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To rec.scuba: Official a.b.i.u. FAQ, version 2.0

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JR

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Apr 11, 1998, 3:00:00 AM4/11/98
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To the good people of rec.scuba:

Due to the controversial "Take over the a.b.i.u. newsgroup" posts which have
appeared in rec.scuba, (and been copied into a.b.i.u. by a reader), I think it best
to post the Official ABIU FAQ & Charter Statement here. Let the readers of
rec.scuba form their own opinions. Let there be peace between the two newsgroups.
I say again that your scuba image-posts are very welcome in a.b.i.u.

Regards,
J.R.
a.b.i.u. creator/Admin
--
Note: If you wish me to receive your response to this newsgroup post in private
Email, please be sure to remove the anti-spam extra letters "ny" from the
reply-address. Make it say johnreb (at) erols (dot) com.

-------------<begin paste>---------------

FAQ Version 2.0 for Usenet Newsgroup "alt.binaries.images.underwater"
by J.R. with grateful acknowledgment of assistance from Klaus
Schwamborn

Introduction:
I'm J.R., aka JohnnyReb/johnreb, creator of this newsgroup. That fact
doesn't make me God here. But I did do all the complicated Usenet
research and nuts'n'bolts construction for a.b.i.u., and wrote its
Charter Statement, so I am fairly likely to know what a.b.i.u. is
supposed to be about.

I AM CURRENTLY COMPILING VERSION 2.1 of the a.b.i.u. FAQ, and it
will be posted eventually. Meantime, your comments on the present
version and your suggestions for the next are welcome, and encouraged.

-----------------------------------------------
Here is a.b.i.u.'s original Charter (topic statement), as filed with
Usenet:

Charter: ---from the tentative FAQ--- The theme or Topic of this
newsgroup shall be images portraying "an underwater scene." Only
photographs, paintings, and graphics whose primary subject is shown in
an underwater setting are "on topic" in alt.binaries.images.underwater.
Its title's broadness is deliberate, and indicates inclusion of a
varied range of UW themes and imagery. Some examples: shipwrecks,
non-human sea life (i.e. fish & coral), swimmers & divers (scuba,
snorkelers, free-divers, mermaids, pearl-divers, "hard-hat" divers).
The setting may be an ocean, river, lake, or swimming pool... as long
as the picture's primary subject is seen underwater, the image is
on-topic.
Certain "surface scenes" shall be considered acceptable *if* the
image's subject is seen *semi-submerged* (meaning more in-the-water
than out of it. Some examples: a surface view of a semi-submerged
shipwreck, or divers/snorkelers floating beside their boat or a buoy.

--------------------------------------------
Here's FAQ Version 2.0's startup of the questions-&-answers section:

Q. What is alt.binaries.images.underwater?

A. This is a Special Interest newsgroup which focuses primarily on
images with an underwater theme. This includes photography, art,
and other symbolic representations.

Q. All the pictures I see in a.b.i.u. show females or non-human
sea-life. Where are the pics of UW males? Does this newsgroup
discourage them?

A. Look closer. Several pics of scuba-clad males are usually here.
Oh... you meant male *nudes*, and the wetsuits made the men invisible
to you. Frequent-contributor "jdm" often posts photos of both females
and males, and he includes the FAQ-recommended "F" and/or "M" in the
subject line of his posts so you can find the males. No, this NG does
not discriminate on the basis of gender. What you see posted in
a.b.i.u. is simply a reflection of the personal tastes of its various
image contributors.

The simple fact is, photos or other images portraying UW male nudity
are apparently quite rare (at least on the Internet). This indicates
few have ever been produced by photographers, and any such lack should
not be interpreted as a "bias" against male nudity in this newsgroup.
If you can come up with male-subject equivalents of the "modern
mermaids" of a.b.i.u., feel free to post them.

I've heard that there is a gay website or two with a few UW-male
images, but they show sexual activity and no one has posted them here.
(Remember, a.b.i.u. was not set up under the sex-topic NG-titles
hierarchy in Usenet. Note that .erotica or .fetish or .sex are not
part of a.b.i.u.'s title.) No, there is nothing prohibiting erotic
images in this newsgroup's Charter Statement, and "hot" images do
occasionally appear here ...but we already have
alt.sex.fetish.wet-and-messy for the truly XXX stuff. Please see the
official Charter Statement filed with Usenet during a.b.i.u.'s
creation-process, and some subsequent discussion of it (found below
this Q&A section of the FAQ).


Q. What "underwater" topics are included here?

A. Although the main focus is on people (scuba-divers, snorkelers,
free-divers, swimmers, breathholders, etc.), other subjects such
as fish, coral formations, and sea-scopes are also popular as are
underwater flora and fauna.


Q. What locales are characterized?

A. Wherever an underwater setting can occur. Oceans, seas, lakes,
rivers, and swimming pools.


Q. Does this site only feature underwater images?

A. No. Even though the majority of the contents are based according
to what the site-name suggests (i.e.: images.underwater), other
specific images termed "Topside" and "Semi-Submerged" are also
included. Typical examples would be photography of snorkelers or
divers taken from a boat, or a half submerged shipwreck as seen
from the surface. An artistic painting of a mermaid sitting on a
rock is an excellent example of "Topside".


Q. What "people" images are available other than the scuba-diving and
snorkeling types?

A. The best example of this can be seen when describing Weeki-Watch,
the famous Florida tourist attraction. This is a live underwater
"mermaid" show featuring fish-fin clad ladies in colorful
costumes.
Their routines are choreographed to music against a variety of
spectacular backgrounds.

Another good example of non-scuba related images feature the women
that imitate the well known Ama (or Amah) pearl divers from Japan.

A number of images feature less concealment than would be expected
at some of the more popular diving and scuba related web sites.

Images of underwater ballet and underwater fashion (non-swimsuit)
are also featured in a.b.i.u.. Underwater modeling has gained
popularity over the last few years, and these types of images
feature predominantly along with the "unveiled" categories.

Q. Why is there so little SPAM (off-topic porn advertisements) in
a.b.i.u., compared to other newsgroups where UW images may be
found?

A. As noted in the FAQ itself, a.b.i.u.'s title deliberately does NOT
include the words "sex... fetish... erotica" etc. This newsgroup was
not created as a Sex-topic group. SPAMers use computer search-engines
to hunt for newsgroups with an erotic theme, by locking onto certain
title-words OR frequently-used "erotic" words in the post titles in a
newsgroup. So, a.b.i.u.'s lack of those words in its title and post
headers does not attract (most) SPAMers' attention.

Also, the founder of this group and at least a few dedicated posters
here have a junkyard dog stance about SPAM when it does appear. We
quickly determine a SPAM-poster's *true* ISP (despite the usually-false
e-mail reply-address) from the post's imbedded "Properties" or "Message
Source" information. We then quickly Forward copies of the SPAM back
to his ISP, with vigorous complaints about the pollution of our
scuba-photos newsgroup. (E-mail your complaints to abuse@_______ or
postmaster@_____.) Most Internet Service Providers forbid use of their
facilities for SPAM mailings and postings. We have managed to "kill" a
number of SPAMers this way. Their ISP cancels their user-account after
we complain with the proof. But that takes a.b.i.u.-reader
participation, so your help is greatly appreciated.

PLEASE NOTE: For an ISP to track down their individual user who is
violating the no-spamming clause of their subscriber agreement, the ISP
needs to glean certain technical information from the spammer's post.
If you only submit a Copy or do a "simple" Forwarding of the spam back
to the originating ISP, some of its very important Header information
gets snipped by your mailprogram. Therefore, you MUST click on the
spam post itself, and select your browser's "Forward As An Attachment"
sending option. That way, the offender's ISP gets to see the *full*
Message Source info that is part of the original spam post. (Such as
NNTP Posting Host, and Path, and Xref info, etc.) And don't worry...
FAAA-ing still gives you a place to type in your complaint to the ISP
about spam from their service being sent into our newsgroup for
scuba-divers' photos!

-----------------------------------
"UW Stories" note: I've seen some occasional flame in the group
over
the issue of the appropriateness or topicality of posting x-rated "UW
stories" in a.b.i.u. I have mixed feelings on the "appropriateness"
subject. Both sides in the debate are technically correct in their
position.

ABIU was set up as what Usenet calls a "Binary" newsgroup. What
this means in everyday language is: Binary is a techie term for
certain type of computer data files. This is less complicated than it
might seem. Any file that is not a simple Textfile is a binary file.
Examples of binary files are .jpg (image), .bmp (image), .midi (music),
etc, etc. Usenet rules specify that no binary files are to be posted
into non-binary newsgroups. (If the NG title doesn't say "binaries,"
it is not a binary group.)

The reason for this rule is that binary files are *huge* in size
(and therefore bandwidth consumption) when compared to text (.txt)
files. ISPs and Admins must allot a LOT more disk-space to accommodate
a binary newsgroup than a non-binary NG. Only minimal disk-space is
given to most non-binary groups on your ISP's news-server. Scenario:
lets say a non-binary NG gets one megabyte, which is enough for maybe
400 to 800 text-only posts. Some guy sends just four 200-kilobyte
images into that group, leaving only 20% of the usual space free.
Those four binary-file posts "expire" 80% of the existing text-file
posts ...and that NG's "regular" posters scream bloody murder at the
NewsAdmin. Hence the Usenet rule.

Where this rule seems to be causing confusion in a.b.i.u. is: Some
folks are complaining that story-posts are not binary files, and
therefore out-of-place in a Binary NG. Sorry, you're right but you're
wrong. EVERY post which contains only text is a non-binary file.
Posts which simply make requests or express thanks or opinions are
non-binary files. (This FAQ post itself, though long, is a non-binary
file.) As some of you may have noted, text files take up very little
bandwidth compared to imagefiles. The average imagefile runs 40 to 90
kilobytes (about 800-2000 lines of data), while the average "story"
post requires maybe 5 to 8 kilobytes (100-160 lines). So... Usenet
only forbids putting binary files into non-binary NGs ...NOT the other
way around.

Next question: Are UW-sex stories on-topic in a newsgroup entitled
a.b.images.underwater? Technically, no. The Naysayers who've read the
Charter and FAQ are correct. Quote: "Only photographs, paintings, and
graphics whose primary subject is shown in an underwater setting are
'on topic' in a.b.i.u." While I don't have a personal problem with
stories showing up in a.b.i.u., obviously some very good and valued
folks here do. Other g & v viewers and contributors don't. I'd like
to see additional mature, rational discussion of the issue take place
in the group, with a resulting consensus. If it truly becomes
necessary, I suppose I could get around to creating a non-binary
alt.fan.underwater.pornstories newsgroup someday.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
An early abiu post by "James" raised some important issues and
points. Here is part of what he said:
"Why this newsgroup was created just may surprise me. But then if it
was created for the simple existence of nude women in a swimming pool
pictures, then I'm very disappointed. Those can be posted in the main
erotic newsgroup and be very much on topic. Whereas pictures of a
shipwreck, or some snorkeling pics don't really have a place in too
many newsgroups. I have seen people complain about these being posted.

James continued, saying:
"If the leaving out of the words sex and erotic was merely an attempt
at keeping spam out of the newsgroup, well, that doesn't work. last
time I was in the fat/fat admirers newsgroup (yes there is no mention
of the word binaries there, but they were very much accepted) the
binary spam posts were very abundant. Yes, word gets around and
spammers may look at a newsgroup to see if the waters are just right
for the posting. Believe me, make this an erotic newsgroup in all but
name and the "sharks" will soon smell the blood of the
"one-handed-typists" and they will feed.

JR replied:
Number One and Two of all the reasons why this newsgroup was created
are that the "erotic newsgroups" James mentions have been overwhelmed
by SPAM (off-topic multi-crossposted commercial ads). The NGs which
many aquaphiles formerly used for their underwater images are now over
90% SPAM-porn ads. Also, the remaining 10% of posts seemed to be
mostly wet-T-shirt, quicksand and mud erotica. In communication with a
number of fellow aquaphiles, it was decided that there should be a new,
*strictly-underwater* newsgroup for UW fans.

You will have noticed my preferred selection of the word "images"
for a.b.i.u.'s title. As several commentaries noted during the
Discussion Period of this newsgroup's Usenet-specified creation
process, "images" conveys a classier feel than "pictures." That is
what I intended. Artistic nudity is not pornography. As the Charter's
mention of mermaids clearly indicates, nudity is not "off-topic" in
a.b.i.u.. Underwater *pornography* is actually rather scarce, and I do
not think it will be as much of a problem here as James suspects.
Furthermore, members of this newsgroup tend to quickly run off the
main porn-spammers who show up here, by multiple complaints mailed
to the spammer's ISP (Internet Service Provider). Most ISPs'
subscriber-agreements forbid use of their service to post spam.
Several
a.b.i.u. mega-spammers actually did get bounced by their ISPs when
we reported them. I will continually be re-posting instructions on how
to find a spammer's *true* ISP address, for the complaints. False
e-mail addresses don't help spammers ...if you know where to look. :)

Hans/SDK's magnificent sea-life posts are much appreciated!
Many aquaphiles (including myself) have a strong interest in -and
have already posted- a large number of the non-nude UW subjects
mentioned in the Charter/Topic statement. Posting those beautiful sea
life images, scuba divers, wrecks and etc. is hereby strongly
encouraged, as well as "mermaids" underwater in backyard swimming
pools. I think that most of the nudity which will (inevitably) show up
in a.b.i.u. will be tasteful, and beautiful.
----------------------------------------------

Nonetheless, out of respect for the viewpoints and sensibilities of
James and other viewers... here are the "official" rules/policies.

Rule Number One for a.b.i.u. is (1) Stay
"on-topic!" Meaning, underwater or semi-submerged subjects only.

Rule Number Two for a.b.i.u. image posts:
(2) The title or "header" of image-posts containing nudity should
include that word, or a movie-style rating. C'mon guys, no bitching.
How many keystrokes does it take?
The a.b.i.u. Charter I wrote does technically permit images of
*underwater* sex acts. However, I do feel that "X-rated" UW images
are more appropriate for the erotica/sex TITLED newsgroups (such as
alt.sex.fetish.wet-and-messy) than for this newsgroup.
Speaking of movie-style ratings... for a.b.i.u., I think images
portraying only simple or "mere" nudity should be classified PG, as the
movie industry does. Images with an *overtly* erotic element
(for example, explicit genital "focus") should be rated "R" by the
poster (again, as the movie industry does). Images with sexual
behavior/activity should be "X".
Respected fellow aquaphile & poster FX has suggested that "UW" also
be included in an image-post's Header (meaning title). The
wet-and-messy newsgroups have used a similar strategy (a WAM
title-prefix) to distinguish genuine on-topic posts from the SPAM.
This practice is not often seen (thus far) in a.b.i.u., perhaps because
compared to the WAM groups there is (thus far) not much SPAM showing up
here.
Still, the UW prefix is a good idea for a.b.i.u. So is stating
whether sea-life (only) is portrayed, and the number & gender of the
image's human subjects. So an image-post's title might look like:
G-UW-2F-scuba256.jpg ...or G-SS-wreck-ussrsub.jpg ...or G-UW-sealife-
seafan27.jpg. (Meaning "mere nudity-UnderWater-2 Females" and
"all ages-semisubmerged-shipwreck" or "all ages-UnderWater-fish&coral".

(3) To save bandwidth for ISPs who are gracious enough to carry this
new newsgroup, please try to keep your posted imagefiles under 150-200
kilobytes each. Yeah, it's not "illegal" to post larger files in a
Binary NG...
but let's be polite to the various Admins and the rest of Usenet, okay?

<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>

Again, welcome to alt.binaries.images.underwater. ! :)

JR
a.b.i.u. creator/Admin
---
Don't forget to make my posts' reply-address say "johnreb" (not johnny)
when you want to reply by email. johnreb (at) erols (dot) com


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