The AAPC FAQ (long post)
Mop
AAPC FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR
ALT.ARTS.POETRY.COMMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks to Dave "ButtonPresser" for the idea and foundation for this
document!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. The Basics: About this newsgroup and what happens here
1. What is AAPC?
2. What does C&C mean?
3. Do you have IRC chats or other scheduled gatherings?
4. Are there any AAPC-related web sites?
5. Are there any published / famous / infamous poets in the group?
6. Do poetry editors read the newsgroup?
7. Might I be offered a book contract by posting my poetry here?
B. Posting your poetry
8. How should I post my poetry?
9. How many poems should I post at a time?
10. What kind of header should I use?
11. Should I introduce myself in my first post?
12. Do I have to have a title for my poem?
13. Do I have to use my real name?
14. Do I have to write a certain kind of poetry?
15. Should I copyright my poems?
16. Can I post a poem in a language other than English?
17. Can I post song lyrics?
18. Are there any subjects that aren't allowed?
19. What if I don't get any comments?
20. Should I respond to the comments I receive?
21. All the replies to my poems are mean (and so on...) Why, and what should
I do?
22. I'm not a good speller / good at grammar / good at punctuation. Can I
still post?
23. I'm just writing for the fun of it and I don't really want any comments.
Can I still post here?
C. Comments and conversations
24. When and how should I comment on other people's posts?
25. Is it OK to email my comments directly to the poet?
26. Can I rewrite someone's poem for them?
27. If someone writes a poem about incest or abuse, should I be worried
about them?
28. Should I quote the entire poem or message I'm responding to in my post?
29. I think all poetry is personal and comes from the heart and soul of the
poet, and it is wrong to criticize it.
30. Can I post someone else's poem for discussion?
31. Can you explain a famous poem to me?
32. Can you help me find a poem?
33. What is considered "off-topic"?
D. Technical issues and miscellaneous
34. My post hasn't shown up yet. What do I do?
35. What can I do about writer's block?
36. What is a troll?
37. What's the best newsreader?
38. What on-line references for writers would you recommend?
A. THE BASICS: ABOUT THIS NEWSGROUP AND WHAT HAPPENS HERE
1. WHAT IS AAPC?
Alt.arts.poetry.comments is a Usenet group of poets who share their work for
comments or critiques. Some poets use the group as a sounding board before
submitting their poem(s) to literary magazines. Most are looking for advice
or help in fine-tuning their writing, developing better images, improving
their use of language, and making sure their writing is clear and enjoyable
to the reader.
2. WHAT DOES C&C MEAN?
Generally, Comments & Critiques (or Criticism). Some writers put this in
the header of their post (i.e. "Lazy Day Poem - C&C Please") to indicate
that they want comments on their poem. However, since the group is devoted
to comments, most posts will receive a reply of some kind even without the
C&C designation.
3. DO YOU HAVE IRC CHATS OR OTHER SCHEDULED GATHERINGS?
Not as of the last revision to this FAQ (March 1999). There is a
semi-official AAPC chat room but it has never been used for a formal AAPC
chat. There has also been some banter about having a picnic in the summer
of 1999, but no volunteer hosts as of yet.
4. ARE THERE ANY AAPC-RELATED WEB SITES?
Many of the poets have their own sites, and most list them in their
signature files or post notices of updates to the newsgroup. Some sites run
by AAPC regulars, and other AAPC-related sites are:
-- Button Presser's poetry, archives of classic AAPC posts, stranding AAPC
poets on desert islands to see who survives, and the original AAPC FAQ:
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~durel/
-- CasualTee's Audio Web Page with .wav files of poetry readings by AAPC
regulars: http://personal.riverusers.com/~kmyon/ourpoems.htm
5. ARE THERE ANY PUBLISHED / FAMOUS / INFAMOUS POETS IN THE GROUP?
Depends on who you ask! The vast majority of the regular participants have
had some of their work published. Some are published widely in anthologies
and well-respected poetry journals. No one has made a million from their
poetry, but we have our suspicions on who will be famous someday.
6. DO POETRY EDITORS READ THE NEWSGROUP?
Some participants are editors of poetry journals, both on-line and print.
Quite possibly there are other editors who "lurk" (read but don't post).
7. MIGHT I BE OFFERED A BOOK CONTRACT BY POSTING MY POETRY HERE?
Not likely. If you are, approach it with caution.
B. POSTING YOUR POETRY
8. HOW SHOULD I POST MY POETRY?
There are no cut-and-dried rules for posting poetry to AAPC. However, there
are a few "don'ts" that are fairly broadly agreed upon:
-- Do not post your poem as an attachment to your message. Most internet
users are aware that dangerous computer viruses can be contained in
Microsoft Word documents, and will ignore .doc attachments. In general, it
is easier on the reader to include the poem in the body of the post;
downloading and opening attachments usually takes too much time.
-- Do not post using HTML. Some newsgroup-reading software cannot handle
HTML posts, and some automatically reject them, so not everyone will see
your post. They also are larger in size and take up more space on the
computer and more bandwidth in transmission. Most software used to read and
post newsgroups allows you to choose between posting as plain text or HTML;
choose the plain text option.
-- Do not attach pictures (binaries, gifs, jpegs, etc.) or sound files
(wavs, midis, mpegs, etc.) to your posts. Again, some news servers will
automatically reject them, so not everyone will see your post.
-- Do not type your poem or message in all capital letters. Using all caps
is universally considered "shouting" in newsgroups and chat rooms.
9. HOW MANY POEMS SHOULD I POST AT A TIME?
While there is no limit to the number of poems you can post at a sitting,
people are most likely to read and respond to your poem if you post no more
than two or three at a time. Also, keep in mind that since there are many
poems posted each day, a shorter work is more likely to receive comments.
10. WHAT KIND OF HEADER SHOULD I USE?
Use the title of the poem, if it has one. If you can't decide on a title,
try a header like: "Need a Title..." to let the reader know you'd appreciate
help with a title. If it is your first poem-post, it is fine to use the
header "First Poem" or "First Post". Do not use headers designed strictly
to get attention, and it is preferable not to use headers that have nothing
to do with your poem.
11. SHOULD I INTRODUCE MYSELF IN MY FIRST POST?
By all means, particularly if you're young or you just recently started
writing poetry. A poem that might be considered promising if written by a
talented beginner or bright kid could well be judged harshly if respondents
assumed it was written by a serious poet with years of experience.
12. DO I HAVE TO HAVE A TITLE FOR MY POEM?
Not necessarily - see #10.
13. DO I HAVE TO USE MY REAL NAME?
Internet handles are okay, many regulars use them. To build familiarity,
stick to the same one, or use your real name.
14. DO I HAVE TO WRITE A CERTAIN KIND OF POETRY?
AAPC has poets who use all forms and styles of poetry. The group includes
but is not limited to free verse, tanka, haiku, sonnet, sestina.... Feel
free to use the poetic form you are most comfortable with, or to post
experiments in forms. There are several poets who are quite knowledgeable
and can help you with the rules of certain poetic forms.
15. SHOULD I COPYRIGHT MY POEMS?
It appears that under current U.S. copyright law, a poem is automatically
copyrighted at the time of creation. Most works posted here are
automatically stored in DejaNews [http://www.dejanews.com] and similar
archives, and that may provide sufficient evidence of provenance in a
lawsuit. It is possible, though, that a formal copyright notice may increase
your rights should you decide to sue.
Copies of the forms for copyrighting poetry, prose and technical articles,
and information on how to fill them out can be found on the Library of
Congress web site: http://www.loc.gov
For information on copyright issues in Canada, go to
http://www.pch.gc.ca/culture/cult_ind/copyfq_e.htm
16. CAN I POST A POEM IN A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH?
There are a few bilingual regulars in the group, but you should not expect a
lot of response if you post in a different language. To improve the chances
of getting feedback, post the poem in both English and the original
language.
17. CAN I POST SONG LYRICS?
While the major focus of this group is lyric poetry, there are no guidelines
that say you can't ask for comments on song lyrics here. It's generally
agreed that the technical criteria for song lyrics are in some respects
different from the criteria for lyric poetry. For example, song lyrics can
be freer rhythmically, because the music provides the beat. We suggest that
if you post the lyrics to a song, you identify it as such; that way you're
less likely to be criticized for the wrong reason.
18. ARE THERE ANY SUBJECTS THAT AREN'T ALLOWED?
This newsgroup is unmoderated, so there is no external censorship of posts.
While few of the works posted here are inappropriate for kids, parents with
young children should be aware that some poems or comments may contain
strong language, explicit sexual references, or other adult material, and
should supervise their children appropriately. If you are posting a poem,
keep in mind that the same topics that are highly controversial in most
social circles will probably receive a similar response here as well.
19. WHAT IF I DON'T GET ANY COMMENTS?
There could be several reasons for the lack of comments. Most likely it is
because the group is following the old rule: "If you can't say nothin' nice,
don't say nothin' at all." The readers might not have understood your poem
or liked it. Sometimes posts are ignored because of too much bad spelling,
grammar or punctuation, which can distract the reader from the content of
the poem and make it frustrating to get through.
Check your post again; look for typos, correct any errors that you find, and
repost it in a few days with the note that it has been revised.
It is an (until now) unspoken rule, though, that it is best to read the
group for a few days, contribute some comments of your own, then post your
poem once people have noticed you and gotten to know you. Many readers are
more comfortable commenting when they've seen you around for awhile and know
that you are interested in what they have to say.
Also, consider the length of your post. Since there are many poems posted
every day, a shorter work is more likely to receive comments.
20. SHOULD I RESPOND TO THE COMMENTS I RECEIVE?
Definitely! Even if you don't agree with the comment, it is a courtesy to
make a brief response to show you appreciated the time taken to read and
reply to your poem. If you repeatedly do not respond to comments on your
work, you may find that readers stop commenting altogether.
21. ALL THE REPLIES TO MY POEM ARE MEAN / EVERYONE IS JUST BASICALLY SAYING
MY POETRY SUCKS / NO ONE EVER SAYS ANYTHING NICE ABOUT MY POETRY. WHY, AND
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
First of all, step back and take a good look at your post. Does it have a
lot of typographical errors, misspellings, bad punctuation or grammar? If
it does, make the corrections and repost with a note that you've cleaned up
the errors.
If there's nothing (to you) obviously wrong with your poem, re-read the
comments. Look behind the words that you felt insulted by. If there are
"mean" words or insults, skip over them and read the rest. Most likely the
reader is challenging you to look at your poem in a different way. Look for
cliches in your poem. Look for words or images that you've used before, or
have read before. Try to find a new way to express yourself in your poem.
Look at the subject matter - has it been written about before? How many
other poems have you read on the same subject? Maybe you are trampling over
old ground and need to try something completely different.
Essentially, keep an open mind. Beginning writers are sometimes taken aback
by the negative tenor of comments on this group. Keep in mind that there are
some very experienced poets here, and that they may be very forthright in
expressing their opinion of what they deem to be an immature work. They
very likely will not be as kindly as a friend, relative or English teacher.
But they will be honest; and if you're serious about improving, their
criticism will very likely set you on the right path.
22. I'M NOT A GOOD SPELLER / GOOD AT GRAMMAR / GOOD AT PUNCTUATION. CAN I
STILL POST?
Spelin Errer
by Jerry H. Jenkins
[originally published in ECHOES Magazine]
The editor read, with his brow in a furrow,
the poem that wrote of a donkey as "burrow".
Rejecting this error of spelling and fact,
he asked if the author would clean up his act.
"OK, OK, so I added a W.
Tell me, O Editor - why should that trouble you?"
Editor's answer made echoes resound:
"You don't know your ass from a hole in the ground."
To answer the question: Yes, but you can expect comments about your skills
or the lack thereof. If you are serious about poetry, invest as much time
as possible in learning those basic writing skills. It can be very
difficult for readers to get past the errors to the message or meaning of
your poem, so you may not receive any constructive comments beyond basic
English pointers. If you have a spelling checker, use it when you post.
23. I'M JUST WRITING FOR THE FUN OF IT AND I DON'T REALLY WANT ANY COMMENTS.
CAN I STILL POST HERE?
Keep in mind that the group was created for comments on poetry, so you will
more than likely receive them whether you want them or not. There are other
poetry-oriented newsgroups where "pleasure reading" has more emphasis than
critique, so you may be more comfortable posting to that sort of group.
C. COMMENTS AND CONVERSATIONS
24. WHEN AND HOW SHOULD I COMMENT ON OTHER PEOPLE'S POSTS?
All posts are open to comments. Feel free to point out what specifically
you liked about the poem: what lines, images, words did you find
particularly interesting or captivating? At the same time, you can also
point out any changes you feel might enhance the poem. If you feel a word
in a certain place is awkward, feel free to comment on it and suggest a
suitable replacement word if you can. It isn't necessary to give a detailed
commentary on each poem, though; in general, the poet will appreciate
knowing you read the poem, so a few words to indicate you read and enjoyed
it are always nice.
25. IS IT OK TO EMAIL MY COMMENTS DIRECTLY TO THE POET?
This is usually a matter of personal preference. If you have become
familiar with the poet through other posts to the newsgroup, it is generally
acceptable. If you do not know the person, they may ignore your email, so
it is preferable to post to the group.
26. CAN I REWRITE SOMEONE'S POEM FOR THEM?
Some poets may appreciate the effort of a rewrite from a fellow poet, but
some may not. Rewriting sections or giving comments on specific lines are
usually the most welcome. If you feel you know the poet well and understand
his or her intent with the poem, you might venture a rewrite; but keep in
mind that the poet may not feel comfortable with someone else "taking over"
their work.
27. IF SOMEONE WRITES A POEM ABOUT INCEST OR ABUSE, SHOULD I BE WORRIED
ABOUT THEM?
A poem is not always about the writer. It may be expressing personal
opinion or observation. Do not jump to the conclusion that the writer is
experiencing / has experienced the situation that is described in the poem.
28. SHOULD I QUOTE THE ENTIRE POEM OR MESSAGE I'M RESPONDING TO IN MY POST?
Many other readers appreciate it when someone quotes the message or poem,
because not all posts show up on all servers all the time. Do try to keep
the volume of quoted material to around 20% of your message. For example,
if you're responding to a long thread (discussion), delete the material that
is not part of what you are responding to. This also helps readers
understand what you are commenting on. As for poems, it's OK to quote the
entire poem, unless it is unusually long, in which case you could quote only
the parts on which you are commenting.
29. I THINK ALL POETRY IS PERSONAL AND COMES FROM THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE
POET, AND IT IS WRONG TO CRITICIZE IT.
Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. However, the group is based
on giving comments on poetry, so even the most personal of poems will
receive comments and /or criticism. If you are only interested in reading
poetry for fun, or only want to post your poems for others to read and
enjoy, there are other newsgroups devoted to that purpose.
30. CAN I POST SOMEONE ELSE'S POEM FOR DISCUSSION?
Yes, but be sure to name the poet, and if it is a published work, the
anthology or book where you found it.
31. WHAT IS CONSIDERED "OFF-TOPIC"?
Poets by their nature seem to enjoy tangents. You'll see a lot of threads
beginning with a poem and going off in a sometimes bizarre, completely
unrelated direction.
By and large, keep your original posts (not part of an existing thread)
limited to your own poetry, or questions about poetry.
32. CAN YOU EXPLAIN A FAMOUS POEM TO ME?
Sometimes; it depends on how you ask and who you are. If you are a regular
contributor, you will most likely receive honest opinions or interpretations
to help you. But don't expect to get a sympathetic response if you're
trying to get out of a homework assignment.
33. CAN YOU HELP ME FIND A POEM?
Again, sometimes. If you are looking for a famous poem, using one of the
major search engines, such as Yahoo (http://www.yahoo.com) or AltaVista
(http://www.altavista.com) is recommended before posting to the group. You
can type in a line or two of the poem, in quotation marks, into the search
field at a search engine web site and usually get results pointing to pages
containing the poem. If you have already tried that at several search
engines with no luck, the group may be able to help you locate a more
obscure poet or reference.
D. TECHNICAL ISSUES AND MISCELLANEOUS
34. MY POST HASN'T SHOWN UP YET. WHAT DO I DO?
Each ISP's news server is different. Your post may not show up immediately,
or even up to five or ten minutes after you sent it. The best thing to do
is wait. If you are really uncertain, go to DejaNews*
(http://www.dejanews.com) and enter the header of your post. If the post is
not archived there, then you can safely assume it did not arrive at its
destination, and you can repost it. Just in case, include a note such as
"This didn't show up on my server, sorry if this is a duplicate" so others
will know you're not "spamming" the newsgroup with your poem.
Keep in mind that there's no central server for newsgroups. Messages are
passed from one server to another in a haphazard way, arriving at different
times and sometimes not at all. Most local ISP's and some national ones have
poor news servers. An ISP with a good server is more likely to propagate
your post widely, and to receive most posts from others. If you routinely
notice that others are responding to posts that you don't see, chances are
some others aren't seeing your posts as well. You may want to choose a new
ISP or get an account on a dedicated news server such as Giganews
(http://www.giganews.com).
*DejaNews notes that it typically takes 1-2 hours for a post to be archived
at their site.
35. WHAT'S THE BEST NEWSREADER?
In the opinion of many regulars, Forte Agent is among the best commercial
newsreaders for most purposes. It can be time consuming and difficult to
learn and set up, though. A pared down, freeware version called Free Agent
is also available. For more information, visit http://www.forteinc.com
Two web-based newsreaders are DejaNews (http://www.dejanews.com) and RemarQ
(http://www.remarq.com). These sites archive messages from their own news
servers, so in most cases they will include more posts than your ISP's
server. Although, some posters specify that their messages not be archived,
so their posts will not appear through a web-based newsreader.
The newsreaders provided with Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape's
Navigator are simple to use with your ISP's news server. If you suspect
that you are not receiving the same posts as other group members, you may
want to subscribe to an independent dedicated news service like Giganews
(http://www.giganews.com).
36. WHAT IS A TROLL? WHAT DO I DO ABOUT THEM?
A troll is an inflammatory, controversial message posted with the intent of
causing an argument or "flame war" (ongoing exchange of insulting,
inflammatory posts). The term also applies to the person making said post.
To check out the psychology of trolls, visit the alt.troll FAQ at
http://angelfire.com/mi/assisonfire/thealt.trollfaq.html
The best response is no response. Trolls are looking to get people riled
up; if you ignore them, they'll usually go away. If a post is particularly
offensive or insulting, you may want to consider taking action with the
poster's ISP. Keep in mind, though, that the "professional" trolls know all
the tricks of hiding their identity over the internet, so you may be in for
a few days of intense research in order to identify them. A detailed guide
to tracking down the sender of a particular email or post can be found at
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/net-abuse-faq/spam-faq/index.html
37. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT WRITER'S BLOCK?
The jury is still out on this one. Probably the best course of action is to
put down the pen for a while and start reading. Absorb the widest variety
of poetry possible; visit the public library and check out the classics, as
well as some modern anthologies. Reading as much poetry as you can will
probably help not only with writer's block, but with your poetry skills as
well.
38. WHAT ON-LINE REFERENCES FOR WRITERS WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?
There's an excellent glossary of poetic terms at:
http://shoga.wwa.com/~rgs/glossary2.html. This site is an education in
itself.
An on-line rhyming dictionary is available at:
http://www.link.cs.cmu.edu/dougb/rhyme-doc.html
Merriam-Webster has an on-line dictionary at: http://www.m-w.com/netdict.htm
Roget's Internet thesaurus is at: http://www.thesaurus.com/
If you're looking for a well-known poem or want to become familiar with a
major poet you haven't read, check out Representative Poetry On-Line at:
http://library.utoronto.ca/www/utel/rp/indexauthors.html
If a poem or phrase doesn't appear there, you may well be able to find it by
searching in Alta Vista: http://www.altavista.com
A searchable edition of Shakespeare's works is available at:
http://www.ipl.org/reading/shakespeare/shakespeare.html
Beginners may want to check out the suggestions for beginning poets at the
Alsop Review: http://www.alsopreview.com/
Back to the AAPC Home Page
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