The following information is adapted from the documentation for ZMailQ version 1.10 and is Copyright The Mojave Group, 1989.

Echo Mail

For most users, echo mail is the primary reason to hook up to a network BBS. It provides the opportunity to share information with large numbers of callers on other BBS's which may be in other parts of the world. This is a particularly important advantage for those BBS's which do not have large numbers of local callers, or for those subjects in which the interest level on any particular BBS is low.

The concept of echo mail operation is simple. A group of Sysops decides to form a conference on some topic. Each of them sets aside a message area on their BBS's. The Sysops develop a routing scheme between the systems. The routing may include 'passthrough' systems. These are boards that do not carry the echo conference for the users but only pass the messages on to another board. Once this is completed, any message posted on one board is automatically echoed to all the other systems. Functionally, it is as if all the participants were dialing into the same local BBS.

The advantages of echo mail are obvious, but it has a few disadvantages. In most cases, the Sysop pays the telephone charges to obtain echo mail; the routing discussed above is not used for echo mail because of the volume involved. Connecting to other systems to obtain the conferences can be a headache, depending upon how well the local network has organized echo mail. There are delays in response which take some getting used to, and there can be 'too much of a good thing' with active conferences averaging in excess of 100 messages a day.

Echo Mail Etiquette

There are a few simple things you can do to make echo mail more pleasant for everyone. These are common-sense issues but they may not be immediately obvious when you are just getting started with echo mail.

Do not send person-to-person messages using echo mail. If you have a message for Joe Klutz, and no one else is interested in it, then use standard net mail. Even if you mark the message private, every Sysop in the conference will pay to receive it! A message between two sysops across town in New York, received on a BBS in California, isn't likely to win any friends.

Every conference has a subject; don't get too far off of the topic. Most conferences have a moderator who will step in if the topic strays too much. Unless you have been involved in a conference and have a good grasp of its scope, be cautious about starting a new topic.

When you reply to a message in echo mail, mention enough of the previous message so that readers can tell what you are replying to. It is maddening to see someone discussing the merits of a previous message when you can't figure out what the previous message is about. Remember, reply chains in echo mail are imperfect at best and some echo mail processors don't even attempt to reconstruct reply chains.

Also, remember the delay inherent in echo mail. If you post a question, don't expect a response tomorrow. If you reply to a question, realize that many others may be replying at the same time, a flood which will pour in over the next several days.

Flames

The term 'flame' is used within the Net to describe a 'hot' message which disagrees vehemently with some issue. Unfortunately, flames often are attacks on persons, not ideas.

There is no excuse for personal attacks by one individual upon another, yet it happens all the time. When you compose a message, remember that the electronic media does not convey facial expressions or voice tones. This can make it very difficult to convey the real meaning of what you are trying to say.

Flames are contagious. If you see an attack on something you believe in, or on someone you like, it is human nature to want to answer the challenge. Instead, think about whether you really should reply. If you violently disagree with what you just read, a reply may not be the best idea. . . at least not until you have had time to calm down. It is bad form (although altogether too common) to spend more time in the reply discussing personalities than the real issues. Calm reasoning will win over more support than calling your opponent names. Remember, it's not the COMPUTER you are jousting with; there is a real human being out there, with feelings. Sure, the modem does a great job of insulating you, but don't say anything in an electronic message which you would not say face-to-face.

On the other hand, if someone attacks YOUR ideas, don't take it personally. Humor is often the best response to a flame. Remember, everyone has a right to their opinion, and the lack of verbal cues in echo mail makes a disagreement sound like an attack. It is not necessary to respond to each and every message which states an opinion different from your own. There are times when ignoring a message is the right thing to do, even though it is much more difficult than replying to it.