PPML FAQ
1. About the PPML
| 1.1 | What IS the Paisley Park Mailing List? |
The PPML (Paisley Park Mailing List) is a forum for discussion of Prince-related topics. Everyone is welcome here, as long as some basic etiquette is followed. Proper topics for the list include (but are in no way limited to) discussion of Prince music, collectibles, concerts, related artists, trivia, philosophy, etc. Basically, as long as it's in some way got to do with Prince, it's okay for the list! Check out the section on PPML Etiquette for more info.
The PPML is "moderated", which means that everything you post to the list is read by a real, live human being before being sent out to the other subscribers of the list. The PPML is distributed in "digest" form, which means that all the list items for an entire period of time (from 1 day to a few weeks) are "rolled up" into a large file, and then mailed to all the subscribers.
The moderators are:
* Kevin Smith
* Ben Margolin
Their job is to collect the messages, format them as needed, send out the digests, and handle administrative tasks such as new subscriptions, handle undeliverable digests, etc. The moderators also reserve the right to delete redundant and "flame" posts (see later section) if necessary.
The PPML is in no way a product of, nor affiliated with, Paisley Park Records / Paisley Park Enterprises.
| 1.2 | Was it always called the PPML? What's this PML thing? |
The PML (Prince Mailing List) was started by Ron Buckmire in 1990; later that year it was taken over by Jon Brode, and was an excellent source of information and discussion about Prince and related acts. When Jon decided to stop handling the PML, he asked for volunteers to continue the PML under a strict set of conditions. No one who volunteered could reach agreement with Jon about the future of the PML, and so the PML ended with its last issue on November 9, 1995.
Seeing the loss of such a valuable resource imminent, Mark Church and Kevin Smith found each other (through Leslie Timms) and started the PPML in November, 1995. The first issue went out November 15, 1995. Therefore, the PPML is not a direct descendant of the PML. It was, however, very much inspired by the PML and has come to replace (and in many ways, improve upon) the old mailing list.
On August 5th, 1996, Ben Margolin officially took over the moderator role left vacant by Mark Church. Mark decided to retire as moderator to spend more time with his family. His efforts are greatly appreciated and the PPML family is forever indebted to him for the work he performed as half of the original moderation team.
In May of 1997, the PPML and its internet home togdog.com had a hard drive crash. The PPML has been relocated, and has been expanded into prince.org. The PPML underwent some changes during this relocation, and we believe it to now be one of the premier mailing lists on the Internet - not just in the Prince community.
| 1.3 | Why the "Paisley Park" Mailing List? |
The name was chosen because Paisley Park is a concept most Prince fans can relate to -- much more than a recording studio, a record label or any physical space; as the song says: "Paisley Park is in your heart." The PPML hopes to embody some of the attributes the song conveys; if you haven't heard the song (it's off the Around the World in a Day album), here are the lyrics:
Paisley Park
Copyright (C) 1985 Controversy Music
There is a park that is known for the face it attracts
Colorful people whose hair on one side is swept back
The smile on their faces it speaks of profound inner peace
Ask where their going they'll tell you nowhere
They\'ve taken a lifetime lease, on Paisley Park
The girl on the seesaw is laughing for Love
is the color this place it imparts
Admission is easy just say you are free
and come to this place in your heart
Paisley Park is in your heart
There is a woman who sits all alone by the pier
Her husband was naughty and caused his wife so many tears
He died without knowing forgiveness and now she is sad
Maybe she'll come to the park and forgive him
And life won't be so bad, in Paisley Park
See the man cry as the city condemns where he lives
Memories die but taxes he'll still have to give
Who ever said that elephants were stronger than mules
Come to the Park and play with us
There aren't any rules, in Paisley Park
The girl on the seesaw is laughing for Love
is the color this place it imparts
Admission is easy just say you are free
and come to this place in your heart
Paisley Park is in your heart
The PPML strives to be a place that attracts colorful people, has "easy admission" and imparts a love of life...as well as all the new info and interesting discussions about Prince! It's a place to come and visit other Prince fans and maybe even learn a thing or two...you just never know, you might find some inner peace, too.... :-)
2. PPML Basics
Send an email message (from the account to which you wish to have the digests delivered) to:
ppml@prince.org
with a "Subject:" line of:
subscribe ppml
Alternatively, you can go to http://www.prince.org/ and apply for a username. Once you receive your username and password, you are automatically subscribed to the PPML.
Either way you should receive (almost) immediately a "Welcome" message acknowledging receipt of your subscription request.
If you decide to cancel your subscription to the PPML, here's how to stop getting the digests delivered:
From the email address at which you currently receive digests, send a message to:
ppml@prince.org
with a "Subject:" line of:
unsubscribe ppml
Or log on to your account on prince.org, click 'my account', and then select "subscriptions". From here you can unsubscribe as well.
Either way, you should receive notification of your removal within minutes.
| 2.3 | How do I change my e-mail address? |
Log onto prince.org, go to 'my account'. There is an option to change your e-mail address there.
| 2.4 | How do I post a message to the digest? |
Just send a message to:
ppml@prince.org
Remember, if you are replying to a digest that was delivered via email, do not quote the entire digest and send it back! Very large posts are automatically deleted by the message-handling program.
Alternatively, you can post via http://www.prince.org/ppml/
| 2.5 | How do I read the PPML on-line? |
Read them at http://www.prince.org/ppml/ -- and,
the website actually is updated before the digests are mailed out, so it's possible to read them online before they are delivered via e-mail.
Keep in mind that the website is much more than simply a place to download the text of the digests... they are actually re-structured to become "true" HTML documents with embedded graphics, hyperlinks, and more.
| 2.6 | How do I download large digests with America Online (AOL)? |
We have discovered that AOL doesn't handle the digest very well often, because it is larger than a specific size (64k?). Here is a procedure you can use if this problem affects you:
off line
go to mail
flash sessions
check all boxes
go to select names
type in the password next to the screen name that gets your mail
press activate flash session now
You will be automatically logged on to AOL and all of your mail and newsgroups will be downloaded. Then you will be logged off immediately. You can also schedule these sessions to occur automatically by entering a specific time. Just don't forget that your computer must be turned on (obviously!).
Next:
go to program manager
file manager
AOL, then download
you will see the PPML [number] listed
double click
answer yes to the conversion of text
enjoy ;-)
This is great way to save on on-line time (and money!).
(thanks to THavil8339@aol.com)
| 2.7 | What should I do if I'm leaving for vacation and won't be accessing my email? |
When you leave for vacation (students or otherwise) and won't be checking your email, please unsubscribe from the list. If we receive an auto-reply about you "being out of the office until..." you will be unsubscribed from the digest anyway, so do the moderators a favor and unsubscribe for the time you'll be gone. Thank you for your cooperation. :-)
3. Features of the PPML
| 3.1 | What is the Song of the Week (SotW)? |
The Song of the Week is designed to encourage list members to go back and listen to some released songs (even if they aren't necessarily your favorites). We intend it to spark conversation about the song, and hopefully you will discover something about the song that you hadn't noticed before. It also gives new members the perfect chance for their first post, instead of wondering, "what should I write about?"
Song of the Week posts are included in the digests.
| 3.2 | What is the Question of the Week (QotW)? |
The "Question of the Week" is a feature where the moderators pose a new question each week. In "olden PPML days", the results of last week's question would be reported to the list. Now we just let the responses get mixed into the general digests. The QotW is simply intended to spark conversation.
Of course, responding is completely optional -- but then how else will everyone find out their favorite song is your most disliked?! If you have an idea for the QotW, email the moderators or post it to the list.
4. PPML Etiquette
| 4.1 | What discussion topics are appropriate for the PPML? |
As mentioned above, just about anything related to Prince or associated artists is fair game. Remember, though, all views and opinions are those of the author, and the moderators will not take responsibility for the content of individual messages.
| 4.2 | Are flame wars tolerated? |
No.
There aren't many rules, but flame wars will not be tolerated. Many think that repeated, abusive attacks among readers of the Prince Mailing List (the PML) were a large part of the reason it ended. There is no place for that kind of behavior on the PPML. It's okay to disagree with a message, and debate it publicly, but personal attacks on other list members are unacceptable. If you feel extreme verbal (textual?) statements need to be addressed to another person on the list, perhaps private email is the correct route.
If you start or try to get involved in a flame war on the PPML, prepare to have your posts deleted!
| 4.3 | What policies does the PPML have regarding the trading and selling of items? |
At present, we ask that you not post messages to the digest about items you wish to buy, sell or trade. We do make an exception for concert tickets, however (see below for our policies on ticket sales). And, in general, it's OK to post links to eBay auctions for *legitimate* items.
| 4.4 | Can I discuss bootlegs? |
Sure. Just be sure not to offer them for sale/trade nor solicit them.
| 4.5 | Can I sell concert tickets on the PPML? |
f you'd like to post an ad to sell extra concert tickets in the PPML, you may simply send it to the regular digest account, ppml@prince.org. However, observe the following rule: tickets may not be sold for more than their retail price. The PPML strictly prohibits "scalping" and "ticket brokers". If you intend to sell tickets on the PPML, you may charge the face value of the tickets plus any fees charged by the authorized ticket agency. For example, if the ticket price was $60 and you paid a $3.50 Ticketmaster surcharge, you may charge no more than $63.50 for the ticket.
We cannot emphasize these guidelines enough. The PPML moderators view ticket scalping as a practice which needs to be stopped, not given an additional forum.
| 4.6 | How long should my signature file (.sig) be? |
It's common to have a "signature" or custom ending to your messages. While this is acceptable for your additions to the PPML, we do ask that you keep your signatures to a reasonable size. Four to five lines is probably plenty to express yourself and give your homepage URL, witty quote, etc. Keep in mind, the shorter the better. If you can get by with 2 lines (maybe your name, email address and one more line), it's appreciated by everyone. "ASCII art" also wears thin quickly, especially if there happens to be more than one post from you in a single digest.
Other reasons why you might want to skip a fancy signature include: they usually don't look as intended on proportional-spaced font displays (as many people use to read their email), and large signatures tend to add a lot of size to the digests without adding a lot of value.
If your signature is larger than 5 lines, please try to trim it down; if it's larger than 6, expect to have it chopped down by the moderators.
| 4.7 | I want to respond to multiple posts; how do I do that? |
On any given day there may be a few posts in the digest that you want tocomment on or reply to, or you may have several topics you wish to start discussing on the list. That's fine, but please do try to combine as many of your thoughts as possible; while it's understandable that you might post a reply to several people on the list, and then think of something else to say and post again, it is considered rude (to the moderators and the other members) to post an excessive number of times in a single day.
The goal is not to restrict how much you express yourself, not at all; feel free to make your posts as long as you feel relevant and necessary. However, there's no sense in posting many small messages, each requiring formatting by the moderators, and making the digest unnecessarily large with redundant headers and signatures. Also, many people read the digests over slower modems where bandwidth really is an issue.
5. Miscellaneous PPML Questions
| 5.1 | What is the significance of Fritos? |
The Big City Remix of the NPG song "The Good Life" contains the following line:
And just like Aretha with a sack of Fritos
A poster from Holland asked the PML (see above) what "Fritos" meant. One of the replies contained a comment that many readers considered racist, and a massive flame war erupted (PPML digest #564 reprints some choice excerpts). To this day the word "Fritos" will usually trigger a reaction from the "old-timers."
Fritos is a brand of corn chips manufactured by the Frito-Lay company and sold throughout the US (possibly elsewhere too).
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