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Newsgroups: alt.devilbunnies,alt.answers,news.answers
From: [e-mail] (Bill Keyes)
Subject: Alt.Devilbunnies Frequently Asked Questions *** part 3/4
Summary: More of what you never wanted to ask about the Evil that Fluffs(tm)
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Archive-name: devilbunnies-faq/part3
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Last-modified: 2000/01/12

     ***** ALT.DEVILBUNNIES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS *****
                     The Ground Rules for Posting
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Written on March 24 1994.  Updated 11Sep1994, 10Dec1994, 12May1995, 9Jul1995
9Nov1995, 22Jul1997, 19Nov1999, 12Jan2000.

Compiled, written, and edited by Bill Keyes ([e-mail]),
with help from Geoffrey Brent, Greg Rapawy, Steve Jenkins, Benjamin Franz,
Lisa O'Donnell, Susan Franz, and others too numerous to list.  Thanks all.

Alt.devilbunnies is a shared storytelling group, written around the existance
of intelligent, evil bunny rabbits. Only posts that share in this premise are
considered acceptable; full details are in the alt.devilbunnies FAQs, parts 1
and 2. We do not accept any advertising, and prefer to see only posts concerned
with the actions of characters, and (rare) administrative posts, the latter
handled by established writers. Please enjoy the stories, and send the
writers and FAQ keeper lots of praise and money.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     ***** THE GROUND RULES *****

On alt.devilbunnies, we fight imaginary bunny rabbits who kill people and
eat their toes. We fight them using urine and fireman's axes, not F-16
fighter jets or heavy calibre laser pulse-rifles. But let's try and be
specific about what the group does and does not consist of...

1. Ultimate death weapons need not apply.
   Omega weapons that will kill everybunny in a thousand-mile radius are
   no-nos. We try to maintain a sort of status quo, as well. The bunnies win
   one, the Fudds win one, and so it goes. The war should last forever (or at
   least as long as Usenet!).

2. If you play in our sandbox, you need to use our toys.
   Alt.devilbunnies is a group with a long and very strong tradition, a
   mythology of its own, and certain rules (both spoken and unspoken) that are
   followed. It is not an anarchic group. We have an established, strong, and
   logical mythos of our own. There is plenty of room for adaptation and
   creativity, but if you try to bring in your own mythos, or one from a
   different usenet newsgroup, then don't be surprised if you are ignored or
   jeered. If you show an unwillingness to adapt to the established view,
   there's little that anyone can do to stop you. But don't expect the
   established mythology to adapt to you. Along the same lines, there are
   certain things that we simply don't play with on this group. Magic is one,
   along with things like super-powers and psionic abilities. If you aren't
   sure an idea will fly, please email an established writer and ask!

3. This isn't an arms race.
   The war isn't going to be won by those with the biggest guns. It's going
   to be won by the most creative people. We're alt.devilbunnies, not
   alt.fan.tom-clancy! If you feel that your story wouldn't work without a
   Really Big Gun(tm), you may need to take another look at it. Remember:
   fireaxes, supersoakers and the occasional shotgun for the Fudds; claws,
   fangs, and bunnyarmor (when needed) for the bunnies. Also note that, though
   similar in many ways, alt.devilbunnies is not a role-playing game.
   "Play-balance" is not generally an issue; we don't care that your Mega-bunny
   from the 16th Dimension is easy to defeat if you simply dump him in ocean
   water. We want to see you build your character as a person (or fluffer),
   with likes and dislikes, bad habits and close friends... not as a collection
   of statistics and numbers.

4. Don't monkey with other folks' characters w/o their permission.
   We've had this problem in the past on occasion. If you want to run a
   plotline with someone, then email them and ask for permission/input. Keep in
   mind that earth-shattering events by their very nature affect other people's
   characters, whether they are immediately involved or not. If you want to
   write a story where the whole of California is destroyed in an earthquake,
   or Microsoft imposes martial law on the USA, or the bunnies of the world
   suddenly lose their craving for toes, make sure you check with your fellow
   writers first. There aren't many absolutes in the ground rules, but this one
   definitely qualifies. Appendix 1 is a list of most everybody's addresses.
   Write to us and ask for input or invite us to collaborate! We love to hear
   from you!

5. Bunnies versus Fudds.
   Keep the aliens, bears, foxes, ameobas, killer dinosaurs, etc. out of the
   group. We're all about killing Bunnies (or Fudds, if you're a wabbit). Be
   original with your character, but don't go overboard. The premise is that
   there are bunnies trying to take over the world, not that Fairies and
   mutants and time travellers exist. Work within the mythos, even if you think
   you see someone else doing something odd. For example, You may occasionally
   see characters on the group that don't fit this rule, like squirrels, the
   "Four," or the Ferrotti. Alt.dbs is flexible. There are many authors who
   enjoy expanding the limits of the group. However, all of them will be glad
   to tell you that it isn't easy. It's a delicate process, requiring time,
   effort, and a thick skin. New creations will be criticized, and the
   necessity for them will be questioned. We advise you to learn the rules
   before you try to introduce something new -- far too many people try to
   delurk with an innovation that really doesn't fit, and they don't generally
   last that long.

6. What's the fun in playing an unstoppable character?
   Sure, go ahead and make yourself tough and mean. It wouldn't do for
   your character to get killed! But no one likes to see SuperFudds and
   UltraBunnies. Folks who go too far overboard will very likely be ignored.
   Even an "Achilles Heel" that no one knows about is not good. What makes a
   story worth reading very rarely correlates with how good its main character
   is at killing bunnies (or Fudds, if your tastes run in that direction).
   Writers who spend a great deal of time intricately describing the successes
   and failures of their heroes and villains are not generally interested in
   reading about novices who somehow perform superhuman feats of skill with
   little training, no experience, and not much character development. Just
   remember, you don't have to be the best, and sometimes you can be pretty bad
   and still be good.

7. The Codes (Bunix and BunnyStumper) are inviolate.
   Don't crack somebody's coded message. If you are a Bunny, don't reply to a
   Fudd's coded message, and vice versa. Other modes of encryption you may
   see include Tequila and Megiddo, though these are limited to special
   circumstances and not commonly available. Also, codes should be used
   sparingly. If all the messages are encrypted, then there's nothing that
   anyone can respond to. Half the fun is in the banter.

8. Handle With Care!
   As with most groups, alt.devilbunnies has its "danger zones". There are
   certain things that are established parts of alt.dbs that still must be
   handled with utmost caution, because it can be very easy to abuse them; for
   this reason many writers get a little worried when they see newcomers who
   want to play with these concepts straight off. Examples include most Evil
   Bunny Technology (detailed in Appendix 3 of the FAQ) and the Ferrotti
   (detailed in Appendix 5). Until you've been around long enough to have a
   good feel for the group, it's best to leave them be. Besides, such things
   lose their impact if they become too common. When everybody has a suit of
   MorphArmour, suddenly MorphArmour isn't very interesting any more. It isn't
   exotic, it isn't unfamiliar, it isn't rare, it isn't fun. It ceases being a
   threat to the characters and becomes a threat to the mythos itself -- which
   is definitely a bad thing!

9. Follow the rules of Netiquette.
   Netiquette is a simple concept. It simply states that the people
   participating in this newsgroup are what make it worth the effort to read
   and maintain; for this group to function properly those people must be able
   to interact in productive ways. Netiquette is a guide to using this and
   other newsgroups politely, effectively and efficiently. Some of the most
   basic rules include:

   Flame free.
   I don't know how many times it has to be said, but alt.devilbunnies
   is supposed to be a flame-free environment. Sure, Bunnies hate Fudds and
   vice versa, but the banter is friendly. Even if you see what appears to be a
   flame, chances are it's just a volley of banter. The war is what's
   important.

   Private discussions should take place in email.
   If you have a plot to plan, or you want a private word with someone,
   do it via email. If you have a complaint, mail it to them personally, don't
   air out your dirty laundry in front of the whole group. There is a mailing
   list intended to handle discussion between authors about important issues
   affecting alt.dbs. Check Appendix 1 for more details on how to join. Just
   remember this simple rule: Too many alt.dbs [OFF] posts spoil the war.

   Delete all that you can before posting.
   Nobun likes to read 600 lines of text, especially when we've already
   read it ten times before. Delete anything that you aren't directly
   responding to. This includes other's .sigs. Try not to lose the attribution,
   though. You may also consider limiting your line-lengths to 60 characters or
   less, and including "hard" breaks at the end of each line. Some folks still
   read the group on text-based systems, and proper formatting helps! Remember
   the golden rule: KISS, or "Keep It Short, Stupid!" á People have to
   download the whole dang thing, so don't post unnecessary filler, and if you
   must post a .sig it should be no more than 4 lines long. Also consider
   turning off the "SmartText" feature on your Windows editor -- it often
   includes special characters that non-Microsoft systems can't interpret.
   Don't post in HTML, and don't post attachments to this group.

   Ignore Spams, trolls, and flamewars.
   Yes, even alt.devilbunnies, peaceful and friendly fringe group that
   it is, gets these. Your best course would be to ignore them. This works
   equally well for spammers and the folks who try to start multi-group
   flamewars. Above all, don't post a response to the group! This only
   encourages them...

   We're only human! (or bunny...)
   Yes, sad to say it, many of the old timers on this group really
   don't spend as many hours as we should answering posts, and so are often
   rather selective as to which ones we answer. If you are a newbie and you
   don't get an immediate response to your postings, please don't despair! Rest
   assured that we are reading your stuff, and probably enjoying it, but likely
   don't have the time to respond. Keep at it!

10. Read the FAQ!
    It's a masterpiece. Send its creator lots of money. Praise, praise.

11. Be creative!
    The most important. This group is here for fun! Short posts with good jokes,
    long posts with important storylines... One of the most interesting and
    important things about alt.dbs is that it isn't just a storytelling group.
    it's also about character interaction and banter. Alt.devilbunnies is only
    as good as we make it! If you have any questions about these rules, or if
    you just want to see some astute commentary on them, please check out Greg
    Rapawy's Guide for Newcomers on alt.devilbunnies. You'll be glad you did!
    http://www.netway.com/~rapawy/play/devilbunnies/guide/ You might also check
    out the Devilbunny's Dictionary, compiled by Shorthare:
    http://www.mirawebdesign.com/glossary

I think that's about it. If anyone has anything else to add, feel free to
mail it. I'm at [e-mail], for your convenience... =:)

-----------------------------------------------------
"This is alt.devilbunnies. It's little furry bunnies that kill people --
it's imaginative -- it should be light and airy, not whiny and abusive." --
John Chaffey

This document and all information contained within is Copyright (c) 1994 by
Bill Keyes. All rights reserved. It may not be reproduced or reposted by any
means, electronic or otherwise, in part or in whole, without prior
permission from the author.

*  Bill Keyes                 /\     *  [e-mail]         *
*  c////////=================|__|=>  *   Sic semper cuniculis daemoniacis! *
*  Bunny hunter Extreme &   /    \   *    alt.devilbunnies FAQ Keeper      *
*  Independent Fudd        <______>  *     http://www.devilbunnies.org     *