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I just felt I had to make a small disclaimer on this topic. For years I have been reading and following rec.woodworking. Since last October I have found that an unusually high number of contributors (mostly newer members) have little or nothing to contribute but insult slinging and off topic posts. Don't misread me - most of the newbies are great! It isn't that I am trying to say, "what you are about to read is all wrong!" Actually what I wanted to indicate is that if you have tried the wreck recently and found that it is not for you, wait a while and the time wasters will either get bored and leave, or see the light and start being contributing members. This happens from time to time. You just have to wait it out. In the meantime, once or twice a week I check in to see if the air has cleared and I will become an active, contributing member again once it has. You just have to be positive and have patience. Happy woodworking! Howard Ruttan
January 23, 2003
Rec.woodworking, also called the wRECk, is a delightful place to meet other woodworkers on the Internet. It is one of the few Internet newsgroups that actually allows one to exist as a member without fear of being severely reprimanded for every little opinion. There are newsgroups out there where you have to act like a complete unfeeling, embittered, narrow-minded grouch (even if you aren't) just to fit in. The wRECk allows you to be your own woodworker and person, and to feel free to discuss wood and woodworking related topics at ease, in a friendly, sociable environment. That is not to say that there aren't off topic posts, but most keep these to a minimum, especially since there is always someone willing to point out when the discussion strays. In short, it is a positive, worthwhile way to spend some time every day.
The nature of the group is a diverse as the topics discussed. There are professional woodworkers, and recreational woodworkers, and people from every walk of life. You have to remember when you get involved that the newbie (someone new to the group) that just announced his presence may have 40 years of experience as a woodworker whereas the person who has been posting away on the wRECk for the last 12 years might have only built 2 or 3 projects in that time. Never underestimate the person you are talking to because time on the wRECk does not equal experience with the subject. Besides, you never know what side of the world they are writing from.
On the other hand, the anonymity of talking over the Internet allows one a certain freedom to be perhaps a bit more outspoken than usual, or take on a somewhat fictional persona. When I began posting to the wRECk in 1995, it was under a different name, and I went to every precaution to protect my real identity. My alternate ego even took on a personality of its own, being somewhat more outspoken than I really am. These days I use my real name and my real e-mail address. I even include my home page URL in my signature, and I act pretty much the way I do in any situation. But remember, the person you are talking to might be operating incognito for one reason or another. Take what everyone else says with a grain of salt, until you get to know them.
If you are a denizen of the wRECk, you may want to stop reading now, because the rest of what I am about to say is directed more at newbies than experienced wRECkers.
What is rec.woodworking? It is a part of Usenet. Usenet is a group of thousands of discussions on electronic bulletin boards that are hosted by servers connected to the Internet, news servers, not web servers. It is much different than web server protocol. The boards are organized into hierarchical groupings, such as alt., rec., etc. There is a different tone of discussion in each, whether formal, or anything goes, or sort of laid back, like rec. implies. Access is usually supplied through your Internet provider or an online news service such as Google. If you use Google, you can read the messages and post through your web browser. Otherwise you will need a news reader program like Outlook or Eudora.
Whatever the case, before you go off posting every question you ever had, there are some things to consider. First, lurk before you leap. Don't post the first couple of weeks. Read what is going on and try to get a feeling of the pulse of the group. Then when you are ready to post, do a search on Google for the question you want to ask. Chances are that it has been asked before and you will get more answers than you thought possible this way. If you are not satisfied, post your question. Remember, you are going to be judged, whether you like it or not, on the quality of your posting. We can't see you , or hear you, or know what you are thinking. Your spelling and grammar are all you have to recommend you. Word your question wisely.
If you respond to the posts of others, you should quote the portion of their post you are responding to. Cut and paste the part you are talking about at the top of your response, then delete the rest. Don't quote too much, it takes too long to read. Don't be afraid to share what you know, but don't make things up to sound knowledgeable. You will get burned. How does that old saying go, 'better to keep quiet and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt'. If you post something meant to poke a little fun at someone else, use smilies (search Google if you don't know) to show you are just kidding. Subtlety, especially when meant to be humorous, doesn't translate well into the written word. A little happy face goes a long way to show you meant is in the spirit of brotherly love and good clean fun.
If the topic does deteriorate to a flame war, don't post flame bait, or words and thoughts intended to make others mad in order to continue the dispute. Flame wars are part of Usenet; in fact sometimes the flame wars are more fun than the rest of the postings. They are only fun for so long so don't let them get out of hand; remember, we are all friends here. However, flame wars are only fun when they happen spontaneously rather than being sparked out of malice or some kind of mischievous intent. Someone who tries to stir up trouble is known as a troll. Trolls are no fun at all, so don't feed them. That is to say, don't make any response whatsoever to a known or suspected troll. They only go away if ignored.
Post no pictures to rec.woodworking. The wRECk is not a binary newsgroup, and some pay by the bandwidth they use. If you want to post pictures, do so at alt.binary.pictures.furniture. That group is designed to include them.
In conclusion, the anonymity of Usenet is very powerful and can lead some to say things in ways they wouldn't normally say them, especially face to face. Don't let the anonymous nature of rec.woodworking get the better of you. Treat others as you would have them treat you, with the courtesy and respect that every human being deserves. And be forgiving; we all put our foot in it sometime. Unfortunately once that send button is pushed, even if you realize you said something stupid, your words are on record forever. So lets cut each other some slack.
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