The Orchid Forum FAQ
Compiled and Maintained by:
Eve Wallace <evew@indra.com>
This list of Frequently Asked Questions and General Information
will be sent periodically to all subscribers to the Orchid Forum,
and to each new subscriber who joins the list. Please save this
file for future reference.
Please send all additions, corrections and comments about the
FAQ to @Service, Att: FAQ Maintenance.
Or directly to: Eve Wallace evew@indra.com
Orchid is basically an un moderated forum, and we request that
subscribers observe normal Internet etiquette in order to make
Orchid a congenial environment for everyone. Some basic pointers
include:
o Respect and courtesy in addressing other participants.
Absolutely no flaming will be tolerated. While Orchid is un
moderated, flaming will be cause for removal from the list.
o Use of upper and lower case type, i.e. no SHOUTING.
o Keep posts concise and informative, don’t use the list for
personal communication or gossip.
Q: What is the Orchid forum?
A: Orchid is both a reservoir of content and network of active
relationships for the benefit of the gem and jewelry industries.
Through Orhcid, participants may resolve their questions about
virtually any subject relevant to the broad spectrum of
involvements surrounding the gem and jewelry industries. Of
course there exist on the Net a variety of mailing lists that
address certain aspects of these industries, but Orchid is plainly
unique. Conceived and maintained free of charge by jewelers, for
jewelers, both the experienced professional and the beginner -
Orchid is dedicated to the exchange of substantive technical
content, covering the full range of requirements. With
list members from all over the world speaking from a wide range of
technical and aesthetic experiences, this lively forum addresses
questions about every aspect of jewelry making today.
Orchid is more than this however…Orchid is a comprehensive
technical archive, sorted by date, subject and author. Orchid is
also a gallery site where forum members can display their work.
Orchid also has several associated free commercial services, such
as the gemstone classified pages, and the Gem and Jewelry master
board BBS. In short, it’s a connections to a world of resources
for the contemporary crafts jeweler.
Q: How can I subscribe to Orchid?
A: You can do an online subscription now by following the
instructions below, or you can send a polite e-mail request to
@Service, requesting inclusion on the list. Please
include both your e-mail address and your full name.
e-mail: orchid-request@ganoksin.com
Body: subscribe
Q: Is there a charge to join the Orchid forum?
A: No, Orchid is free, maintained by jewelers for the benefit of
other jewelers and crafts people.
Q: My mailbox is limited in size, how can I subscribe to the
Orchid digest?
A:You can do an online subscription now by following the
instructions below, or you can send a polite e-mail request to
@Service, requesting inclusion on the list. Please
include both your e-mail address and your full name. Digest
subscribers, PLEASE NOTE procedures described below for responding
to the list.
e-mail: orchid-digest-request@ganoksin.com
Body: subscribe
Q: How do I post a message to the Orchid open forum?
A: From your e-mail program, send your question or observation to
orchid@ganoskin.com. Your posting will be distributed
automatically to all subscribers.
Q: Do I have to post?
A: No, you do not. Lurk as long as you like, and enjoy the
presented. You may find you have something to
contribute much sooner than you think.
Q: How can I reply to something I read on the forum?
A: From your e-mail program, choose reply. Most programs will set
up an addressed reply format for you, with the original text in
the body of the reply. PLEASE, take the time to pull out the
relevant subject from the original letter and delete the rest,
then compose your reply. (Editing the original post saves
bandwidth, and make it much, much easier for the rest of the list
to follow the discussion.) After composing your reply, send it out
and you’ve joined the discussion.
DIGEST SUBSCRIBERS TAKE NOTE: Your reply procedure is slightly
different. If you choose “reply” on your e-mail program, many
programs will carry the >entire< digest to your letter. Simply
typing in a reply at the bottom and sending it will redistribute
the entire digest to everyone on the list, a massive headache for
all involved. Take the time to copy the relevant material to a
“new” message, and send it to @Service.
Q:How can I research specific subjects that have already been
discussed?
A: Go to the Ganoksin Site at http://www.ganoksin.com and open up
the Orchid forum area. The archives are available in that
section. Both the original full format and digest format archives
can be sorted by subject, by date and by author. You’ll find a
full range of subjects, from making your own tools, charcoal and
solder to computer design applications. (Hint: Log in a bookmark
at the archive page so you can go back there after following a
thread.) Also, check out the articles in the “Tips from the
Jeweler’s Bench” section. If you have a question about some of
the materials or techniques presented, or you can’t find the
reference you are looking for, post a question on Orchid and see
what comes up.
Reference.COM has begun archiving this list as of: Mar. 17, 1997
Searchable archives for the lists are available at:
http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=orchid@ganoksin.com
Q: Can I send attachments to the list?
A: Please do not send attachments to the list without getting
previous approval. It is good Net-practice to describe the file
available in a separate posting, and then send it on privately to
those parties interested. If it is an item of general interest,
files can be uploaded to Ganoksin’s free FTP site, where they can
reach a wider audience. Contact @Service for more
Q: Can I get a list of Orchid’s subscribers?
A: This list is not available at this time. We are doing our best
to respect our subscribers’ privacy and we ask you to respect
that.
Q: I have a terrific product that is bound to be of interest to
everyone on this list. Can I present it on Orchid?
A: As we noted on the list description above, Orchid is primarily
a forum for discussion – a free service maintained by jewelers
for other jewelers. You can certainly mention that you have
products and/or services available should anyone be interested,
but persistent advertisements are not appropriate. However, the
Ganoksin Site (http://www.ganoksin.com) features a free classified
service for gemstone suppliers and the Gem and Jewelry master
board BBS, both free services, as well as a Web page link area.
Take a look at all of these and see which one will work for your
commercial needs.
Q: How can I place my work in the Orchid Gallery?
A: Send photos of your work in JPEG format to the attention of
@Service. Please include some about
yourself and your work. If you do not have a scanner, you may be
able to get your work scanned into format at your local service
bureau. If this is not available to you, one of the Orchid
members, Mr. Dave Stephens, has volunteered to assist with this.
Please contact him at: StephensDesign@opendoor.com, or leave him a
note on his web page -
http://www.opendoor.com/stephensdesign/crystalguy.html
Q: I am going out of town can…can I pause my subscription?
A: You can drop a note to @Service, requesting that
your subscription be suspended. You might also consider changing
your subscription to the digest format…you won’t come back to an
overflowing mailbox, but you won’t miss out on any of the
discussions, either.
Q: I’m swearing off my computer so I can get some jewelry
finished…how do I get off this list?)
A: You can unsubscribe following instructions below. Or You can
send a note to @Service requesting you be dropped from
the list. But switching to digest mode might accomplish the same
boost in productivity.
e-mail: orchid-request@ganoksin.com
Body: unsubscribe
Q: OK, so how do I change my existing subscription to digest
mode?
A: Once again, please drop a line to @Service. Make
sure you include whatever e-mail address you have been using to
receive the forum.
Or, unsubscribe the open forum and send a second e-mail to:
e-mail: orchid--digest-request@ganoksin.com
Body: subscribe
Please save this message for future reference