As well as general Usenet netiquette (see the introductory posts in
news.announce.newusers) the nz.* groups have their own particular
guidelines for posters. 


Finding the right group
=======================

Check through the list of nz.* groups (see section 1.2) for an idea of
what groups there are and where best to post your article. Avoid  
crossposting if possible and go for the group most specific to your post,
you should only post to nz.general if no other group covers the subject of
your post.


Crossposts & Multiposts
=======================

Avoid these if possible, if you crosspost your message to more than a
four groups or send the same message several time then it will most
likely violate the charter of the group(s) and annoy people. This could
result in the articles being deleted, people posting rude messages 
(flames) to or about you and complaints being made to you Internet Service
Provider (ISP). Depending on your ISP this may result in you losing your
account.

If you *must* crosspost an article you should set the followups to only
one or two groups at maximum. Discussions crossposted to more than a
couple of groups quickly become off-topic for some of them.


Binaries
========

Binaries are forbidden in the nz.* hierarchy. The large number of small
sites that get nz.* groups and high costs of phone calls for many are the
main reason behind this. A single picture can take up more space than a
day's worth of nz.* posts . If you post a binary attachment to your post 
such as a picture, sound, movie orother file you will be violating this rule. 
Most ISPs will filter out the post and complaints may be sent to your ISP.
If you wish to distribute a binary you should use an alt.binaries.* group or 
put it on a Web site.


Commercial posts.
=================

All nz.* groups forbid these being posted. nz.wanted should be used for
non-commercial advertising only.


Test Messages
=============

Don't post test messages to discussion groups, use nz.test instead.
Several sites will send you email letting you know that your post has
reached them (this may take from seconds to a day or so). If you don't
wish to receive email include the word "ignore" in the subject of your
tests.


General Guidelines
==================

* Try to write your posts in clear english, don't forget to use a
  spell-checking program on your post before you send it. 
* Don't use HTML, and format each line to 75 characters
* Be accommodating to other posters, remember that not everybody may share
  your beliefs, experiences or lifestyle.
* Think before you flame someone or post when angry, remember that all
  posts are archived and something you post now can come back to haunt
  you in years time.
* Respond via email if what you have to say is mostly if interest to the
  author of the original post. To that end you should post using your real
  email address.
* Ensure that the newsreader you use generates standard conforming posts
  but remember that others may use newsreaders that lack useful features
  such as killfiles and threading.
* Read a newsgroups for a week or two before you post anything. This helps
  you to get an understanding of the culture of the group. Read the
  charter and FAQ (if it exists) for the group as well.
* Avoid sending messages or posting articles that are no more than
  gratuitous replies to replies.
* Read all of a discussion in progress (thread) before posting replies.
  Avoid posting "Me Too" messages, where content is limited to agreement
  with previous posts. Content of a follow-up post should exceed quoted
  content.
* If you've posted something and don't see it immediately, don't assume
  it's failed and re-post it.
* If you post to a moderated nz.* group remember that it may take a day or
  more before the moderator processes your article.
* Keep your signature file short, about 2-4 lines.  You can use this space
  to tell a little more about yourself, to add witty sayings to your
  articles, or to advertise your web site or business.

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