0. List and Site Administration

Q: How do I subscribe/unsubscribe to/from the F-Body mailing list?

A: There are three main F-Body mailing lists. One for 1st and 2nd generations (1967 - 1981), one for 3rd generations (1982 - 1992), and one for fourth generations (1993 - present). You are free to subscribe any list(s).

Subscribe to the 1st/2nd Gen list by sending e-mail to majordomo@bb-elec.com with the following line as the body (NOT the subject) of your message:

      subscribe f-body-classic your_email_address_here

If you'd rather receive a digest of all the messages (a concatenated list of the individual messages sent out periodically throughout the day), then send e-mail to that same address, but use the following line in the body (NOT the subject) of your message:

      subscribe f-body-classic-digest your_email_address_here

Subscribe to the 3rd Gen list by sending e-mail to majordomo@f-body.org with the following line as the body (NOT the subject) of your message:

      subscribe third-gen your_email_address_here

If you'd rather receive a digest of all the messages (a concatenated list of the individual messages sent out periodically throughout the day), then send e-mail to that same address, but use the following line in the body (NOT the subject) of your message:

      subscribe third-gen-digest your_email_address_here

Subscribe to the 4th Gen list by sending e-mail to majordomo@f-body.org with the following line as the body (NOT the subject) of your message:

      subscribe fourth-gen your_email_address_here

If you'd rather receive a digest of all the messages (a concatenated list of the individual messages sent out periodically throughout the day), then send e-mail to that same address, but use the following line in the body (NOT the subject) of your message:

      subscribe fourth-gen-digest your_email_address_here

Once your subscription is submitted, you'll receive e-mail confirming your request. If you're subscribing to the 1st/2nd Gen list, your subscription will take effect upon your receipt of the confirmation message. However, if you're subscribing to the 3rd or 4th Gen list, the confirmation message will also contain an authorization code. You must send this code back to majordomo@f-body.org (per the instructions in the confirm message) in order for your subscription to take effect. The reason for this is to cut down on the number of bad e-mail addresses that try to subscribe to the list.

If you're already on one of the lists and want to be removed, use the word unsubscribe instead of subscribe as instructed above. DO NOT send any other type of mail to these addresses.

AOL users, rather than subscribing to the lists, please use the local AOL list-echoer as all messages are mirrored there.

Q: Why are there separate mailing lists for each generation?

A: While there are certain similarities between generations, the high volume of subscribers and messages pertaining to only one generation necessitate the need for separation of the lists. Plus most subscribers only own one given F-Body generation and don't want to read mail pertaining to other generations. If your interest lies in more than one generation, then subscribe to more than one list.

Q: How do I post a message to the mailing lists?

A: Send 1st/2nd Gen e-mail to f-body-classic@bb-elec.com and 3rd Gen e-mail to third-gen@f-body.org and 4th Gen e-mail to fourth-gen@f-body.org. If your message pertains to more than one generation, then send it to those lists which it pertains to. But remember you must be a subscriber to a list in order to post a message to it.

Please DO NOT send subscription requests to these addresses. All messages on list administration issues should be sent to f-body-owner@f-body.org or f-body-classic-owner@bb-elec.com (dependin on the list).

NEVER send messages directly to the digests (third-gen-digest@f-body.org, fourth-gen-digest@f-body.org, and f-body-classic-digest@bb-elec.com) as the instant people won't see it.

Q: Why won't anyone answer my question?

A: Many times, even though people know the answer to a question, the hold off answering as they think someone else will post the answer. Or people may just not be sure of the answer and will refrain from posting so as not to provide wrong or inaccurate info. Also questions which are answered in this FAQ usually don't get answered because the answers are here. That's why you should check the FAQ first.

It can be frustrating when you don't get an answer to your question. So if you've checked the FAQ and have already asked, but got no answer, be patient and ask again in a polite manner stating that you received no replies on the first attempt. At that point, people will usually offer answers that are at least good guesses. Being nasty about not getting answer the first time will ensure you don't get answer the second time either.

Q: Will I be unsubscribed without knowing it?

A: It's possible. The list administrators are kindly lending their resources (time and computational power) to administering the lists. A mail ID which cannot be found when a message is sent out (it "bounces") will probably be unsubscribed. Also, some internet service providers limit the amount of mail in a person mailbox. Those messages which don't fit, get bounced back to the list. If this happens, the offending mailbox will be unsubscribed. It's the only way to keep the lists from being an adminstrative nightmare. Over 500 people subscribe to the lists and you can't keep track of everyone. Also, avoid posting non-F-Body messages to the lists as it can upset current subscribers and the administrators. For messages unrelated to F-Bodies, use the "NC" mailing list instead (see below).

Q: Can I find out if a specific person (e-mail address) is subscribed?

A: Yes. Send e-mail to majordomo@f-body.org (or majordomo@bb-elec.com) with the following line as the body (NOT the subject) of your message:

      which mail_string_here

You can use this method to determine if your own address is subscribed to the list.

Q: Are there any guidelines to posting messages on the mailing lists?

A: Yes. When you subscribe to a list you will receive the guidelines. Please abide by them.

Q: What about advertising products on the lists?

A: This is an extremely touchy situation. While information sharing is the purpose of this list, many advertisements can be more than annoying. Ads should be posted at the user's discretion. Be advised that sensationalized or repetitious ads will be subject to flames from other members of the F-Body list. Here are some guidelines:

• It's OK to mention a product particularly when it contributes to a discussion at hand, but DO NOT play it up as a "Cure-All" solution.
• If you started using a product and would like to share the results with the rest of the list, that's fine. Just don't sensationalize it, even if you think it is the "greatest thing since sliced bread."
• Don't bore people with information. One or two sentences about the product should be sufficient. Tell people who they can PRIVATELY contact if they desire more details, prices, or other information. If there is enough public interest for more information, then post it to the list at your own discretion.
• Post the ad only to the mailing list which would be interested in the product(s). For example, most 1st/2nd Gen list members don't care about throttle bodies and high pressure fuel injectors. And if they do, then they're likely subscribed to the 3rd or 4th Gen list as well.
• Ads which peddle products for your sole, personal, monetary profit should be limited to posting ONCE A YEAR. If you don't feel that's sufficient, then send your ad to the FAQ keepers for placement in the "Classified Ads" section of the FAQ. However, all ads must still abide by the above rules.

A: Previous 3rd and 4th Gen digests reside at ftp.f-body.org in the directory /pub/digest-archives using filenames like v96_n####.gz (where #### is the number of the digest). These files are G-Zipped (similar to PK-Zip) and Tar'ed. PC versions of GZIP and TAR are in the /pub/software directory.

Previous 1st/2nd Gen digests reside at rs232.bb-elec.com in /f-body-classic-digest.archive/ using filenames like v96.n#### (where #### is the number of the digest). These are regular text files and don't require unzipping.

Digests are kept for a few months and then purged by the administrators. If you are looking for something older, try sending a message to the mailing list as some members keep their own mail archives which are not available via FTP.

Q: Are there any regional mailing lists?

A: Yes. The discussions on these lists center around local gatherings and events. Regional mailing lists exist for the following areas/states:

• Atlanta
• Austin
• Bay Area
• Chicagoland
• Eastern Seaboard
• Florida
• Great Lakes
• Midwest
• New England
• Northwest
• Ohio Valley
• Southern California
• Texas

      subscribe XX-f-body your_email_address_here

But instead of 'XX', use one of the following depending on which area you want to subscribe to:

• 'atl' = Atlanta
• 'austin' = Austin
• 'ba' = Bay Area
• 'cl' = Chicagoland
• 'es' = Eastern Seaboard
• 'fl' = Florida
• 'gl' = Great Lakes
• 'mw' = Midwest
• 'ne' = New England
• 'nw' = Northwest
• 'oh' = Ohio Valley
• 'sc' = Southern California
• 'tx' = Texas

As with the regular mailing list, once your subscription is submitted, you will receive e-mail confirming your request. The confirmation message will also contain an authorization code. You must send this code back to majordomo@f-body.org (per the instructions in the confirm message) in order for your subscription to take effect. The reason for this is to cut down on the number of bad e-mail addresses that try to subscribe to the list.

To unsubscribe, use the word unsubscribe instead of subscribe as shown in the instructions above.

Q: What is the purpose of the "NC" mailing list?

A: "NC" stands for nonsensical crap. This list was spawned off of the main mailing lists when non-F-Body messages started becoming a nuisance. Since list member interests extend beyond that of cars (like computers, PCs, etc), the NC list provides a forum for such discussions. As with the other lists, send an e-mail to majordomo@f-body.org with the following line as the body (NOT the subject) of your message:

      subscribe nc-f-body your_email_address_here

After subscribing, send your e-mail message to nc-f-body@f-body.org. Note that there's no digest versions of the NC list, only instant mail.

To unsubscribe, use the word unsubscribe instead of subscribe as shown in the instructions above.

Q: What is the purpose of the "GP" mailing list?

A: "GP" stands for Group Purchase. This list was spawned off of the main mailing lists when group purchase messages started becoming too much. All group purchases will be announced to main lists, but subsequent discussions will take place on the Group Purchase (GP) list. As with the other lists, send an e-mail to majordomo@f-body.org with the following line as the body (NOT the subject) of your message:

      subscribe gp-f-body your_email_address_here

After subscribing, send your e-mail message to gp-f-body@f-body.org. Note that there's no digest versions of the GP list, only instant mail.

To unsubscribe, use the word unsubscribe instead of subscribe as shown in the instructions above.

Q: How do I access the F-Body FTP site?

A: FTP to ftp.f-body.org and login as anonymous. Enter your email_address for the the password. Pictures are in the /pub/pix directory and old digests are in the /pub/digest-archives directory. The FAQ, Technical Reference Guide, and The Best Of the F-List are in the /pub/docs directory. For more info, contact Rob Glover (rob@f-body.org).

Q: How can I add information/pictures to the site?

A: Put all new files in the /incoming directory and Rob Glover will move them to the appropriate subdirectories.

Q: How do I access the F-Body WWW site (homepage)?

A: The Official Web Site of the F-Body Mailing Lists is http://www.f-body.org/ and is maintained by Rob Glover (rob@f-body.org).

Q: How can I add information/pictures to the site?

A: Contact Rob Glover (rob@f-body.org).

Q: How do I access the F-Body Internet Relay Channel (IRC)?

A: Using your IRC chat utility, login into irc.f-body.net. Then just join the #f-bodies channel. If dal.net is busy, then try zen.ucdavis.edu on the same channel.

Q: When do the discussions usually occur?

A: Every Wednesday night at 9:00 PM (EST/EDT).