RTSFS Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Research Triangle Science Fiction Society but were afraid to ask.

FAQ created by Laura Haywood-Cory and maintained by the current RTSFS Officers.

What is RTSFS?

The Research Triangle Science Fiction Society exists to provide a discussion forum and social outlet for like-minded fans of speculative fiction in all its myriad forms — science fiction, fantasy, horror — in print, TV, movies, comics, anime, and role-playing games. Based in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina (the area surrounding Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill), we also welcome members from outside our local area.

We meet in various locations around the Triangle. We usually try to schedule one discussion meeting and one social meeting per month. Meetings are free and open to the public.

We're a group balanced between idealistic youngsters whose zest for life hasn't been squashed yet, and old pharts who will beat you up with their canes. We have some married couples in the group, and some of them have children. The rest of us have cats, or goldfish, or cacti.

We're a mature yet fun group whose members have an assortment of interests: Some people are primarily interested in sf/fantasy/horror literature, some are more interested in sf movies and TV, and others are interested in gaming (role-playing games, collectible card games, board games, etc).

Curious about how we evolved? Visit the RTSFS History Page to learn more.

We try to schedule meetings and activities that will be of interest to a large number of our members. We have a core group of about 30 who come to events, and over 100 people are on the email discussion list.

Speaking of which, we're a club AND an email discussion list; you don't have to participate in one to participate in the other, though you're more than welcome to do both. Some of the info in the FAQ below pertains specifically to the email list; other info is specifically about the club.

The RTSFS logo and the original website were designed by Paul Cory. The site has been updated by Diane Kurilecz.

Who's in charge?

RTSFS officers for 2003-2004, elected on October 5, 2003

Office	Officer	E-Mail
President	Diane M. Kurilecz	president <AT> rtsfs <DOT> com
Vice-President	Joe Supple	vice-president <AT> rtsfs <DOT> com
Secretary	Andy Hatchell	secretary <AT> rtsfs <DOT> com
Treasurer	Vacant	treasurer <AT> rtsfs <DOT> com
Social Coordinator	Laura Haywood-Cory	social <AT> rtsfs <DOT> com

List Administration

Diane Kurilecz is the primary list administrator for the discussion list. You can contact the List Administrator at list-admin@rtsfs.com with questions or problems with the list.

Contact

The info [AT] rtsfs [DOT] com address is our primary means of corresponding with the public. Our club secretary, Andy Hatchell, answers e-mail.

E-Mail Discussion List

TROLL-B-GONE

If your only purpose for signing up on the list is to mock others and fling insults at them, do us all a favor and unsubscribe right now — trust us, we're not your type. The alt.troll group is down the hall, around the corner. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

How do I join? What are the list formats? Is there a digest version?

There are two different options for the RTSFS list:

RTSFS: The main discussion list.

Sign up using the form on the RTSFS Discussion List page.

This list is unmoderated, and topics wander quite a bit, which is fine. Think of it as a room full of sf fans — most of the time the conversations will be SF-related, but not always, and that's fine by us — there are no topic police here. :)
RTSFS: The digest version of the discussion list.

If you like to receive all your messages at once, this option is for you.

Posting directions are the same as above. The digest goes out at midnight, thanks to UNC's software — listowners cannot reset the digests to go out at other times, sorry.

List Administrivia

If your mail server screws up and the list starts drowning in bounced mail messages from your account, the Lyris software will hold your mail for 5 days (the theory being that that's how long it might take to fix the problem at your end). Your email address is basically put in a penalty box, after which you'll be automatically put back on the list.
If you want to change your own settings (switch to digest, postpone mail while you're away, UNSUBSCRIBE, etc.), you can do this at the following website: http://mail.unc.edu/lists/

List Etiquette — Read This Even If You're Not New to Listservs!

The RTSFS list is a pretty special place. Not to get all gushy and everything, but we've got a wonderful group of folks here. Flames will not be tolerated on the list. You will be warned once, and if there is a repeat, you will be kicked off the list. This also includes bothering listmembers via private email. The first complaint I get, you get warned. The second complaint, you're off the list. So just don't do it.
The default setting for the RTSFS list is "reply-to-list". Always, always check your headers to make sure you're not sending a private message to the entire group.

If someone DOES accidentally send a private message to the whole group, don't flame them or point it out. They've most likely already noticed and are feeling pretty mortified. Everyone on a listserv makes that mistake at least once, so remember how you felt when you did it. :)
Please don't post in HTML to the list; not everyone will be able to read it. To turn off HTML posting in Netscape, pull down the "Edit" menu and select "Preferences." In the Preferences menu, expand (ie, double-click on) "Mail & Groups" and select "Messages". The first check box is "By default, send HTML messages." Make sure there is no check in the box and then click on "OK" (thanks to Pete Winz for this info).
Passing along virus warnings and chain letters — Don't! If you get something that says "send this message to everyone you know!!!!" please check the following websites to determine whether the message is a chain letter, hoax virus warning or urban legend. If it is, don't send it — and remember, you usually cannot hurt your computer by simply reading an email message, unless you open an attachment from a total stranger and unless you're using a web browser to read email.
(I will come over there if you post a UL to the list.)
For info on Urban Legends:
- http://www.urbanlegends.com/
- http://www.snopes.com/info/whatsnew.htm
For info on viruses/worms and hoaxes, see:
- http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
- http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html
If you think the list is down, for goodness sake don't post "test" messages to it; they're useless. If there's a real problem with the list, I'll know about it, so send me a *private* email if you think something's wrong. It's likely that your server or email provider is just experiencing a delay in delivering mail.
List Lag Time: Beware of using terms like "tonight" and "tomorrow" in your postings. The digest goes out at midnight, so if on July 1 you post something like "we're going to X movie tomorrow," digest readers won't get it until July 2 and may show up at the theater on July 3 and be annoyed to not find us there.

So please be specific: "We're going to the Omniplex in Durham for the 7:30pm show of X on Thursday, July 1."

RTSFS Club

When are the next meetings?

Official events are posted on the website as soon as they are scheduled. If you are hosting an event, please specify whether you would like to be mentioned on the calendar. Be sure to include date, location, address, directions, and contact info. Send an extra copy directly to the person maintaining the calendar (currently president <AT> rtsfs <DOT> com).

Hidden Gems of the RTSFS Website:

Club Membership

Meetings are free and open to the public; you don't have to be a card-carrying member to attend. But we'd love it if you did become a card-carrying member, so...

Membership is open to all. Dues are $10/year. Benefits include being able to vote in the yearly elections.

We accept cash, checks and money orders, though we don't recommend sending cash through the mail.

Trinoc-coN

What's this I hear about a local sf convention?

Sorry, too late. Trinoc-con is no more.