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Your... for
PHN Pain Relief.
Let's Chat with One Another about PHN!
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PAIN RELIEF COMMUNITY
Welcome to our Google discussion board. We look forward to your contributions and hope you find our PHN community
an enriching experience. Below is information to help you
• Navigate the forum.
• Reply to an ongoing conversation.
• Start a new discussion.
• Suggest a new discussion topic.
If you are a returning member...
Click On the logo to go to the Postherpetic Neuralgia Pain Relief Group
If this is your first time, please read the following. You can access the Forum at the end of this page...
Your group email is... phnpain@googlegroups.com
Description: Individuals who have PHN from Shingles or know someone close to them that has this disease who wish to share information, pain management knowledge and/or knowledge about non addictive pain relief products that work to relieve the pain of PHN.
Group creation: Users can easily create, join, and search email-based mailing lists; administrative interface enables customized access controls to designate a group as public or restricted
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Dynamic conversations: Postings appear within 10 seconds and are indexed within 10 minutes
Enhanced user interface: Users can track and mark favorite topics using the "My Groups" feature and view postings in a variety of ways including by message summary, title, or conversation view.
A few answers to questions you may have about using Google Groups:
How do I post to Google Groups?
To post a message, you must first identify the newsgroup in which you wish to start a discussion or select an article to which you wish to respond.
To start a new thread, click the link that says: "Post new message to the.name.of.a.group". You should see this link when you're one level above the actual articles in the group.
If you wish to respond to a specific post, you must drill down all the way to the message level. Your message will be "threaded" to that message and the others that have preceded it. You can find an article by searching on a given topic and then clicking on the "View Thread" link, or by browsing through a newsgroup and clicking on an article. When you are ready to post, click on the "Post a Follow-up" link below the text of the message to which you wish to reply. Please note that follow-up links only appear on messages that are less than a month old.
Whether you're replying to a message or starting a new thread, the first time you post you will be taken to a registration page. It's required that you register with an email address and password before posting to protect your identity. Follow the instructions for registering. On subsequent visits, simply sign in with your login and password to access the posting form.
If you're new to posting, you may also want to spend a few minutes reading about Usenet posting etiquette. This will help you avoid common mistakes and give you a feel for the do's and don'ts of communicating with a potentially global audience.
Can I remove a message after I post it?
Google will honor requests to remove messages that you have posted yourself (known as nuking a post). You may even be able to do this yourself using our Automatic Removal Tool. Please find the circumstance below that applies to you and follow the instructions there.
Messages posted from your current e-mail address
If the email address you used to post your message(s) is still active, we recommend you use our Automatic Removal Tool. This is the fastest and easiest way to have your posts removed. Note- that in order to use this option, you must be able to send and receive email using the same account from which your messages were originally posted to Usenet.
Messages posted with an e-mail address that is no longer valid
If you would like to request the removal of posts made by you, but the email address from which you posted is no longer valid, you may send an e-mail to groups-support@google.com that contains the following items:
your full name and contact information, including an email address that can be verified;
the complete Google Groups URL (or message ID) for each individual message you would like to have suppressed;
a statement that says "I swear under penalty of civil or criminal laws that I am the person who posted each of the foregoing messages or am authorized to request removal by the person who posted those messages."; and
your signature (electronic).
To prevent articles from being added to the Google Groups archive in the future, add 'X-No-Archive: yes' in the header of the article when you post. If your news posting software does not allow you to edit headers, type 'X-No-Archive: yes' as the first line of your post.
Messages posted by other people
By its very nature, Usenet consists of information posted by many people. Google does not monitor or control the content of this information. Instead, we simply provide access to the public forum in which people post their comments.
Accordingly, if you are concerned about a message that someone has posted, you need to resolve that problem directly with the person who posted it. Except in extreme circumstances, Google will not act upon an individual's request to remove another person's messages. We firmly believe it is not Google's role to resolve disputes among the users who have posted millions of messages on Usenet, nor would it be possible to fulfill that role if we chose to undertake it.
It is Google's policy to respond to notices of alleged infringement that comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in an appropriate manner under such Act and other applicable intellectual property laws, including the removal or disabling of access to material claimed to be the subject of infringing activity. For more information, see their Terms of Service.
I just posted an article and it's not showing up on Google Groups. Why not?
Messages posted to Usenet through Google Groups are typically propagated throughout Usenet within minutes. However, due to the processing time required to make messages fully searchable, your post will not show up on Google Groups immediately. Usually a message begins showing up on Google Groups within 1-4 hours, but due to random fluctuations in web space, the process sometimes takes longer.
I don't want my email address to be published on the web, but I still want to post. How can I hide my email address?
We require a valid email address to post to Google Groups. If you don't want your normal email address to be listed, we encourage you to sign up for an anonymous account with one of the many free email services available on the web and to post from that account. You can find a list of such services by conducting a Google search.
What is the difference between Google Groups and Usenet?
Usenet by Google refers to a distributed computerized bulletin board system begun in 1979 at Duke University. Usenet users can post messages in newsgroups that can be read by anyone with access to the system and special newsreader software. Over the years, the number of newsgroups has grown to the thousands, hosted all over the world and covering every conceivable topic about which humans converse.
Google Groups is the world's most comprehensive archive of postings to Usenet, dating back to 1995. Google Groups eliminates the need for a newsreader and lets you search this archive in the same way you would search HTML pages on the Internet. You can also use Google Groups to post your own comments to a newsgroup.
Can I prevent my message from becoming a permanent part of Google Groups?
By default, any message you post will be accessible to anyone looking at the newsgroup in which you posted it. However, you can always choose to reply directly to a post by email instead of posting a reply within a newsgroup. With email, only the author will see your message. You can also type "X-No-archive: yes" in the first line of your message. Messages containing this command are sent to Usenet and are available to other newsreaders, but will not be saved in most Usenet archives, including Google Groups.
When, What, and How of Posting
Never forget that the person on the other side is human.
Because your interaction is through a computer it is easy to forget that there are people "out there." Situations arise in which emotions erupt into a verbal free-for-all that can lead to hurt feelings. Please remember that people all over the world are reading your words. Do not attack people if you cannot persuade them with your presentation of the facts. If you are upset at something or someone, wait until you have had a chance to calm down and think about it. Try not to say anything to others you would not say to them in person in a room full of people.
Don't assume that a person is speaking for their organization.
Many people who post to Usenet do so from machines at their office or school. Despite that, never assume that the person is speaking for the organization that they are posting their articles from (unless the person explicitly says so). Some people put explicit disclaimers to this effect in their messages, but this is a good general rule. If you find an article offensive, consider taking it up with the person directly, or ignoring it.
Be careful what you say about others.
You read these posts; so do millions of other people. This group quite possibly includes people you know and care about. Information posted on the net can come back to haunt you or the person you are talking about. Think twice before you post personal information about yourself or others. Posting personal information even in the most innocuous groups can be extremely hazardous. If you don't want it known by a large segment of the world's population, don't post it.
Be brief.
Never say in ten words what you can say in fewer. The longer you make your article, the fewer people will bother to read it.
Write well.
Most people on Usenet will know you only by what you say and how well you say it. Take the time to make sure your posting will not embarrass you later. Minimize spelling errors and make sure the article is easy to read and understand. Avoid the temptation to WRITE IN ALL CAPS when you want to make a point. Writing is an art that requires practice. You are your words on Usenet. Choose them carefully.
Use descriptive subject lines.
The subject line enables a person with limited time to decide whether or not to read your article. A title like "Car for Sale" posted to rec.autos doesn't convey as much as "66 MG Midget for sale: Campbell CA". Keep your subjects short and to the point.
Think about your audience.
When you post an article, think about the people you are trying to reach. Asking UNIX questions on rec.autos will not reach as many of the people you want to reach as if you asked them on comp.unix.questions or comp.unix.internals. Try to get the most appropriate audience for your message, not the widest.
It is considered bad form to post to a general interest group like misc.misc, soc.net-people, or misc.wanted and then post the same message to some other, more targeted newsgroup. If it belongs in the targeted newsgroup, it does not belong in the broader one.
If your message is of interest to a limited geographic area (apartments, car sales, meetings, concerts, etc...), restrict the distribution of the message to your local area. Look for newsgroups targeting users interested in your particular geographic region.
Be familiar with the group you are posting to before you post. You shouldn't post to groups you do not read, or post to groups you've only read a few articles from - you may not be familiar with the ongoing conventions and themes of the group. One normally does not join a conversation by just walking up and talking. Instead, listen first and then join in if you have something pertinent to contribute.
Be careful with humor and sarcasm.
Without the voice inflections and body language of personal communications, it is easy for a remark meant to be funny to be misinterpreted. Subtle humor tends to get lost, so take steps to make sure that people realize you are trying to be funny. The net has developed symbols called emoticons to help convey emotions. A common one is :-) for a smiley face (look at it sideways) which should be interpreted as 'this is meant to be funny'.
Be aware that frequently satire is posted without any explicit warnings. If you find an article outrageous, ask yourself if it may be intentionally inflammatory. Don't post a self-righteous rebuttal if you suspect someone is just fishing for users with low humor thresholds.
Only post a message once.
Avoid posting messages to more than one newsgroup unless you are sure it is appropriate. If you do post to multiple newsgroups, do not post to each group separately. Instead, specify all the groups on a single copy of the message. This reduces network overhead and lets people who subscribe to more than one of those groups see the message once instead of having to wade through each copy.
Use mail instead of posting a follow-up.
Frequently, when someone asks a question, many people send out identical answers. This leads to congestion and confusion. It's better to email your answer directly to the poster and suggest they summarize to the network. That way, others only see a single copy of the answer, no matter how many people respond. Just click on the author's name in the article view to launch an email form.
Summarize what you are following up.
When you follow up an existing article, Google Groups includes the full article in quotes, with the cursor at the top of the article. Tempting though it is to just start typing your message, please STOP and do two things first. Look at the quoted text and delete parts that are irrelevant. Then, go to the BOTTOM of the article and start typing there. Doing this makes it much easier for your readers to get through your post. They'll have a reminder of the relevant text before your comment, but won't have to re-read the entire article. And if your reply appears on a site before the original article does, they'll get the gist of what you're talking about.
Cite appropriate references.
If you are using facts to support a cause, state where they came from. Don't take someone else's ideas and use them as your own. You don't want someone pretending that your ideas are theirs; show them the same respect. For example, much of this FAQ was derived from a post that has been widely disseminated across Usenet. You can find that post here.
Mark answers and spoilers.
When you post something that might spoil a surprise for other people (like a movie review that gives away the ending), please mark your message with a warning so that readers can skip the message if they don't want to know that particular detail.
Limit line length and avoid control characters.
Try to keep your lines of text to less than 80 characters for optimal readability. If people quote part of your article in a followup, short lines will show up better. Hitting return when you get to the end of the Google Groups entry form will put a line break after each 80 characters.
Please do not use Usenet as an advertising medium.
Advertisements on Usenet are rarely appreciated. In general, the louder or more inappropriate the ad is, the more antagonism it stirs up. Just think how annoying it is to you to have your evening meal interrupted by a telemarketer. The feeling is the same when someone posts inappropriate commercial messages in a newsgroup. If in doubt, don't do it.
Avoid posting to multiple newsgroups.
Glossary for Your Review
Find definitions below for some of the more common words you'll see while using Google's Group service:
browser...A program which renders HTML code as a nicely composed web page. Netscape and Internet Explorer are examples of browsers for the World Wide Web. They sit on your computer (the "client side") and work in tandem with the computers publishing the HTML pages on the web (the "server side").
cross-post...Cross-posting allows you to post a message simultaneously to several forums , as opposed to posting it repeatedly (once to each forum), causing people to see it multiple times (considered to be bad form). Cross-posting should include a "Follow-up To" line that directs responses to a single follow-up forum. Doing so prevents follow-up messages from being directed to the wrong forums when only one part of the original message is being responded to.
discussion...Also known as a thread, a discussion is a chain of messages on a single topic. To 'follow a thread' is to read a series of messages with a common subject.
discussion forums... Discussion forums are the primary method for group communication on the Internet and include Usenet newsgroups, mailing lists and corporate discussion groups.
emoticon... A symbolic figure "drawn" with letters and punctuation marks and used to indicate an emotional state. Typically, they're best viewed sideways. For example, :-) is used to represent a smiling face. A winking bald guy with a big nose and goatee might be rendered as: ( ;?0.> Just in case you ever need it.
FAQ n [Frequently Asked (or Answered) Question] A compendium of accumulated lore, posted to high-volume forums in an attempt to forestall the perpetual re-asking of the same questions. If you're new to a group, read this before you post and spare yourself the wrath of old-timers.
"flame" is to...
> To post a message intended to insult and provoke.
> To speak incessantly and/or rabidly on some relatively uninteresting subject or with a patently ridiculous attitude. Either of senses 1 or 2, directed with hostility at a particular person or people.
> An instance of flaming. When a discussion degenerates into uninformative ad hominem bickering, cooler heads might inform the participants that "This flame war is a waste of electrons", though this unfortunately is frequently interpreted as inflammatory itself.
forum...Any discussion group accessible through a dial-in bulletin board service, a mailing list, or a newsgroup. Contrast with real-time chat via instant messengering, telephones or personal e-mail.
handle...An electronic pseudonym; a 'nom de guerre' chosen by a user to conceal his or her true identity. Network and bulletin board handles offer the same anonymity and opportunity for misdirection enjoyed by fans of Citizen's Band radio, from which the term was adopted. Use of grandiose handles is characteristic of crackers, weenies and other lower forms of network life; true hackers travel on their own reputations rather than invented legendry.
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)...HTML is the coding language that is the basis for most of the pages displayed on the Worldwide Web. Browsers read this language and render the page with graphics and neatly displayed type. Hypertext refers to the fact that the code allows you to include links from one page to others on the Web. If you'd like to view the HTML source code for a given page while surfing the web, you can select "View Source" in most browsers. A new window will open showing you the code that the browser is reading to display the current page.
mailing list
> An e-mail address that is an alias for many other e-mail addresses. Some mailing lists simply redirect mail sent to them to the list of recipients. Others are filtered by humans or programs of varying degrees of sophistication. Lists filtered by humans are said to be `moderated'. It is often shortened in context to "list."
> The people who receive your e-mail when you send it to such an address.
netiquette [from "network etiquette"]...The conventions of politeness recognized in discussion forums, such as avoidance of cross-posting to inappropriate forums and refraining from commercial pluggery outside the business forums.
newbie... [orig. from British public-school and military slang variant 'new boy'] n A Usenet neophyte. Criteria for being considered a newbie vary wildly; a person can be called a newbie in one forum while remaining a respected regular in another. The label `newbie' is sometimes applied as a serious insult to a person who has been around discussion forums for a long time but who carefully hides all evidence of having a clue.
newsgroup...One of Usenet 's huge collection of topic groups or forums . Newsgroups can be `unmoderated' (anyone can post) or `moderated' (submissions are automatically directed to a moderator, who edits or filters and then posts the results). Some newsgroups have parallel mailing lists for Internet people with no Usenet access, with messages to the forum automatically propagated to the list and vice versa. Some moderated forums are distributed as `digests', with groups of messages periodically collected into a single large message with an index.
newsreader...A browser program which enables a user to read messages posted to forums.
nuke...The practice of removing one's personal posts from a group or number of groups. Click here for more information on how to remove articles from Google's archive. Also, Google supports the 'X-No-archive: yes' header. Google will not archive any posted articles that contain this text in the header. If you think you may later regret what you're about to say, we advise you to take advantage of this option.
post...To broadcast a message to an entire forum (distinguished from e-mail in that it is not sent from one person directly to another).
robot...(Or "crawler", "spider"). A program that automatically explores the Worldwide Web by retrieving a document and then retrieving some or all the documents to which it links, and then repeating the process on each new page it finds.
spam... Although this term is used in general to mean any message that nobody wants, it applies specifically to commercial messages posted across a large number of newsgroups. The label 'spam' applies especially when the post contains nothing of specific interest to the newsgroup participants.
An increasing number of people also receive spam via e-mail. This electronic form of direct mail advertising is more insidious than the traditional (snail mail) form because there is virtually no cost to the advertiser. For some people, being buried under hundreds of spam messages each day has become all-too-real and problematic.
thread...Common abbreviation of `topic thread', a more or less continuous chain of messages on a single topic. To `follow a thread' is to read a series of forum messages sharing a common subject or (more correctly) which are connected by reference headers.
URL [Uniform Resource Locator]...An Internet address that a browser recognizes as the computer location for a particular web page or other file.
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