eading software which will
           let them screen the subject lines and note the length of an
           article before downloading it. Don't set out to write a book,
           but remember: space is cheap, and the one way in which most
           online personals are much better than newspapers is that you
           can take as much space as you need.

           There is no better way to give an impression of who you are and
           what you're like than by taking your time and trying to write
           something that really tells who you are, what you want out of
           life, and what you're looking for. Your writing style will tell
           people a lot about you, too.

           On the other hand you want to try not to be too long either. If
           you ramble too much, or make a huge shopping list of everything
           you want and don't want, you're going to bore people or come
           across as demanding and picky.  It's a fine line to tread; if
           your ad is too short, it doesn't say enough and you're ignored;
           if it's too long, you bore people and are ignored.  So, you
           have to do your best to avoid both extremes.

           If you want a general rule of thumb, aim for a length of 2-5
           screenfuls. But if you want the real rule: write just exactly
           as much as you think you need to say, and not one word more
           than that.

        This applies to postings on Usenet only:

	   If your news reader supports the "Distribution" field, it will
           be helpful if you are looking for people from a specific area
           to limit your post's distribution. Here's some examples of
           valid values for the "Distribution" field:

           Value                          For Distributing To
           -----                          -------------------
           usa                            U.S.A.
           na                             North America
           two-letter state abbreviation  a particular State
           local                          over a very small local area
 
           NOTE: Not all news machines correctly handle distribution
           lines, so it is still possible for articles to "leak" out of
           their target area. As with any feature, you are encouraged to
           check with your local system for the proper use of distribution
           lines as well as legitimate values to specify for the
           distribution area.


 1.7 Q: I have a problem with weight. What do I do about this?

     A: If you are obese, just say so in your ad.  Don't be afraid of
        this. You're preparing yourself and whoever you meet for a letdown
        if you're not blunt on this subject.  If you're fat, just say,
        "Hey, I have a husky build" or "I'm John Goodman sized" or
        something like that. Or just say "I'm fat."  The point is, be
        honest!

        On the other hand, if you find fatness unattractive, you would do
        well to say so directly in your ad.  It may seem cruel to be so
        direct, but in fact you are much more likely to hurt someone much
        worse if they become very attracted to you, and only then find out
        that you are not interested just because they are overweight.
        This will hurt them much worse than anything you can say in your
        ad about how you don't want anyone too heavy.

        We live in a culture that values physical fitness, especially with
        gay men.  But there are a lot, and I mean a whole lot, of people
        out there who genuinely do not care about weight.  There are even
        a good number of pe