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).
- What the hell does RAD and
RADHAHA mean?
- And while we're at it, what's FDC?
- You want to read RAD? Great! Here are some tips for
reading news.
- What is a FAQ and how can I get them?
Click on one of the above topics, or just keep reading ...
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.
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.
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.
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).
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 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 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>
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Last modified: Tue Feb 4 17:12:15 1997