History
The first posting of the FAQ

Okay guys, very rough first draft. Let me know what you think. :)

Later, Steve

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Archive-name: christian-teen/newsgroup-faq
Last-modified: 2 Nov 1998
Version: 1.0
Posting-frequency: every two weeks

For the most current version of this FAQ please go to the arc-t homepage located at "http://www.enteract.com/~digialex/arc-t/".

alt.religion.christian-teen Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This FAQ is posted weekly in an attempt to answer some of the questions likely to be asked in alt.religion.christian-teen (arc-t). This FAQ is maintained by Steven Schrader and any comments or suggestions should be sent to him at steve@arc-t.org.

Contents

I. Introduction to arc-t
II. Tips on Posting
III. Frequently Asked Questions
IV. Who's Who
V. Related Links

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I. Introduction to arc-t
Welcome to alt.religion.christian-teen! If you're a newbie just visiting our humble little group for the first time, then you should take the time to read this FAQ from beginning to end. If you want to plunge straight on in, then feel free, but don't say I didn't warn you. ;)

alt.religion.christian-teem (arc-t), while containing the words "christian" and "teen" in it's name, has actually grown into a relatively active group full of christians, non-christians, liberals, conservatives, teens, ex-teens, kooks and trolls. While Christian discussion is certainly welcome, don't be surprised if it's not the only topic, or even the main one.

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II. Tips on Posting

Here are a few suggestions on posting that will help you get into the flow of the group as quickly as possible:

* Avoid posting in HTML.

While your news reader may support it, keep in mind that not everyone views arc-t through the same program. By posting in HTML you may be excluding people who would otherwise be interested in responding to your post.

* Quote any relevant text in your replies.

While your point may be very clear to you, keep in mind that the person you're responding to may not read your response for days, or even weeks. And anyone else who is reading your post may not understand what you're talking about if you don't include the text that you are replying to. This doesn't mean include _all_ the text, just the part that you're replying to.

* Get to know the regulars.

Like many Usenet groups, arc-t has a definate sense of "community" to it. You shouldn't jump in and start flaming people anymore than you would run into a party at a stranger's house and start yelling at the guests. Take some time to lurk in the group, read this FAQ all the way through, and try to get a feel for the group before you post and you should fit in just fine. :)

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III. Frequently Asked Questions

1) Isn't the name of this newsgroup alt.religion.CHRISTIAN-TEEN?
2) This newsgroup sucks.
3) What's the deal with Neil (aka DrHaunting, Etrnldeity, Ghastlord)?
4) What's the deal with Steven Schrader?
5) What's the deal with Timothy Meyers?

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1) Isn't the name of this newsgroup alt.religion.CHRISTIAN-TEEN?

Why yes, it is. But this doesn't mean that all of the discussion within will necessarily be pro-Christian, or even of a Christian nature at all. The name of a group is meant to guide it's content, not to limit it.

2) This newsgroup sucks.

Not really a question, but it comes up often enough that I thought it should be included here. Every person who has ever said the above sentence, or any variation thereof, has always received the same answer: "You get out of a newsgroup what you put into it."

3) What's the deal with Neil (aka DrHaunting, Etrnldeity, Ghastlord)?

Nobody really knows. We've tried taking him seriously, ignoring him, flaming him, and not taking him seriously and he seems to respond the same way no matter what we do. Proceed with caution. ;) (Look in the Who's Who section for more information)

4) What's the deal with Steven Schrader?

If you post to arc-t, the first person you're likely to hear from is Steve. He's one of those oh so fortunate people who is in front of a computer with a net connection for a good portion of the day. He also mantains this FAQ and hates writing about himself in the third person, but that's okay. :) (Look in the Who's Who section for more information)

5) What's the deal with Timothy Meyers?

If you're a Christian, you _will_ be flamed by Tim. He will accuse you of being, among other things, an idiotic space pixie-worshipping danger to society. If you attempt to reply to him, he will absuse, flame, and ridicule you without mercy. He's also a regular of arc-t, so you're probably best off just getting used to him, because something tells me he's not going anywhere. ;) (Look in the Who's Who section for more information)

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IV. Who's Who

This is just an attempt to give you a quick idea of who some of the regulars are in arc-t. If you'd like to be included (or if you'd like your blurb changed) please contact Steven Schrader at steve@arc-t.org. Once it has been completed, the arc-t homepage will be the best place to get detailed information on each of the posters in arc-t (See Related Links for the url).

*AntiSocial

One of the group's resident atheists. I'll leave it to him to write the rest of this blurb. :)

* Timothy Meyers

Tim is a very agressive atheist. He has some very negative views concerning Christianity and if you stick around for more than, oh, 5 minutes, you're likely to hear quite a few of them.

* MiSSY

Only posts roughly once a week, but she is one of the groups long-time members. She's also one of the few regulars who's actually Christian.

* Neil (aka DrHaunting, EtrnlDeity, Ghastlord)

I don't even know where to start with Neil. On the off-chance that he changes his name again (he's got two more to go on AOL) then you'll be able to recognize him by his writing style alone: Mutliple exclamation marks and an almost haiku-like structure to his posts.

* Chris Nelson

Probably the most vocal of the current Christian regulars. I'll leave it to Chris to write his blurb. :)

* Matt Noonan

Matt is arc-t's resident Buddhist. I'd say more, but I'd prefer to let him write his own blurb when he gets the chance. ;)

* Steven Schrader

Never shuts up. He also mantains the FAQ, hosts the website, and annoys just about anyone who tries to get away with posting something without supporting it. ;)

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V. Related Links

This section will contain various links that the members of the group often cite or feel may contain information relevant to the discussions in arc-t. As of right now, there is only one. :)

* The arc-t Homepage - http://www.enteract.com/~digialex/arc-t/

As you can probably guess by the title, this is the homepage for this newsgroup. It's still under construction at the moment, but once it's completed it will contain this FAQ, bios for the regulars, post archives (just the good ones of course) and other assorted goodies.

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This FAQ was first written on November 02, 1998 by Steven Schrader.