Disney News in General

This page explains some general terms that you will come across, and provides you with some information on how to get around in Disney news groups. Some of this text has been copied from an introduction by Sean Rabbit (srabbitt@loa.com). Click on one of the above topics, or just keep reading ...


RAD

RAD is the short for Rec.Arts.Disney, or more precise the Rec.Arts.Disney.* newsgroup hierarchy, the main Disney-related newsgroups on the usenet. If you want to keep up-to-date on Disney subjects, just read this group. The groups were created to discuss anything and everything related to Disney such as the Walt Disney Company, Animation, Television, Parks, Stories, Creative Ideas, Florida's weather in April, and just about everything between. Have fun reading and posting!

There are the following newsgroups:

rec.arts.disney.animation
All Disney animated movies and short subjects, past, present, and future, whether released theatrically, televised or on video. This includes but is not limited to discussion of studios, voice actors, animators, and writers. For discussion of derivative works, such as ice shows and stage plays. For any and all other matters relating to the animated works.
rec.arts.disney.announce
Frequently Asked Questions files, including newsgroup FAQs, theme park FAQs, and Internet resource lists. No discussion will be allowed. Other articles may be posted at the moderator's discretion, providing they are informational in nature, are publicly distributable and have come from confirmed sources.
rec.arts.disney.merchandise
Discussion relating to merchandise sold by the Disney Company. This includes and is not limited to software, toys, commemorative items, cels, artwork, collectibles, music, books, and multimedia titles. This group would serve as an area for people wanting to sell or wanting to buy any Disney-related item. Also for discussion of Disneyana, conventions, mass-market merchandising and the Disney Stores. Blatant and/or off-topic advertising is inappropriate and will be discouraged.
rec.arts.disney.misc
For general Disney discussion and topics that don't fall into any of the other categories. This newsgroup would replace the existing rec.arts.disney newsgroup.
rec.arts.disney.parks
Discussion of all Disney parks, restaurants, attractions, and resorts of the past, present and future, including, but not limited to, the Walt Disney World properties, Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris.
Some of the most active members on these groups have formed RADHAHA to answer your questions.


Some Netiquette Tips

Netiquette is some kind of a mutual codex in newsgroups that especially new users have difficulties adjusting to. But you will find that communication is much easier with some kind of regulations. Usually, people who don't correspond to netiquette in their postings are getting flamed, which generally means they get a lot of unfriendly junk answers to their postings.

Writing to someone is much different from speaking to someone. So, if you say something that you intend to be silly, you intone your voice and make silly faces. But, in text, you loose this personal touch. The best way to regain this personal touch is through emoticons. :-) means "jokingly or just being silly;" :-(, unhappy and so on. These emoticons prevent misunderstandings of tone.

General Netiquette

It is considered unfriendly to rush into a group and ask a question. Sometimes there's no time to avoid it, but if you are not in an extreme hurry, please take your time and read through the group for maybe a months, to get acclimated to the group's scope of questions. And, you will also see if your question is frequently discussed, see FAQ's. cases, you will find your question being asked by someone who does not follow this rule, and therefore do not need to ask yourself. If you find yourself discussing a subject with just one person, if it doesn't seem that everyone would benefit from the posting, or if you are drifting from subject, please consider taking the subject to e-mail. You can usually do that by pressing the 'R' (response) key on your newsreader.

If you respond to a posting, please quote only the part you need to make your posting readable. It cuts down on the waste of bandwidth. There is the general rule that a followup should have no more than 50% of quoted text.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

If you browse a group for the first time as said above, you might find that your question is frequently asked. If someone other has already ask the question, there is no need for you to ask again. Keep in mind that it is quite annoying for the experts on a group if they have to answer the same questions day by day.

For about every group, these experts have created a document with all these questions. This document is named the group's FAQ. So if you don't want to browse the group for weeks to find out if your question is a frequently asked one, or if you generally want to get an impression of the topics handled by the group, you should read the group's FAQ.

All FAQs are available via FTP from the MIT Archive by the meaningful name of rtfm. There, you will find a hierarchical directory structure corresponding to the newsgroup hierarchy. For example, to download the FAQ of rec.arts.disney, first change directory to "rec", then to "arts" and then to "disney". Inside that directory are the FAQ documents.

A comprehensive list of available Disney documents, the List of Lists is also available. Old, but useful.

Flames

A flame is a really rude way to say you do not agree with someone's opinions. Expressing adverse opinions is always welcome on the usenet, but please restrain from using harsh language, harsh tone or anything other that might be considered offensive.

Generally: No public flames please. If you don't agree with someone, don't take your war to the public. Send him an email, and then you can kill each other with mail bombs. This at least saves all other readers on the net.

If someone other posts a flame on the net, the best way to cope with it is to ignore it. This not only stops the discussion about it, but it denies the bully the pleasure of getting other people mad.

Remember that everyone from children to senior citizens will be reading your posting. Please take the Abraham Lincoln method: If you get mad, write a really rude and nasty message, then don't send it. You'll feel better and it really works (I've tested it myself several times).

RTFM

Sometimes if you ask a question, you will get a reply saying nothing but RTFM. This is short for Read the f*ing manual and means that your question is alreay answered somewhere else. RTFM is most frequently used in computer related contexts, where it means that you can find the answer in the computer's/software's documentation. Therefore keep in mind that you shouldn't ask questions unless you've properly read all manuals.
Some people also use this term to hint at the FAQ of the newsgroup.


RADHAHA

RADHAHA is the short for RAD Hostesses and Hosts Association. We are all regular readers of the RAD newsgroup, we are there to help you, and we are easy to find. Just find someone with RAD Hostess or RAD Host in his signature (the tag on a message with someone's name in it), or find the list called RAD Host List posted bi-monthly to the rec.arts.disney.* newsgroups.


FDC

FDC stands for Future Disney Cabinet, a mock organization of RAD readers who have such a liking for the Walt Disney Company they created imaginary positions for themselves. For more information, check out the FDC FAQ that is posted weekly on RAD or check the List of Lists for an FTP site.
Please, if you wish to join the FDC, check to see if someone already occupies the character or position you want. Sometimes, that person will share the position, sometimes not. (Just ask nicely :-)

FDC membership is open to all, but no person is required to join. THE FDC IS ***NOT*** PART OF THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY NOR DOES DISNEY ENDORSE ITS EXISTENCE. For more information, check out David Cuthbert's FDC Home Page

If you make a FDC posting in rec.arts.disney, please place "FDC" in the subject of the message. Some people do not like to read FDC postings, and their killfile (An automatic program to ignore postings from a person or of a certain subject) uses the subject to pick up these posts.


Frank Pilhofer <fp -AT- fpx.de> Back to the Homepage
Last modified: Tue Feb 4 17:12:15 1997