Amiga Plus 1995 #2/Amiga Plus CD - 1995 - No. 2.iso/internet/faq/englisch/rec.arts.bodyart-netiquette

Text File | 1995-04-11 | 46.8 KB | 1,088 lines

Archive-name: bodyart/netiquette
Last-modified: January 27, 1995
Posting-frequency: Semi-monthly

        --==*-< >-*==--

Welcome to rec.arts.bodyart! We're glad you're here! Please take
a moment to read this file, as it will help you (and other r.a.b.
readers) understand the standard etiquette (netiquette) for this
newsgroup. This file is posted twice a month.

This FAQ, as well as the Tattoo FAQs and Alternative Bodyart FAQ
are all formatted to be html-friendly. That means that most news
readers will allow you to jump to the next subject by pressing ^G
(control-g).

Information provided in this file:
 o What is rec.arts.bodyart?
 o What's new in the FAQs?
 o What types of readers do we have on rec.arts.bodyart?
 o How popular is rec.arts.bodyart?
 o Is there a mailing list, archive site or listserv for this
   group?
 o Where can I get the FAQs?
 o Netiquette on rec.arts.bodyart
 o How to title your message
 o Acronyms and vocabulary
 o Trimming postings to save on bandwidth
 o Related newsgroups
 o Delurking (or "coming out of the cpu")
 o Posting binary files on r.a.b.
 o Posting anonymously on r.a.b.
 o Minors accessing r.a.b.
    -- A word of caution to minors
    -- Advice for concerned parents
    -- Suggestions for working with disapproving parents
 o Getting advice from r.a.b.
 o Advertising on r.a.b.
 o Tootin' our own horn
 o A brief history of r.a.b.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  WHAT IS REC.ARTS.BODYART?

Rec.arts.bodyart (r.a.b.) is an unmoderated Usenet newsgroup for
discussing "bodyart." Bodyart here refers to tattoos, body
pierces, brandings (on humans; not on animals) and cuttings,
although other modifications that involve some *permanent* form
of body alteration for decorative purposes also qualify. While
temporary tattoos and standard jewelry may be discussed here,
they would be discussed in the context of permanent bodyart.

Most importantly, r.a.b. offers a community and sense of
belonging for those interested in bodyart. There are many
regulars on r.a.b. who, through their personalities, serve as
jester, shaman, den mother, baby, etc. etc. Most of all, those on
r.a.b. are living, breathing, ALIVE people who love to celebrate
their bodies through decoration. Welcome!

What makes r.a.b. unique, IMHO, is that it allows lay people to
learn and discuss the topic of bodyart. While there are some
readers who are professionals or shop apprentices, this is one of
the very few open forums in the world where bodyart enthusiasts
can speak openly about the subject. There are *NO* commercial
interests or ulterior motives in r.a.b.

If you would like to discuss bodypainting, please post to
alt.sex.fetish.fashion. The exception to this is the discussion
about henna, which stays on your skin for a long time.

It is STRONGLY recommended to read the various FAQs prior to
posting a query. Your question may already be in the FAQ--in
which case you look like a novice just asking it again.Both the
tattoo and piercing FAQs carry a list of (recommended) shops in
different geographical areas. Check to see if your area is
represented.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  WHAT'S NEW IN THE FAQ?


Upcoming tattoo convention list in the Tattoo FAQ updated. If you
hear of a tattoo convention not on this list, please email me.

A review of Leo Zulueta out of Los Angeles (in the artist list).

The inaugural Lydia Awards recipients list (in this file).

I will also be including a new section in the Alternative Bodyart
FAQ about henna, hair coloring, and other types of temporary
bodyart. While this does not fall under the charter of the group,
queries regarding these topics crop up often enough that they
should at least be addressed in the FAQ. I will continue
including these in the FAQ until there someone directs me to a
more appropriate newsgroup in which to discuss this. Please note
that discussions about body painting should *still* be directed
to alt.sex.fetish.fashion.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: WHAT TYPES OF READERS DO WE HAVE ON REC.ARTS.BODYART?

The majority of r.a.b.ers are related to university institutions,
or to computer jobs or companies. This means that most of its
readers do not fall under the standard old-fashioned stereotypes.
There are very few  "bikers" or "convicts," for example. Many of
the readers are either in college or have already obtained their
degrees. Many are white-collar professionals, including
librarians (such as myself).

While the r.a.b. reader may not represent the general bodyart
population, it just shows that the old biases against tattooed or
pierced people no longer really hold true. The next time you have
your computer upgraded or check out a book, see if you can see a
tattoo or nipple pierce under the person's starched white shirt.

There are, however, some groups associated with certain types of
bodyart. Some pierces (nose, cartilage) may be common among the
younger "grunge" set. Navel pierces are the height of hip for the
trendies. Cuttings have been popular among lesbians, while body
piercing has been popular with the gay/les/bi population. For
this reason, r.a.b. is *very* GLB-friendly.

It is impossible to determine the average age of our readership.
We do have some minors, while many are in college. However, there
are quite a few readers who are in their 30s and 40s, and older.
Basically, age is a non-issue on r.a.b. The fact that our traffic
decreases significantly in the summers means that we probably
have many students.

As far as I am aware, there is currently no known professional
tattoo artist (read: Works full-time and makes a living
tattooing) who posts to r.a.b. regularly, although many have
email access. We also have some tattoo shop apprentices. Remember
that the purpose of this newsgroup is to provide a forum for the
general public, and not specifically for artists. From what has
filtered to me, many tattoo artists *are* aware of r.a.b.'s
existence (many through the help of r.a.b.bits such as
yourselves).

--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: HOW POPULAR IS REC.ARTS.BODYART?

The following statistics are according to Arbitron, as was posted
in the news.lists post: USENET Readership report for July 94:

[Arbitron, in this case, is the name of a program generously
written and run by Brian Reid of Digital Equipment Corporation
<[e-mail]>, and has nothing to do with the TV rating
people.--Allen Leibowitz <[e-mail]>]

Ranked #594 out of #3121 groups.
Estimated # of people worldwide who read the group: .46,000
Actual # of readers in sampled population:..............517
How many sites receive this group at all:................69%
Recent traffic (messages/month):......................1,107
Recent traffic (kilobytes per month):.................    2.2
Crossposting percentage:..................................1%
Cost ratio: $US/month/rdr:................................0.04
Share: % of newsrders who read this group:................1.0%

New feature: A comparison to other related newsgroups:

        +-- Estimated total number of people who read the group, worldwide.
        |     +-- Actual number of readers in sampled population
        |     |     +-- Propagation: how many sites receive this group at all
        |     |     |     +-- Recent traffic (messages per month)
        |     |     |     |     +-- Recent traffic (kilobytes per month)
        |     |     |     |     |     +-- Crossposting percentage
        |     |     |     |     |     |     +-- Cost ratio: $US/month/rdr
        |     |     |     |     |     |     |      +-- Share: % of newsrders
        |     |     |     |     |     |     |      |   who read this group.
        V     V     V     V     V     V     V      V
  20 180000  2373  57%  4722   10.9   5%  0.05   4.8%  alt.sex.bondage
 594  46000   517  69%  1107    2.0   1%  0.04   1.0%
rec.arts.bodyart
1294  20000   460  33%   363    2.2  12%  0.05   0.9%
alt.sex.fetish.fashion


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: IS THERE A MAILING LIST, ARCHIVE SITE OR LISTSERV FOR
         THIS GROUP?

Aside from the FAQs that are archived (see below), there
currently is no other way to access r.a.b. online. There is no
bodyart listserv. Most news sites expire their articles after a
week or two, although some are even shorter than that.

If your site doesn't allow you access to the rec.* usenets, or
you do not have a full Internet gateway, you will not be able to
participate in the discussions. If this is the case, we suggest
you look into private online companies that provide full 'net
access.

The past year has seen an explosive popularity in [add echo here]
<<<"The Internet: The Information Superhighway">>>, with major
carriers such as Delphi, Netcom, America Online, CompuServe and
Prodigy now offering full Internet gateways. If your site does
not allow access to r.a.b., you *do* have some options.

You are STRONGLY URGED to become familiar with the Usenet
environments if you are are new to them.


[The following information provided by Andy "Ozric Tentatcles"
Dwyer.] Those who do not have regular Usenet access may be happy
to know that there is a Gopher site in the UK that gives access
to Usenet News articles as gopher menu choices.  The number of
groups available are fairly wide, but the number of current
articles is not always that great. Still, for those without
direct Usenet access, it can be a way to read a little of r.a.b.
or whichever group. The following is the specific info on the
address, port number and menu level of the Usenet portion of the
gopher server:

#
Type=1
Name=USENET News
Path=1/Usenet
Host=gopher.bham.ac.uk
Port=70
URL: gopher://gopher.bham.ac.uk:70/11/Usenet

--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  WHERE CAN I GET THE FAQS?

This "What is r.a.b." netiquette file is posted semi-monthly
(twice a month) on rec.arts.bodyart, rec.answers and
news.answers. The tattoo FAQs, alternative bodyart FAQ and body
piercing FAQs are posted monthly in r.a.b., news.answers and
rec.answers. If your system doesn't retain posts in r.a.b., check
in news.answers or rec.answers.

If you are reading a printed copy of this, or are reading this in
any format other than in the original posted in rec.arts.bodyart,
news.answers or rec.answers, this may not be the most recent
copy.

Anne "Ardvark" Greenblatt ([e-mail])'s body piercing
FAQs have now been approved for distribution through
news.answers--this means that you will now be able to retrieve
them using the following methods as well.

The FAQs of the rec.arts.bodyart that are retrievable, and the
information provided in each:

 o Welcome & Netiquette FAQ
 o Tattoo FAQ 1/9--Introduction
 o Tattoo FAQ 2/9--Getting a tattoo
 o Tattoo FAQ 3/9--Sanitation
 o Tattoo FAQ 4/9--Conventions
 o Tattoo FAQ 5/9--Artist list
 o Tattoo FAQ 6/9--Care of new tattoos
 o Tattoo FAQ 7/9--General care/removal
 o Tattoo FAQ 8/9--Misc. info
 o Tattoo FAQ 9/9--Bibliography
 o Alternative bodyart FAQ

The following, also available from rtfm.mit.edu, are maintained
by Anne "Ardvark" Greenblatt.:

 o Piercing FAQ 1--Introduction
 o Piercing FAQ 2--Piercings & Jewelry
 o Piercing FAQ 3--Getting a new pierce
 o Piercing FAQ 4--Professional Piercers
 o Piercing FAQ 5--Care of a new pierce
 o Piercing FAQ 6--Problems and hazards
 o Piercing FAQ 7--Healed pierces
 o Piercing FAQ 8--Misc. info
 o Piercing FAQ 9--Resource List


You can retrieve a copy of all FAQs via anonymous ftp from the
MIT FTP server:

  ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/bodyart

The monthly postings now have an expiration date on them that
last a month; we hope your sysops will honor these dates and keep
them in your system for the entire length, until it is replaced
by the next month's posting.

If "ftp" sounds like alphabet soup and it doesn't mean anything
to you, there is another way to retrieve the files. Simply send
an email message to [e-mail], subject ignored,
with the body of your message saying any or all of the following:

     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/netiquette
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/tattoo-faq/part1
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/tattoo-faq/part2
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/tattoo-faq/part3
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/tattoo-faq/part4
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/tattoo-faq/part5
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/tattoo-faq/part6
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/tattoo-faq/part7
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/tattoo-faq/part8
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/tattoo-faq/part9
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/alternative-faq
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/piercing-faq/part1
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/piercing-faq/part2
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/piercing-faq/part3
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/piercing-faq/part4
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/piercing-faq/part5
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/piercing-faq/part6
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/piercing-faq/part7
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/piercing-faq/part8
     send usenet/news.answers/bodyart/piercing-faq/part9

The FAQ files are also accessible over World Wide Web at

  http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/text/faq/usenet/bodyart/top.html

This web archive, maintained by Thomas Fine ([e-mail]-
state.edu), won "the Best of the Net" award from O'Reilly and
Associates. His software updates the archive on a daily basis, so
you can be assured that the latest version of my FAQs will be
available there.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  NETIQUETTE ON REC.ARTS.BODYART

If you are new to usenet newsgroups in general, read
news.announce.newusers for proper net behavior, or "netiquette"
before you consider posting at all. Rec.arts.bodyart is generally
"flame-free" and most "flames" tend to be aimed to specific
people (usually r.a.b. regulars) and are more humorous in nature.
Hate-ridden or ignorant "everyone with tattoos or body pierces
will burn in hell" types of posts should be ignored. NEVER FORGET
THE POWER OF SARCASM AND IRONY. These don't translate well in
this bland world of ascii text--*many* things are said tongue-in-
cheek.

Be prepared to get some nasty email if you:
 -Post an empty message because you don't know what you're
  doing.
 -Post the same message more than once because you don't know
  what you're doing.
 -Do not provide the basic quotes you are responding to (an easy
  error to make using the software from America Online).
 -Post a message in all caps (because caps are usually reserved
  for use with acronyms and for emphasis, when you post with the
  CAPS LOCK key on, it looks like you're screaming).
 -Post a "classified ad" to pick up other people.
 -Post a question that is already answered in the FAQ
  (frequently asked questions) files.
 -Post private email to somebody over the entire newsgroup.
 -Flame someone else on r.a.b. without knowing who the other
  person is (e.g., there may be an inside joke you're not
  familiar with yet).
 -Post something nasty about somebody else who posted on r.a.b.
  (when private email would do just fine)

Be prepared to be heavily flamed if you:
 -Post a commercial message from an .edu address (this violates
  some cardinal Internet rules so this isn't just with r.a.b.).
 -Post a commercial message that has very little relevance to
  r.a.b.
 -Post messages that contain various "isms" (i.e. sexism,
  racism, homophobism, religinism, and otherisms.) because of
  ignorance, stupidity, or malice. Roasted flamebait tastes the
  same regardless of purpose.

There is a lot more useful information available on the usenet
network which is not contained in this FAQ that are available in
the news.announce.newusers newsgroup.

If you have not already done so, you are strongly encouraged to
read these postings before posting any messages. In particular,
the following postings in news.announce.newusers are especially
useful for new users:
        A Primer on How to Work With the Usenet Community
        Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
        Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on Netiquette
        Hints on writing style for Usenet
        Rules for posting to Usenet
        What is Usenet?

If you cannot find these topics in the newsgroup, you can get
copies of them via email by sending a message to
[e-mail] containing any or all of:
send usenet/news.answers/usenet-primer/part1
send usenet/news.answers/usenet-faq/part1
send usenet/news.answers/emily-postnews/part1
send usenet/news.answers/usenet-writing-style/part1
send usenet/news.answers/posting-rules/part1
send usenet/news.answers/what-is-usenet/part1

Other good sources of information on the USENET network are the
newsgroups news.newusers.questions (be sure to read its weekly
FAQ before posting a question yourself), and
news.newusers.announce. Also, news.answers contains most of the
FAQ's posted to each newsgroup, including the rec.arts.bodyart
FAQs.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  HOW TO TITLE YOUR MESSAGE

If you want to post a query (instead of replying to one), try to
be as descriptive as possible in your subject heading. A subject
like "Tattoos" or "Body pierce" don't help readers, since r.a.b.
*is* mostly about tattoos and body pierces. A better heading
might be something like "Need a piercer in Atlanta, Georgia" or
"Infection with eyebrow pierce--help!"


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  ACRONYMS AND VOCABULARY

People save bandwith by using acronyms for oft-used phrases.
There are some terms you may encounter on r.a.b. that you may not
see in the "real" world.

:)       The colon and close-parenthesis characters are used
         to show a smile (tilt your head to the left and read
         sideways. Other smileys include ;) :-) 8-)
AFAIK:   As far as I know
BH:      Butt-Head or Better Half
BTW:     By the way
FAQ:     Frequently Asked Questions. Most newsgroups have FAQ
         files to help lessen the amount of traffic.
FWIW:    For What It's Worth
FYI:     For Your Information
ga:      Short for "gauge", measurement of the thickness of
         jewelry.
IDTS:    I Don't Think So
IMHO:    In my humble opinion
IMNSHO:  In My Not So Humble Opinion
JTYLTK:  Just thought you'd like to know
JTYMLTK: Just thought you might like to know
MOTOS:   Members of the opposite sex, as in soc.motos
MOTSS:   Members of the same sex, as in soc.motss
Ob:      Short for "obligatory." A person who posts something
         remotely related to a newsgroup topic may add "Ob..."
         at the end of their post so they put in an obligatory
         word about the pertinent subject.
OTF:     On The Floor
OTFL:    On The Floor Laughing
OTOH:    On the one hand; or, on the other hand.
PA:      Prince Albert. A pierce through the urethra of a penis.
         For more info on PAs, please refer to the body piercing
         FAQ. There are many terms specifically regarding body
         pierces but this one seems to come up most often.
ROTFL:   Rolling On The Floor Laughing
RTFFAQ:  Read the *friendly* FAQ.
SO:      Significant Other
SSS:     Stainless surgical steel. One of the more inert metals
         used for body pierce jewelry.
TAFN:    That's All For Now
TTFN:    Ta-Ta For Now
TTYL:    Talk To You Later
YMMV:    Your mileage may vary.
Celtic:  A style of tattooing that incorporates the delicate
         knotwork designs of the Celts (pronounced with a hard
         "K" and not a soft "S" as in the basketball team).
Conch:   The "bowl" of your ear.
Flash:   Tattoo designs that you find stapled to the walls of
         tattoo studios. The opposite of this would be a custom
         design you bring in on your own.
Gun:     Either a tattoo gun (modern tattooing machine) or
         piercing gun. In r.a.b., tatoo guns are good, piercing
         guns are B-A-D and are used only for earlobes.
Lurk:    Lurking. Reader of r.a.b. who doesn't post. The act of
         "delurking" involves a reader who posts for the first
         time, or once in a great while.
Niobium: A type of metal that is "electrified" to produce any
         number/combination of rainbow hues. Also an inert metal
         used for body pierce jewelry.
Septum:  The tissue between your nostrils. Site of a pierce.
Squick:  Verb: To gross out, feel revulsion. Alt.sex.bondage has
         been cited as its origin, and comes from the sound made
         when one copulates with the space between the two halves
         of a brain after a hole has been bored into the skull
         (trepanation or trephination).
Tat:     Short for "tattoo"
Tragus:  The knob in the front of your ear. Site of pierces.
Tribal:  A style of tattooing that is sometimes confused with
         Celtic. Sometimes called "blackwork," involves
         geometric primitive designs.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  TRIMMING POSTINGS TO SAVE ON BANDWIDTH

Some people pay for their online time. If you are posting a
response to another person's posting, try to trim down their
quote. This gets worse as people quote upon other people's
quotes, and so on and so forth, until the quotes alone fill up a
few screens. The reader can go back and read the original posting
if s/he wants to. Posting a response to someone else's long
posting, with just a short "I agree entirely!" is a waste of
bandwidth. Refrain from posting something like this unless you
have something more to contribute to the discussion. But if you
MUST, then at least delete the bulk of the quote. Try to indicate
that you are omitting parts of the post by using the mark of
ellipses, etc. (i.e. [...], [extraneous stuff deleted], [snip
snip]).

Please delete other people's signatures. And keep yours to around
four lines or less; this is standard netiquette.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  RELATED NEWSGROUPS

alt.sex.bondage: The 12th highest rate of readers of ALL groups.

alt.sex.fetish.fashion: Discusses topics including latex, rubber,
high heels and corsets. Also a discussion site for temporary body
painting.

soc.bi, alt.sex.motss, and other gender orientation groups.

As a result of these related newsgroups, we get some occasional
cross-postings. If you are posting a response to such a cross-
posted message, please make sure to delete cross-posted
newsgroups should the discussion move to a more specific topic
belonging in one group.

When posting about an inquiry specific to a geographical area,
please be aware of your distribution setting. The default for
many sites is "world." If you want to know about a good artist in
Arkansas, for example, at least limit your post to "usa."


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  DELURKING (OR "COMING OUT OF THE CPU")

As the statistics indicate, there are apparently tens of
thousands of readers of r.a.b. (and at least several hundred that
were actually identified as subscribers). With only an average of
40 posts per day (many by the same people), the number of
"lurkers" who read but don't post, is very high. If you are
"delurking," you can either announce that you are (in which you
might get some sort of unofficial welcome from a regular), or
simply post a message. You don't have to be pierced, inked or
otherwise poked to participate in r.a.b.

If you wish to congratulate a delurker, *please* delete the
majority of their file and trim down their quote.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  HOW COME WE CAN'T POST GIFS ON R.A.B.?

I used to have a short answer here, but after having to
repeatedly defend myself via private email, here is the long of
it:

o Usenet is *not* the same as the Internet. Many people
  (especially overseas like in the UK and France) do not have
  high-speed feeds. Their telephone services are not only highly
  regulated by the government--it is often *run* by the
  government, which has a tight monopoly on connect rates (read:
  expensive). To keep their online costs low, many have a
  download/upload system where every single article from their
  subscribed newsgroups is downloaded into their disk, which they
  then read offline. Posting GIFs would definitely slow them
down,
  and cost them more money.

o If you feel that there is sufficient need for a separate place
  for gifs of bodyart, then feel free to start the process for
the
  creation of one--the guidelines "How to Create A New Newsgroup"
  found in the news.* hierarchy will help you.

o There are already alt.binary.* groups to post bodmod GIFs to.
If
  *your* site doesn't carry alt.binary.* groups, get an account
at
  someplace like Nyx. What I mean is that there is already an
  outlet to post bodmod GIFs to other than on r.a.b.

o And if you don't get alt.binary.* groups at your site, have you
  considered why? Before you yell CENSORSHIP, consider that it's
  because there is simply not enough room on your server's disk!
  Using this same logic, what do you think will happen if we
begin
  posting GIFs to r.a.b.? Your sysadmin might choose to stop
  providing r.a.b. to you!!

Posting GIFs is a sticky topic, in light of copyright issues and
the recent Tennessee online obscenity case.

If you have a problem with it, please go and read the "What is
Usenet?" file from news.answers before you send me private flame
mail. By being noise-less, we have a higher propagation rate to
more sites--the majority want to keep it that way. (BTW, lack of
binaries is one of the reasons _Skin Two_ magazine's Andy MacKay
really likes us.)


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  POSTING ANONYMOUSLY ON R.A.B.

Some people post anonymously to r.a.b. We would like to
discourage the use of anonymous IDs, as we do not consider
bodyart to be shameful or embarrassing. However, if you feel that
the integrity of your personal or professional life would be in
jeopardy should your participation in r.a.b. become known, then
by all means remain anonymous. If you choose to post anonymously,
you will be treated with respect if you are sincere. Those who
abuse their anon IDs by posting undesired messages are not
welcome on r.a.b.

Chris "The Scorpion" Stone <[e-mail]> says:
Some people have to post through the anon.penet.fi site because
they are not allowed to post from their home sites (I really
don't know why some places are like that)... There does exist an
e-mail-> usenet reflecter at U Texas. Also, some others have
net.personas from other groups they wish to keep intact (like
Julian), and they can only post to those other groups through an
anon account for personal reasons.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  MINORS ACCESSING R.A.B.

While rec.arts.bodyart is not in the alt.sex.* hierarchy, there
is a need to address this because of the subjects discussed here.

First, note that in most areas (at least in the US), professional
tattoo artists and body piercers will not allow serve minors.
However, because there is no national law regarding this, each
area has its own regulations. I've tried to add information about
this, but it is still your responsibility to check the laws of
your area.

In addition, because of the subjects covered in r.a.b., we often
discuss specific body parts *explicitly* (the majority of body
pierces are done on the nipples or on the genitalia [of males and
females]).

The fact that we cannot control who reads r.a.b. makes it
impossible to monitor which of our readers are minors who aren't
yet of legal age in their community. In fact, we can't even tell
who the minors are unless they announce this to the newsgroup.
Since teenagers will often do what they want to do, regardless of
what they are told, the general concensus on r.a.b. is that it is
far better to help minors make an *informed* decision about what
to do about their bodies (preferably after they turn 18), rather
than deny information to them.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  A WORD OF CAUTION TO MINORS

Unmoderated Internet usenets are completely open. We cannot
control who participates. Just as you can participate in r.a.b.,
so can opportunistic adults who prey on minors. Although the
numbers are very small, adult pedophiles and child molestors may
be lurking in newsgroups waiting to develop budding friendships
with you. Use some common sense in protecting yourself.
  -Do not give away your home phone number or home address.
  -Do not give people personal information that will help
     them track you down.
  -If a person wants to have a get-together with you, meet in a
     public place and do not go alone (The actual advice is "Go
     with your parent," but that's unrealistic for many).


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  ADVICE FOR CONCERNED PARENTS

If you are a parent, please not be alarmed that your child reads
r.a.b.; it is a good arena in which your child can obtain some
factual information about a subject not readily available. If you
do not want your child to have access to r.a.b., please discuss
this with your child's account system administrator. We cannot
take responsibility for your child's actions.

Please read the above about some of the dangers of going online.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  SUGGESTIONS FOR WORKING WITH DISAPPROVING PARENTS

If you are a minor interested in getting bodyart, and are living
at home with your parents (or guardians), the general advice you
will get from regulars on r.a.b. is as follows:

--If your parents are open to the idea, have them take you to a
good professional person to do the work.

--If your parents are uncooperative due to lack of information,
provide them with some articles currently available in the
mainstream media. Remember--if your parents weren't hippies in
the '60s or they are somewhat sheltered from today's youth and
alternative culture, the idea of contemporary tattoos or body
pierces is a very frightening thought. Just remember that until
about 15 years ago, the concept of men piercing their ears or
women getting two sets of pierces in their earlobes was
considered radical.

--If your parents are against your getting bodyart because they
think you are going to suffer permanently from a passing fad,
come up with a compromise with them. Make sure you pay for it
with your own hard-earned money (not allowance), and wait a while
(six months). While this may seem like an eternity, it may also
be long enough to convince your parents that this is a serious
desire on your part.

--If your parents are dead-set against it, and counter you with
threats (kicking you out of the house, losing financial support
for school/college, being disowned, etc.), then the best thing to
do is to wait until you are at least 18 and out of the house.
Your parents either think you're too young, or consider bodyart
so horrible, that doing it anyway (behind their back) will only
cause more (and serious) problems in your family relationship.
From those with personal experience on r.a.b., the advice is--
"it's not worth the grief--just wait a couple more years."


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  GETTING ADVICE FROM R.A.B.

While r.a.b. offers a forum for discussion, many of the posts are
originated by people who have specific questions. Most on r.a.b.
are not professional tattooists or piercers; their advice usually
comes from personal experience or shared information. If you have
a serious medical concern, you may want to see a medical
professional. The advantage to posting on r.a.b. regarding a
medical inquiry is that there are many here who have already gone
through the same problem, and may be able to suggest a bodyart-
friendly doctor in your area. Don't forget that professional,
experienced tattooists and piercers are also good sources for
queries regarding infections.

If you need to do a school paper on bodyart, your most important
step is to go to the various libraries in your community. I have
done numerous bibliographic searches on tattoos and body pierces,
and have retrieved so many citations from recent media articles
that I can't even list them in the resources FAQ anymore (they
number in the thousands). Basic questions about the history of
tattooing, etc. should be done on your own at the library. Start
with the major encyclopedias.

Before you post a "survey" to r.a.b. for your class paper, please
think very carefully about the validity of such a survey. Unless
you are studying the behavior of bodyart enthusiasts in an
electronic community, you will be obtaining your data from a very
skewed population. DEPENDING ON THE THOROUGHNESS OF YOUR DATA,
YOUR PROFESSOR MAY NOT CONSIDER IT VALID. Remember that regular
readers of r.a.b. see quite a few surveys posted here--most
people are pretty jaded because posters don't follow up by
posting their findings, or make their papers available online via
email to the survey respondents.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  ADVERTISING ON R.A.B.

Are you interested in selling your products or services to
readers of rec.arts.bodyart? Before you post your announcement,
know that there are acceptable alternatives such as ftp (File
Transfer Protocol), World Wide Web and gopher, where people can
visit YOU to read what you have to offer. If you choose not to
follow the proper established ways (and thereby gaining the
respect of readers), you will be treading on very tricky ground.

In light of recent events in Usenets in general, please read this
section carefully if you are a business considering making any
sort of announcements on r.a.b., even if you're "not selling
anything." Remember that businesses that refuse to follow
protocol can garner bad reputations online in a matter of
*hours*.

A. If you have an .edu address, forget it. Don't try to run a
   business on r.a.b. You get your access privileges from an
   educational institution and aren't supposed to be making money
   from your .edu account. Exceptions include if you want to get
   rid of something bodyart-related like your old magazines, or
   you want to announce a special art exhibit on bodyart, etc.

B. While people won't jump down your throat if you post a promo
   from a .com address, make sure it is specific to bodyart. With
   over 6,000 newsgroups, there *will* be a more appropriate one
   to post to if yours is not bodyart specific.

C. While we appreciate your opinions and input as a tattoo artist
   or body piercer, DO NOT POST AN AD FOR YOUR SERVICES HERE. We
   strongly recommend that you put a pointer to your ad in your
   four-line signature. Make your ad or catalog available in your
   .plan or .project file (accessible via a "finger" command by
   others); via Gopher, World Wide Web, anonymous ftp or via
   private email to those who email you for a request.
   NOTE: Shameless referrals to your own business can constitute
         an ad.

D. If you're "offering a service" you think does not constitute
   "selling" something, please use the following checklist:
   __ I would like to make this announcement so more people know
      about the service I'm providing (for a fee).
   __ I plan on spending some time answering people's questions,
      although ultimately, I would suggest a service or product
      I am selling.
   __ My service is so valuable that people will WANT to pay. I
do
      not want to devalue myself by providing it for free.
   __ I have been providing this same service on [CompuServe,
      America Online, Prodigy] for a long time now, and simply
      want to expand into the Internet, the "info superhwy."
   __ I have only been reading r.a.b. for less than a month.

   If you said "yes" to any of these, you are being forewarned
that you will probably receive very spiteful and ugly email (not
to mention public posts) about the inappropriateness of your
behavior. Rec.arts.bodyart is considered "safe space" for its
readers, and is not a haven for advertising products OR services.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: It is one of the easiest ways for you to earn a
bad reputation online. And believe me--word spreads *fast*!!

Buyer beware--We are not responsible for the legitimacy of any ad
posted on r.a.b.

WHAT IF YOU WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR SERVICES OR PRODUCTS?

There are a number of publications that will help you. In
general, announcements pointing to other places may be welcomed
here. These include the announcements of Gopher sites, World Wide
Web pages, or "send email to this address for a catalog" posts.
Anything beyond type this of short announcement may be construed
as the ad itself. Be careful!


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  TOOTIN' OUR OWN HORN

Ever wonder what the rest of the world thinks of us at r.a.b.?
This section contains a bibliography of publications that have
cited rec.arts.bodyart. If *you* catch a mention of r.a.b. in
print that's not mentioned here, please email me at
"[e-mail]". If it is a publication I can't
get a hold of, I will request that you mail or fax me a copy.
Please do not forget to include the entire citation.

--"Fetish On Line", by Andy Mackay, _Skin Two_ magazine, issue
15, page 12, [August 1994]; rates r.a.b. as one of the best
fetish newsgroups. Andy told me:
"I know r.a.b. isn't one of the 'standard' fetish newsgroups but
I wanted to include it in the Skin Two article because it's one
of my favourite newsgroups - it is also (I think) an extremely
good example of what a newsgroup should be. What r.a.b. does, it
does really well - good FAQ, v. little rubbish, helpful replies
to the silliest newbies, no binaries, boy brent etc. etc."



--_Body Play_; (most recent issue--will get citations) article by
assistant editor Liz Henry describes r.a.b. as a comfortable
environment for her in which to learn about bodyart.

--_Wired_ magazine; Netsurf from an issue in December '93
mentions the r.a.b. Tattoo FAQ, retrievable from rtfm.mit.edu.

--_Digit_ newsletter (University of Colorado at Boulder Computing
& Network Services), May/June 1994, vol 29, no 3, p 23-24. The
article, "Lydia, Oh, Lydia: Have you seen Lydia? Lydia, the
tattood (sic) lady." by Bonnie Burton, UCB student, School of
Journalism, discusses r.a.b. in-depth, and uses r.a.b. as an
example for how to read usenets in general.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  A BRIEF HISTORY OF R.A.B.

  [To conserving space, I have hacked Chris' original post,
entitled "Reflections,"--and by doing so, have taken out much of
the emotional impact it had on me initially.]

"Reflections," from Chris Wayne ([e-mail]):

RAB is now over three years old--I never thought it would last
this long. In 1990, I got on a primitives mail-list, which a gay
friend pointed me toward. I wondered why most on the list seemed
to be gay (I am straight and a Christian). I wasn't really sure
what "Modern Primitives" was. While I noticed the ritualistic
aspects, my interests lay more in the actual art of tattooing
(not yet piercing). I do have an open mind and being a tattoo
enthusiast, I guess my friend thought I'd fit in.

I was curious why the GLBs should have all the fun. Why was there
no primitives newsgroup? Karl [MacRae] said there wasn't one
because it would probably open people up to unwanted attacks and
stupidity--but I thought I'd give it a try.

Karl gave me his blessings. In November I called an RFD [Request
For Discussion] (now a CFD [Call For Discussion]) on creating a
new group. What came of the few responses was a name
(rec.arts.bodyart). I wanted it to be apart from the primitives
mail list, which included all the different permutations--with
focus on the actual art and not necessarily the ritual, and
general enough to have a wide appeal still fit into the
philosophy of Modern Primitivism. I was looking for acceptance
and education, to teach people that it's OK to accept those that
are different, and that tattooing is not disgusting. The CFV
produced a close vote, but in March 1991, RAB was created.

At first, those on the prims list were cautious for fear of
getting dumped on--but there hasn't been any of this bashing on
r.a.b. Here's an open forum that doesn't care what your color or
orientation is, or even if you're not tattooed and can share in a
common passion on neutral ground and have no fear of being
bashed. I wanted someplace to hear about all aspects of tattooing
without having to worry about someone harassing the people. I
think that this group is a beacon to the rest of the Internet,
showing that there's nothing sinister or evil in tattooing and
that criminals, queers and bikers aren't the only ones that get
tattoos. Being tattooed does not make the person; getting
tattooed reflects who the person is--good or bad.

Karl, Jeff, Lance, Ray & Barb and many others no longer here,
migrated over from the prims list and became the local experts.
They were willing and capable of answering any question. Mostly,
only those that had tattoos would post questions, but eventually
as word of this group spread, those that were just curious were
reading and posting questions. Interest grew. "Where can I get
tattooed?" "Where can I get pierced?" "What should I look for?"
"How much will it cost?" And of course "Does it hurt?" The
Internet was being introduced to Modern Primitives and being
educated that tattooing is not a fad or trend, but a commitment
(a conscious decision) for life, the courage to be different--to
stand out. Then came Lani and Ardvark and their FAQs, which are
posted on other important, mainstream groups. These FAQs even
help some people along the three steps of acceptance in getting a
tattoo :-)

 1) I never want one!
 2) It looks good on someone else, but I still don't want one.
 3) I want one!

There isn't a session that goes by that I don't see someone
asking about getting their first tattoo or where the nearest shop
is, what questions to ask and what to look for. There are also
RAB socials,  get togethers at conventions, and even a wedding
invitation! There are discussions on why we get tattooed and how
a tattooed person is perceived by the public.

People are now getting tattooed because they're getting more
familiar with this art form, and the fear of an unknown is
removed. Their inhibitions and preconceptions are being changed.
People are understanding what it means to be tattooed. I guess
there are still those that think that getting a tattoo is a fad
or kewl (cool), but that's their problem. If everybody is getting
tattooed--that's not the reason to get tattooed. Everybody eats
and makes love, but that's not the reason we do it. I don't think
anybody would call sex a fad--I believe that getting tattooed
fills a basic need.

If you're a lurker out there that still aren't sure about taking
the 'plunge,' just do it. If you've repressed the urge for years,
just let go. Plan for it first, but do it. It is an experience
not soon forgotten. Probably the best thing to do is to get one
that can easily be covered up, so that you can get used to the
idea of having a tattoo and you can show it off whenever you
want. Then you can decide how to go from there. Many people will
suggest going 'large & bold', but remember, you're the one that
makes the final say. It's a decision that you will be living with
for the rest of your life. Hopefully, it won't be the only such
decision you make for the rest of your life.

Unlike most groups that are for just discussion, RAB is also a
support group with a sense of community. Truly, one can find
Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations in this group.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Subject:  REC.ARTS.BODYART LYDIA AWARDS

We are very happy and proud to announce that the inaugural r.a.b.
Lydia Awards were presented in San Diego, on Friday, October 7th
at Thai Chada Restaurant. The following is the presentation given
by its founder, the eminent Lance Bailey [[e-mail]].

It occurred to me late one night, while lying awake in bed,
'stead of dreaming visions of sugarplums, that something was not
right in *my* particular corner of the universe. You see, Goddess
Inga Nation had just recently posted about how she wonderfully
trashed some poor fool who had told her exactly what they thought
of her bodyart -- a nose pierce i believe (but don't quote me on
that). And I'd noticed that boy brent had been tailing off his
postings with a wonderful, wonderful quote.

So I got to thinking, "The Academy has the Oscars, Broadway has
the Tonys and the telly has the Emmys. People on r.a.b. should be
awarded also...but what to call the awards?

           WELCOME TO THE FIRST ANNUAL LYDIA AWARDS
   ***<<<Lydia, oh lydia, say have you met lydia...>>>***

I was happy and content--but was this too strange an idea? I
bounced it off lani who seemed, MILDLY amused (read: pretty darn
enthusiastic) and we bounced all sorts of ideas and models for
the awards. The founders awards in particular were her idea.

In the future, there will be an official nomination period and
voting, but for this first rushed year (1994) the nominating and
voting committe were combined and reduced down to one -- ME.

So the 1994 awards are as follows:

FOUNDERS AWARD:

 o Chris Wayne
 o Karl MacRae
 o Barbara MacRae
 o Jeff Dauber
 o Ray Shea
     Chris Wayne gets special mention for submitting the original
     Call For Votes on the group, while Karl and Jeff get special
     mention for adding to the general grumpiness of the group

BEST HANDLING OF A RUDE COMMENT AWARD:

 o Goddess Inga Nation for her question: "Did I go out of my way
   tell you I think your shirt is ugly?"

BEST SIGNATURE QUOTE AWARD:

 o boy brent for two of his quotes: "If I follow you home you can
   keep me" and "It's not just a body -- it's an adventure."

YOU OUGHTA BE IN PICTURES AWARD:

 o Lani Teshima-Miller for her cover snap on *Best of Skin Art*
   and pictures in Tattoo Expo

MOST LEXIGRAPHICAL TATTOO AWARD:

 o Janet Ingraham for her alphabet tattoo. [and much apologies
for
   forgetting her lydia at home]

WE ANNOYED LYDIA AWARD:

 o The law firm of Canter and Seigel for using and abusing the
   Internet to their own advantage.

As I said, next year's will have a nomination period. There will
be continuing awards, but the executive (ME) reserves the right
to
create "loaded" categories to ensure that the awards maintain the
correct level of silliness.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
-


Welcome to the wonderful world of rec.arts.bodyart.
"Poke around and think ink!"

            --==*-<*>-*==--

This ends the "What is rec.arts.bodyart?" file.


--
Lani Teshima-Miller ([e-mail]) "Sea Hare"  o/ /_/_/
UH School of Library & Info Studies. "Whatever the cost of our   o|<0_0>------*
libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant      \=^-| |_| |
nation." -Walter Cronkite [R.a.b.bit--FAQ Maintainer: "Think Ink!"]    \_B}\_B}