WASH-AT information, instructions, and FAQ
Susan Adams
msadams at u.washington.edu
Wed May 22 10:47:00 PDT 1996
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING WASH-AT
Welcome to the WASH-AT! Now that you are a member of the assistive
technology electronic discussion forum, here are a few notes about the
discussion group, some basic guidelines about posting and some frequently
asked questions. The FAQ will be posted approximately every 30 days.
PLEASE PRINT OR SAVE THIS MESSAGE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. DEFINITION OF AT
2. ABOUT WASH-AT
3. SUBSCRIBING TO WASH-AT
4. SENDING MESSAGES TO THE WASH-AT GROUP
5. HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE LIST
6. WHAT IS LISTPROC AND HOW IT WORKS
7. ON-LINE HELP
8. WASH-AT GUIDELINES
9. TYPICAL POSTINGS
10. WHAT THE FORUM DOES WELL
11. WHAT THE FORUM DOES *NOT* DO WELL
12. WHO RUNS WASH-AT
13. MEMBERSHIP PARTICIPATION
14. POSTAL ADDRESS
1. DEFINITION OF AT
Assistive Technology -- technology for more independent, productive and
enjoyable living -- can be simple or complex. It includes, Velcro,
adapted clothing and toys, computers, seating systems powered mobility,
augmentative communication devices, special switches, assisted listening
devices, visual aids, memory prosthetics, and thousands of other
commercially available or adapted items.
2. ABOUT WASH-AT:
WASH-AT was founded in June, 1995, with the goal of allowing anyone with
an e-mail address to participate in the discussion on the earlier
established USENET newsgroup wash.assistive-tech . This forum was
established as a networking resource for consumers of assistive
technology (AT) and their families, AT professionals, and others
interested in AT in Washington and Pacific Northwest Region. Typical
postings to the group include requests for help in tracking down devices
or services, wanted / for sale a nnouncements, notices of upcoming events,
and employment opportunities.. WASH-AT is an independent entity and not
part of any professional group or organization. The discussion group was
established as a result of the collaborative efforts of University of
Washington Assistive Technology Resource Center and Patricia Dowden,
Ph.D., but the group is not allied with any organization. WASH-AT is
fortunate to have received technical support, publicity, and participation
from the Washington Assistive Technology Alliance, a statewide project
funded by the Department of Education under the Technical Assistance for
Individuals with Disabili ties Act.
3. SUBSCRIBING TO WASH-AT
To subscribe, send the following message to listproc at u.washington.edu: subscribe wash-at <first name last name>. Leave the subject line blank.
For example:
To: listproc at u.washington.edu
Subject:
----------Message Text-----------
subscribe wash-at Bill Clinton
4. SENDING MESSAGES TO THE WASH-AT GROUP:
When you want to "post" a message to WASH-AT whether as a reply to
something you have read on WASH-AT or to introduce a topic for discussion,
you send your message in the usual email way, addressed to:
wash-at at u.washington.edu
If you want to reply only to an individual whose message you read on
WASH-AT and not to the whole WASH-AT group, make sure that only that
individuals e-mail address shows on the appropriate line and that the
WASH-AT address is not included on any other line (for instance the
cc--COPY line).
Any message sent to "wash-at at u.washington.edu" gets distributed to all
wash-at subscribers, AND you receive any messages sent to that address by
other people. You also get back a copy of any message *you* send, which
is a good way to tell whether or not the system is working.
Any messages sent to wash-at at u.washington.edu ALSO gets automatically
posted to a "USENET newsgroup" called "wash.assistive-tech," for those who
are not members of this list.
5. HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE LIST
If you decide that you no longer want to receives message posted to
WASH-AT send an e-mail message to: listproc at u.washington.edu requesting
that your address be dropped from the list. Leave the subject line blank
and in the body of the message type: unsu bscribe <listname><fist name
last name>. This is what the message would look like:
To: listproc at u.washington.edu
Subject:
---------------------message body-------------------------------
unsubscribe wash-at Bill Clinton
The message must be sent from the same address you used to subscribe to
the list. After unsubscribing to the list you will still be able to
participate at the group (to read postings from others and to contribute
yours) via the USENET newsgroup called "w ash.assistive-tech"
6. WHAT IS LISTPROC AND HOW IT WORKS
The list is managed by the "list processor" -- a program running on the
mainframe computer at the University of Washington. The "listproc" (as the
jargon goes) is a kind of a robot that controls many different mailing
lists. It has its own e-mail address (listproc at u.washington.edu), and it
handles all requests for subscribing and unsubscribing. Once you subscribe
you need to address your messages to wash-at at u.washington.edu, not to the
listproc.
7. ON-LINE HELP
We realize that many WASH-AT members are new to electronic mail and that
most are also new to the LISTPROC program. We also remember our own first
days "on-line" and the frustration of not having help at hand. We try to
offer help for members of WASH-AT, but it may take us a while to get back
to you. If you need help with posting a message, replying to message, or
dealing with the listroc computer, please send an e-mail message to
uwat at u.washington.edu and provide a clear description of your problem. We
do appreciate your respect and patience; we will do our best to give
accurate information based on our knowledge and experience.
8. WASH-AT GUIDELINES:
BASIC: All posts must be related to the topic of the list and must offer a
contribution of general interest and application.
GUIDELINES - DOs:
1. Relevance: All posts must be related to the focus
of WASH-AT which is assistive technology
and disability issues.
2. General Interest: Posts should be made for the general benefit of
members. Personal messages,
and those that benefit only one or two people,
should be sent as private messages.
3. Tone: Messages should have a pleasant, collegial, tone.
4. Courtesy: Regardless of the practice on other lists and
newsgroups, courtesy is required on WASH-AT.
5. Clarity: All messages must have a clear subject in the
header.
6. Brevity: Make your posting complete, but concise.
Repostings from other lists, and quotations from
other messages, must be edited before re-posting
on WASH-AT. Old headers, signatures, and other ex-
traneous information must be removed before re-
posting.
7. Problems: Problems with hardware and software should be
addressed to uwat at u.washington.edu
GUIDELINES - DON'Ts
The following kinds of posts are NOT ALLOWED ON WASH-AT:
1. Baiting, goading, insulting, or demeaning messages are not allowed at
all.
2. Personal requests/thanks should be sent as private messages.
3. Questions and requests of limited interest should be posted to other
lists or newsgroups, or to uwat at u.washington.edu.
4. Complaints about other posts should be sent as private messages to the
original sender of the "offending" message.
5. Complaints about WASH-AT should be sent as private messages to the
management at: uwat at u.washington.edu
6. Gossip (such as virus warnings) are inappropriate, unless verified
from the source.
A. WASH-AT is a discussion group focusing on issues concerned with the
assistive technology issues, and we try to keep messages relevant to that
field. Discussing general disability related issues is welcome and
encouraged. WASH-AT is not a suitable forum for personal messages and/or
for-profit advertising and marketing, although BRIEF announcements about
services or products available in Washington State are welcome.
Announcements of meetings relevant to people with disabilities and those
who serve them are welcome as well, as long as they are open to the public
and/or new members are accepted. When deciding whether a posting is
appropriate, try to answer the following question: Could this posting be
of benefit to many or most members of this list? If the a nswer is no, do
not post. If in doubt, please e-mail the list managers at:
uwat at u.washington.edu
B. WASH-AT is as effective as its members make it, so the free
participation of everyone is hoped for and appreciated. Please try to keep
your posting to no more than 2-3 screens. Some WASH-AT members have to
pay for e-mail messages on a per message or even per word basis. Some
members use screen readers to read the message to t hem and the
unnecessary headers and signature boxes (especially those with in-line
graphics and quotations) are very cumbersome. Please be considerate.
Just as it is important to try to share public information with the whole
group, private corresponden ce should remain just that: private. Messages
that _only_ say "thanks" or "I fully agree with you" should be sent as
private. Personal messages do not belong in a public forum.
C. When sending messages to WASH-AT ("posting"), please make sure that
your posting has a clear and descriptive entry on the "Subject:" line of
the header. Some members decide solely based on the subject whether they
will look at the message or not. Subjects such as: "re: you mail" or "re:
forwarded mail" are not at all helpful.
D. If you find something posted on the net objectionable, you have every
right to voice your objections...but not in public. Please express your
complaints in private to the person responsible. If enough complaints are
received, it is unlikely that the "offender" will post those kinds of
things any more. Some mail software packages allow you to screen out mail
from a particular writer, so those messages will not appear in your mail
box. Please check with your service provider whether this option is
available to you.
9. TYPICAL POSTINGS
The forum is not meant to be simply a platform for technical discussions. The forum serves as a networking resource for consumers of assistive technology and their families, AT professionals, and other interested parties throughout Washington. Typical p
ostings to the group include request for help in tracking down devices or services, wanted/for sale ads, notices of upcoming events, and employment opportunities.
10. WHAT THE FORUM DOES WELL
* Questions about local resources, e.g.: "Where can I buy _____ ?" "Where
can I get information on ____ for someone who is _____?" "Who in the
local area knows a lot about ______ ?" "What are some of the local
agencies that might fund a _______?"
* Questions about commonly used products, e.g.: "What are the advantages
and disadvantages of ______?" "How does ____ compare to _____?" "Is _____
compatible with ______?"
* Questions about non-local resources for information, e.g.: "Is there a
national bulletin board or forum to discuss ____?" "My child has ____.
How can I find other parents across the country whose child has the same
diagnosis?"
* Discussion about issues and solutions to common problems: "What are the
Washington State rules about aides in the classroom?" "I have never been
to an IEP meeting before. What should I expect?" "What can a parent do if
he or she disagrees with part of an IEP?" "My sister has ALS and is
having more and more trouble speaking. Is there anything that can help her
communicate?" Or, "I have a disability and I didn't finish high school. Is
there any way I can finish? Also, I don't have a job or any money. How can
I pay for this?"
11. WHAT THE FORUM DOES *NOT* DO WELL:
* Recommendations of equipment for an individual:
Why not? Because AT is more successful when the technology is selected
and customized to fit the individual, rather than the individual
adjusting to fit the technology. Even detailed descriptions here are not
enough information for anyone to make a good, reliable recommendation.
* Step by step guidance through a problem:
Why not? Because the flow of people participating in the discussions
means that responses will rarely come from the same person, and many
people will become uncomfortable if they feel they must respond to a
particular posting simply because they responded once before. If the
problem is this complex, it may be better to seek professional assistance.
* Complaints about local services or vendors
Why not? Because it is far better for you to communicate directly with the
people who have frustrated you. If you have such a strong concern about a
local service provider that you want other families or consumers to avoid
them, it is more productive to write positively about another agency to
steer them in that direction. People find that kind of information more
useful anyway. If you must write something negative, please say it
politely. Rude comments will drive away other network users.
* Urgent needs or problems with uncommon equipment:
Why not? Because responses will not likely to be fast and the local
community is too small to assume that there always will be someone who
knows every piece of equipment no matter how obscure. Instead, contact
the vendor or manufacturer of the equipment.
12. WHO RUNS WASH-AT
Patricia Dowden, Ph.D., Dagmar Amtmann, and Tom Zeiler help with the day-to
day running of WASH-AT.
Although Pat, Dagmar, and Tom manage and maintain WASH-AT, this is an
unmoderated forum , which means that what is posted on the network is not
edited or censored by them or anyone else but the writer. We are committed
to maintaining an uncensored network, or "list".
13. MEMBERSHIP PARTICIPATION:
We seek participation from the members of WASH-AT in the on-line
discussions as well as in making policy about WASH-AT, the setting up and
running of branches, and in publicizing WASH-AT. We would also gladly
provide you with fliers and other necessary information if you would like
to give a presentation on the WASH-AT. Please e-mail your proposals,
comments, notes of appreciation, suggesti ons, and complains to
uwat at u.washington.edu.
14. POSTAL ADDRESS:
You are also invited to share your suggestions, comments, and criticism
(preferably constructive) with us, the list "owners" and managers at any
time:
WASH-AT Discussion Group Management
AT Resource Center
Box 357920
Seattle, WA 98195-7920
uwat at u.washington.edu
END
----------------------------------------------
Susan Adams
University of Washington
Assistive Technology Resource Center
685-4181 Voice
616-1396 TTY
msadams at u.washington.edu
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