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Before posting a message for the first time, read the discussions for a week or so.
Always include your full name and e-mail address. Put this information at the end of your message, with your usual signature.
Send private replies whenever appropriate. Answers to very esoteric questions are often best sent directly to the person who asked for help, rather than to the Coins list; the choice of whether to post a (public) reply or send (private) e-mail is a personal decision. If you send a reply by e-mail, and would prefer that it be kept private, you should say so in your note, because otherwise the other person may share your comments with others. If the original poster promises to post a summary at the outset, then all replies should be sent by e-mail, unless they constitute an important re-direction of the original question.
Summarize the replies to a question for the entire list when that is appropriate. Whenever a question or request for information results in many replies, it is expected that the person who made the original request will compile and post a summary of the responses.
Use care when writing summaries. Organize the responses. All answers should be separated clearly, and nicely formatted. Redundant, irrelevant or verbose comments, and errors of fact or spelling should be edited out. It is appropriate to use square brackets and dots to indicate editing [...]. Exercise discretion and tact, to ensure a fair and accurate summary. Unless they asked that their names be withheld, the contributors of each answer should be named and thanked, individually or as a group.
Avoid starting nasty arguments or "flame wars". Be generous when interpreting the statements and arguments of others. "If you're going to flame someone, please do so privately. Your mailer can reply to a message either just to the person who wrote it or to the whole list as well. Please, everybody, when replying to a message on the list, check whether your reply is going to the whole list. If your reply is meant just for the author (as most are) don't send it to the rest of us" [John Sullivan].
Watch copyrights. If the material is copyrighted let us know.
Watch the libel laws. People read and may quote what you post to the Coins list.
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