The PICList is a collection of people interested in the Microchip PIC processor who have requested that email sent to the PICList email address be forwarded to them.
Many of our members enjoy reading posts on topics other than the PIC but that may be interesting to PICers (engineering, ideas, technical jokes, etc...) but many others do not wish to spend the time required to read these off-topic posts. They would appreciate it if you would put the text [OT] at the beginning of the subject line of your post so that they know its not about PICs. If you are replying to a post that is not about PICs and notice that it is not marked [OT] , please edit the subject line to add that flag.
Remember that the PICList is a world wide thing and that if you are talking about an item that may change with physical location you should mention yours (at least country and maybe state or province).
Questions answered by this FAQ:
A : Step by step:
Don't use more than one topic tag. If its not about PICs directly, that's
ok, post it anyway but put
[OT] or
[EE] at the beginning
of the subject line instead of [PIC].
You may not see your message echoed on the PIClist, and it may take more than a day before anyone responds since most people only read their PICList mail once a day and they are all over the world. If no one responds after a few days, read the rest of this page, and Myke Predko's general list guidelines at www.piclist.com/../listguide, rethink your post and add a "Nobody responded to my last post, what am I doing wrong?" to the beginning and send it again.
If you decide to leave, you may unsubscribe at the PICList Mailman page
A: The list is administered, by James Newton, Dan Smith, Herb Graf, Josh Koffman, and Jory Bell (who setup the list in 1993). New users will be moderated for a while before being released. Posting messages to the "PICList Administration Port", at PICList-owner@MIT.EDU ( mailto:PICList-owner@MIT.EDU ), causes that message to be distributed to all admins who then read your post & try to help. They have now published guidelines at this site. Admin's guide the list by asking that people mark off topic messages with [OT] at the start of the subject line (not OT, {OT], or off topic) and PICLIST related but not PIC related messages with [Admin] so that people who do not wish to read these postings can filter them out via their email programs. Non-PIC related threads are common and the volume of messages can be several hundred per week. Several respected, valuable, and otherwise caring people have, in the past, unsubscribed due to a temporary peak in the volume of fluff and bad attitudes. When bickering and non-technical posts reach a fever pitch, the admins have been known to step in and put a stop to it by warning people and throwing them off the list.
If you want to be accepted and get the most help, please read some general list guidelines at http://www.piclist.com/../listguide.
The PICList is currently experimenting with the use of topics and topic filtering to try to allow a greater range of discussion while still respecting the fact that many hardcore engineers, who are valuable resources to the list, may have little time to read off topic posts and need a reliable way to filter them out so that they can spend what time they have concentrating on the topic they are most interested in. Despite our name, the PICList also hosts discussions related to other embedded controllers.
Topic tags must be at the start of the subject line, enclosed in brackets "[" and "]" . For example, the current topics are:
If you don't use one of these, other people will not see your posts. People who are interested only in the PIC itself listen to [PIC], people who are also interested in general engineering issues still listen to [PIC] and also listen to [EE] and people who are also interested in anything PICListers have to say also listen to [OT]. People who are interested in buying or selling also listen to [AD] and [BUY].
Please pick ONE that matches the subject of your post and type it at the start of the subject line (don't forget the colon) and then continue. Putting a topic tag in, filters the post IN to that topic rather than filtering it OUT of the other topics like it used to. Ok? Let me say that again...
Putting a topic tag in, filters the post IN to that topic rather than filtering it OUT of the other topics like it used to.
The point of this is that it will reduce the likelihood of people posting
comments about the space program with [PIC] at the start of the subject line.
It also breaks up the PICList in to "Channels" where each topic can be turned
on or off with a command to the list server. If you are very busy, then you
can only turn on the [PIC] channel and turn the others off. Just tell the
list server to only send [PIC] topics by editing your subscription options
at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/options/piclist?email=
We have included the brackets in most topic tags so that people can subscribe to both [PIC] and [OT] and then filter the [OT]'s into another folder for later (low priority) reading... or other such stuff like that.
A. The listserver respects each members setting for replyto address... if non is specified, the replyto address in the post will be set to the PICList, if the members specifies a replyto address, the replyto address in the post will be that address.
To always reply to the list, just check the reply address in the post you are typeing and change it to piclist@mitvma.mit.edu if it isn't already.
To reply to the messages author offlist, first open (do not reply) to the message and copy the from address, then reply and paste that address over the top of the reply address.
A. Remember that the PICList is a public forum. Most of its members are working engineers. Asking for a crack will typically get you nothing but advice to pay for what you get. In the past, cracks posted to the list have evoked mixed responses ranging from offlist threats, to onlist thanks and have started some flame threads about hacking and cracking and software licenses and prices in general which always end up being a waste of bandwidth. List members have been known to forward cracking related threads to the maker of the product being cracked with full header information (including your email address, and who your ISP is).
We can't stop people from posting things that are not legal. We do not approve of software piracy and will remove from the list individuals who show a flagrant disregard for the rights (and efforts) of others. We will forcibly kill flame threads that have no bearing on PICs and are not appropriate to the list.
Jory says: "...[we can't prevent] PICList people [from pirating] software, since that is everyone's own choice, ... i don't want to police such things, but please keep in mind the nature of your communication, and the nature of a public list and decide what is appropriate."
Let's keep cracking off the PICList, there are plenty of other lists for that, and as always, please mark anything not directly related to PIC engineering with an [OT:] or [EE:] at the beginning of the subject line.
A: Yes and no. Put [AD] at the start of the subject line in any case but... Read on:
:> Great! Responding to a question or a request for help with an advertisement for your product which is a solution to the original post is no problem. That type of advertising is "a good thing" as it A) solves the posters problem B) encourages related businesses C) Keeps people who do this stuff for a living involved in the list. D) sometimes it triggers a "hey, I can do that for a lot less" response that leads to a healthy competition for the advertisers.Don, Tony, Myke and others have been called on the carpet by disgruntaled individuals for advertising and list members have resoundingly stood up for them.
Before you buy anything, don't be afraid to ask others on the list for confirmation that a product recommended by the mfg. as a solution to your problem is a good choice. List members will not hesitate to speak up
and the manufacturers are expected to be thick skinned.
:) Good: Adding a line or two to your signature about what you do, buy, sell or believe in is also no problem. The only possible exceptions are political and/or religious flame starters and spiteful messages.
:| Maybe: Posting News or information about your product (unsolicited) to the list. Well... ok... *IF* its a product that people on the PICList will really use. The only trick is that in the eyes of the poster, the fact that his new hydroponic plant management system has an embedded controler somewhere in it qualifies it for the PICList even though he hasn't published a schematic, code or even any description of the design process and its never been mentioned on the list before. On the other hand, if the product actually A) does something to an embedded controller or for an embdedded controller (like a programmer or a simulator etc...) B) Uses an embedded controller and has engineering details published or C) was designed with help from the list (e.g. we all heard about the problems and solutions involved in the making of it), we don't see any problem.
:{ Listen: The final judgment of what is appropriate is left in the hands of the PICList administrators, if *they* feel a post is inappropriate, they WILL take action with at least a warning, followed by removal and or barring the offender from the list, at their option, on this as in any transgression. Be sure to put [AD:] at the start of the subject line.
A: Yes. Please use it:
A: This was the default setting on the list server. Mike figured out how
to change that so now, the default is that you will see your posts echoed
back to you. (Thanks Mike!) You can change this by editing your subscription
options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/options/piclist?email=
A: Yes. You can change this by editing your subscription options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/options/piclist?email=
Note that in digest mode ALL the topics are delivered even if you have turned some of them off. There is no workaround for this.
A: At one time, you could do this using the Index mode of the PIC List. [thanks to Mike Werner] Unfortunatly, we are no longer able to offer the index mode.
A: You can, but this will reset any configuration related to your account.
It would be better to simply disable mail delivery so you are still subscribed,
but no posts will be sent to you. You can change this by editing your
subscription options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/options/piclist?email=
Also, consider setting digest mode (above) to continue getting PICList posts in a more compact form. In either case, thank you for not just turning on an "Out of Office" auto-reply as these will be sent back to every member of the list.
A: Sometimes, on the Internet (being the way it is), mail doesn't get through for a while - it does get through eventually. Situations happen like your mail being handed off to a machine which then gets disconnected due to some problem, be it "backhoe fade" or a hardware crash, things usually get fixed up in a couple days. Usually the traffic all shows up in one HUGE clump, some hours or days later on, whenever that server gets fixed or re-booted. It's annoying to us admins, as we have to tell the difference between not being on the list, being on the list but set to NoMail, or the above, or other problems that can happen. Sometimes, someone's ISP falls onto the RBL (Realtime Black hole List - an anti-SPAM list, this happened to MY ISP recently), or the PICList gets mistakenly ID'ed as a "SPAM" source by someone's ISP due to all the traffic, and all PICList traffic is filtered into the "circular binary file." Rarely, you get a fast response back, but the mail isn't getting through, despite the options the list server's set to looking like it should - When THAT happens, I suggest people unsub & re-subscribe, usually that fixes things. Sometimes just setting to digest & then regular mail a few seconds later can fix it.
Check your subscription options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/options/piclist?email=
If everything looks right, this is a good time to e-mail the list admins
at PICList-Owner@MIT.EDU and
let us look into it.
A: You can change this by editing your subscription options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/options/piclist?email=
A: Subscribe from both accounts then disable mail delivery for the email
address where you do not wish to receive (but do wish to send) posts. You
can change this by editing your subscription options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/options/piclist?email=
This FAQ maintained by James Newton. Last update 2005.02.07 18:17:55
See also:
Notes:
"We have two ears and one mouth, so we may listen twice as much as we speak" Epictetus (Whoever he was) Aha! This obviously explains many people's attitude to Usenet: "We have ten fingers and two eyes, so we may type five times as much drivel as we actually bother to read." -- Arthur Chance, on usenet
If you have enjoyed the PICList and learned from it or used designs and ideas posted by its members, please consider supporting the PICList by honoring its major contributors with a small donation or a word of thanks.
PICList post "piclist Admin #3"
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