.  It is also very valuable to include your location,
	so that people can determine if shipping will be cheap or
	impractical.

	Usenet is not for commercial purposes, so if you are associated
	with a store or other retail operation, this is the wrong
	place for your advertisement.  If you have some used personal
	gear or something you bought and don't need, feel free to post.

	If you see an advertisement for a store that has a great deal,
	AND people had been asking about where to buy that item cheap, 
	you might want to tell the readers on rec.audio.marketplace 
	about it. However, avoid commercializing. Something like:

		Pete's Audio has JVC PS992 for $435, which is 40%
		less than anywhere else; If interested 202-555-1212.

	should be fine. Avoid posting their entire price list,
	or using too many superlatives. If commercialism leaks 
	into Usenet, it could materially hurt us all.

	When posting something for sale, have a concise but complete
	subject line.  Come to think of it, this is good advice for
	any post. Some use abbreviations like WTB (the poster Wants 
	To Buy) or WTS (the poster Wants To Sell). Here are some 
	examples of good subject lines:

	    Subject: WTB 100W Receiver any condition
	    Subject: 4Sale Power Amp PS 352 $500 San Francisco area
	    Subject: 4Sale Stereophile Back Issues 4/88 to 6/92

	Think about who you are willing to sell to before you post.
	If it is fragile or heavy, you may not want to ship it, so you
	may restrict to people who are close enough to pick it up.
	Use the Distribution: header to restrict your posting area.
	If you will only sell to people in Texas, don't	distribute it 
	to Australia.  Check with your system administrator if you 
	aren't familiar with the options you have for Distribution.
	Different sites have different restriction codes available.
	Distribution headers don't always restrict distribution, so
	it is still a good idea to include the target area in the 
	Subject.

	Anyone buying or selling needs to understand that Usenet 
	contains no mechanism to protect the buyer's money or the 
	seller's property.

	There is a frequently posted message "A Guide to Buying and
	Selling on Usenet" which talks of other issues on the subject.
	This is posted to news.answers as well as other newsgroups.  
	It is also available by ftp from "rtfm.mit.edu" in
	"/pub/usenet/news.answers/radio" as file "swap-guide".

18.9 Can I cross-post?  Should I cross-post?
	Cross posting means sending the message/posting to more than
	one newsgroup. This is more efficient than posting the same
	message twice, as it stores less space on disks, takes less
	time to transmit, etc. If you need to address the message to
	more than one newsgroup, put all newsgroups in the Newsgroup:
	line.

	However, there is rarely a reason to cross-post to many of
	the rec.audio.x newsgroups. If you have a repair question,
	it belongs in rec.audio.tech and no where else. If you are
	selling a tuner, post to rec.audio.marketplace. Want opinions
	on the right cable? Post to rec.audio.opinion.  Not sure?
	Post to rec.audio.misc.

18.10 Are there any sites containing audio files available for ftp?
	Yes. Try ftp.uu.net directory "usenet/rec.audio.high-end".

18.11 Are there any audio-specific World-Wide Web sites?
	Zillions of them.  Here are some places to start:
	Robert's page pointing to many Audio pages
		http://www.unik.no/~robert/hifi/hifi.html
	Dan and Steve's Audio-Related page
		http://www.qnx.com/~danh/info.html
	rec.audio.* FAQ with Search Engine
		http://hydra.unik.no/%7Erobert/hifi/faq/
	Used Audio Buy/Sell Home Page
		http://www.pitt.edu/~cjp/usedgear.html
	BMG and Columbia CD Music Club Unofficial Lists and FAQ
		http://biogopher.wustl.edu:70/1/audio/bmg
	Ambisonic Surround Sound FAQ
		http://www.omg.unb.ca/~mleese/
	Tube related stuff
		http://www.interport.net/~blackie

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
The information contained here is collectively copyrighted by the 
authors. The right to reproduce this is hereby given, provided it is 
copied intact, with the text of sections 1 through 8, inclusive. 
However, the authors explicitly prohibit selling this document, any 
of its parts, or any document which contains parts of this document.
-- 
Bob Neidorff; Unitrode Corporation  |  Internet: neidorff@uicc.com
7 Continental Blvd.                 |  Voice   : (US) 603-429-8541
Merrimack, NH  03054-0399 USA       |  FAX     : (US) 603-429-8564