If your question isn't answered in any of these FAQs, ask it on alt.guitar.amps !
Before you post a question, read the group a bit. Read at least the last couple of weeks' posts. This will give you some idea of the tone of the group, and the personalities involved. If your question doesn't appear within the last two weeks, check the FAQs at http://aga.rru.com/ . If you still don't see your question (likely in the FAQs, since they're just getting started) try an advanced Google search (http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search). In the box marked "Newsgroup" enter "alt.guitar.amps." Enter your words to search for in the approperiate box at the top of the page. Fill in other fields as you like. Look though the results. Then, and only then, if you don't find the answer, should you post your question.
[with help from Scott McKnight]
Haven't you other guys noticed how someone posts a question and all sorts of people post a bunch of possible solutions, but the original poster a lot of times doesn't bother to post back and give us the results? Isn't that a real big incentive to try to help? Am I the only one who notices this? It makes me wonder why bother. If you don't give any answers to this or if you don't report the actual solution to the problem, then don't bother posting here anymore. For the techs here, it's not like they have your amp on their bench. For the DIY cats, it's something they may want to be able to research. For the guitarist, it's something to be aware of when they take their amps in for repair.[Excerpted from a helpful response by Elvis Paisley. I was tempted to tone it down a bit, but I felt he expressed the frustration so well, and people should be aware of how frustrating it is when this happens.]
No.
Just checkling to see if you were paying attention. There are several. This is one of them. All of them are available at http://aga.rru.com/ . Just click on anything there that says "FAQ".
[This is PMG's fault.]
Correct - with a couple of exceptions.
Please do use newlines (use the "Return" or "Enter" key to statr new lines) in your posts. Do not just let your editor wrap lines for you, as they may not wrap in some readers.
Also, paragraph breaks are essential to clarity and keeping readers from getting fatigued as they try to follow a long post.
The generally accepted way is to get rid of all the original post except the parts absolutely necessary for context, and put your responses inline after the text you are responding to. But not everyone agrees. Please don't waste bandwidth arguing about this. But do cut out the excess when you reply; don't include whole posts when only a few lines really matter! This makes it easier to find your content, and cuts down on network usage. And, as John Shinal points out:
And even more important, conserving vital resources.Few people realize the effect that the Internet Boom has had on text characters. With the vast increase in automated delivery of text through Web servers, there has come a huge upsurge in consumption of text. SPAM, mailing lists, excessive quoting, it's all using text characters in quantities never before seen in human history.
Already the vast African herds of R's, M's and B's are showing signs of stress - fewer fonts are being spotted in the wild text herds. The Goudy Font breed of M may already be extinct. Most of the vowel species are suffering from the long drives between range and market. Fortunately the prolific 'w' is as numerous as ever.
Worst of all is the "T". Used heavily in modern English, the T has the longest growth cycle of any letter, from the juvenile t, the adolescent with it's plain crossbar, and finally the magnificent bull "T", with it's menacing serifs. Tragically, adolescent T's are being harvested and passed off as the Windows default Arial T, where the lack of serifs isn't apparent to the common Web surfer.
Preserve our priceless text characters ! Protect the free-range consonants and vowels we love ! Support font diversity !
-John S. Shinal
-Miles
Newsgroups in the alt hierarchy tend to be a bit anarchical. They aren't generally subject to the rules and regulations of other usenet newsgroup hierarchies such as soc or comp . So, yeah, you should mostly try to stay within the newsgroup's name for topics, but in fact anything goes.
People act however they want. A lot of the posts you see may seem sarcastic, cynical, silly, terse, arrogant, or just plain mean. Sometimes they are. Sometimes people get carried away. Sometimes that's just their personality, either in real life or just on the Net. Reading up on people in the 'AGA People' section of the AGA website (http://aga.rru.com/) is a good idea, as is reading a lot of posts by an individual before you decide how to take them.
It's a good idea not to judge people based on one or two posts, unless you like being flamed.
Roasted alive in responses to your post[s].
Etiquette on Usenet (newsgroups such as AGA).
A good set of things to read first includes:
We highly recommend the latter for those who enjoy satire.
Unless it's an ASCII graphic, don't post a schematic. Never post any form of binary - image, sound, video, executable, whatever to AGA. In fact anything that would normally go as an attachment should not be sent. Don't even send PostScript or PDF. No Word docs. No HTML, even. Just plain, ordinary text. That's the lingua france of Usenet.
Posting binaries in AGA violates USENET etiquette and rules. You should never post any form of binary to a group that doesn't include ".binaries" in its name. This is true even or "alt." groups.
Beyond this, many news hosts filter out all binary files to groups whose names don't include ".binaries" in them. So many people won't see them.
Your best bet is to put such things up on your web site or ftp server and publish the URL in your post. But you can also see if there's an appropriate newsrgoup to post the binary to (such as alt.binaries.schematics.electronic), post the binary there, and mention in your post to AGA the subject of the post containing the binary, along with the newsgroup it was posted to. If all else fails, offer to email your binary to people who email you for it.
Yes. Visit the official AGA web site at http://aga.rru.com/ and click on "FAQs".
This is the AGA version of Godwin's Law (http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/legends/godwin/. When a discussion degenerates to the point that comparisons to Hitler or Nazis are used in posts having nothing to do (overtly) with either one, whoever was being addressed in that post may be declared the winner and that thread may be officially considered ended.
This being an alt. group, one is not necessarily bound to abide by this law, but continuuing such a thread will usually just make you look silly, at best.
Just that. They seem to be sociopaths and psychopaths, so they act that way. It seems to be related to full moons, so some kind soul has started posting a calendar with this decade's full moons so these poor souls (or jackasses, depending on your viewpoint) will know when to post more. Here it is (note - it's forged as being from the AGA web gang, but I think it's so great I have granted the poster AGA Web Gang Honorary Knighthood):
From: aga@rru.com
Subject: AGA Lunar Calendar (regular posting)
X-Newsgroups: alt.guitar.amps
Organization: Roadkills-R-Us
Cc:
Status: O
AGA Full Moon Calendar (a service provided for the psychopaths that
regularly post to AGA)
Year New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter
2001
Jan 2 22:32 Jan 9 20:25 Jan 16 12:36
Jan 24 13:08 Feb 1 14:02 Feb 8 07:12 Feb 15 03:25
Feb 23 08:22 Mar 3 02:03 Mar 9 17:23 Mar 16 20:47
Mar 25 01:23 Apr 1 10:49 Apr 8 03:22 Apr 15 15:32
Apr 23 15:27 Apr 30 17:08 May 7 13:53 May 15 10:12
May 23 02:47 May 29 22:10 Jun 6 01:40 Jun 14 03:29
Jun 21 11:58 Jun 28 03:20 Jul 5 15:04 Jul 13 18:47
Jul 20 19:44 Jul 27 10:09 Aug 4 05:56 Aug 12 07:54
Aug 19 02:55 Aug 25 19:54 Sep 2 21:44 Sep 10 19:00
Sep 17 10:27 Sep 24 09:30 Oct 2 13:50 Oct 10 04:20
Oct 16 19:23 Oct 24 02:57 Nov 1 05:42 Nov 8 12:22
Nov 15 06:40 Nov 22 23:20 Nov 30 20:50 Dec 7 19:53
Dec 14 20:48 Dec 22 20:57 Dec 30 10:41
2002 Jan 6 03:56
Jan 13 13:30 Jan 21 17:48 Jan 28 22:51 Feb 4 13:34
Feb 12 07:42 Feb 20 12:03 Feb 27 09:17 Mar 6 01:26
Mar 14 02:04 Mar 22 02:29 Mar 28 18:25 Apr 4 15:30
Apr 12 19:22 Apr 20 12:49 Apr 27 03:00 May 4 07:17
May 12 10:46 May 19 19:42 May 26 11:51 Jun 3 00:06
Jun 10 23:47 Jun 18 00:29 Jun 24 21:42 Jul 2 17:21
Jul 10 10:26 Jul 17 04:47 Jul 24 09:07 Aug 1 10:24
Aug 8 19:15 Aug 15 10:12 Aug 22 22:29 Aug 31 02:32
Sep 7 03:10 Sep 13 18:08 Sep 21 13:59 Sep 29 17:03
Oct 6 11:17 Oct 13 05:33 Oct 21 07:21 Oct 29 05:28
Nov 4 20:35 Nov 11 20:52 Nov 20 01:35 Nov 27 15:46
Dec 4 07:35 Dec 11 15:49 Dec 19 19:11 Dec 27 00:31
2003
Jan 2 20:24 Jan 10 13:16 Jan 18 10:49 Jan 25 08:34
Feb 1 10:50 Feb 9 11:12 Feb 16 23:52 Feb 23 16:47
Mar 3 02:36 Mar 11 07:15 Mar 18 10:35 Mar 25 01:52
Apr 1 19:19 Apr 9 23:40 Apr 16 19:36 Apr 23 12:19
May 1 12:15 May 9 11:52 May 16 03:35 May 23 00:31
May 31 04:20 Jun 7 20:26 Jun 14 11:15 Jun 21 14:46
Jun 29 18:38 Jul 7 02:32 Jul 13 19:20 Jul 21 07:02
Jul 29 06:52 Aug 5 07:28 Aug 12 04:47 Aug 20 00:49
Aug 27 17:25 Sep 3 12:35 Sep 10 16:35 Sep 18 19:03
Sep 26 03:08 Oct 2 19:11 Oct 10 07:27 Oct 18 12:32
Oct 25 12:50 Nov 1 04:26 Nov 9 01:14 Nov 17 04:16
Nov 23 22:59 Nov 30 17:16 Dec 8 20:38 Dec 16 17:43
Dec 23 09:44 Dec 30 10:04
2004 Jan 7 15:41 Jan 15 04:46
Jan 21 21:07 Jan 29 06:03 Feb 6 08:49 Feb 13 13:40
Feb 20 09:20 Feb 28 03:24 Mar 6 23:16 Mar 13 21:02
Mar 20 22:43 Mar 28 23:48 Apr 5 11:04 Apr 12 03:47
Apr 19 13:23 Apr 27 17:33 May 4 20:34 May 11 11:05
May 19 04:53 May 27 07:57 Jun 3 04:20 Jun 9 20:03
Jun 17 20:28 Jun 25 19:08 Jul 2 11:09 Jul 9 07:34
Jul 17 11:24 Jul 25 03:38 Jul 31 18:05 Aug 7 22:01
Aug 16 01:23 Aug 23 10:12 Aug 30 02:21 Sep 6 15:10
Sep 14 14:28 Sep 21 15:54 Sep 28 13:08 Oct 6 10:12
Oct 14 02:47 Oct 20 21:59 Oct 28 03:06 Nov 5 05:54
Nov 12 14:25 Nov 19 05:51 Nov 26 20:07 Dec 5 00:54
Dec 12 01:28 Dec 18 16:39 Dec 26 15:06
2005 Jan 3 17:46
Jan 10 12:03 Jan 17 06:57 Jan 25 10:32 Feb 2 07:27
Feb 8 22:29 Feb 16 00:15 Feb 24 04:54 Mar 3 17:37
Mar 10 09:12 Mar 17 19:18 Mar 25 21:00 Apr 2 00:51
Apr 8 20:34 Apr 16 14:38 Apr 24 10:08 May 1 06:25
May 8 08:48 May 16 08:58 May 23 20:20 May 30 11:48
Jun 6 21:57 Jun 15 01:24 Jun 22 04:15 Jun 28 18:24
Jul 6 12:04 Jul 14 15:21 Jul 21 11:01 Jul 28 03:20
Aug 5 03:05 Aug 13 02:39 Aug 19 17:54 Aug 26 15:19
Sep 3 18:45 Sep 11 11:37 Sep 18 02:00 Sep 25 06:41
Oct 3 10:27 Oct 10 19:00 Oct 17 12:13 Oct 25 01:17
Nov 2 01:23 Nov 9 01:57 Nov 16 00:56 Nov 23 22:12
Dec 1 14:59 Dec 8 09:36 Dec 15 16:14 Dec 23 19:37
Dec 31 03:11
2006 Jan 6 18:56 Jan 14 09:47 Jan 22 15:14
Jan 29 14:15 Feb 5 06:28 Feb 13 04:44 Feb 21 07:17
Feb 28 00:32 Mar 6 20:15 Mar 14 23:35 Mar 22 19:10
Mar 29 10:16 Apr 5 12:01 Apr 13 16:41 Apr 21 03:28
Apr 27 19:45 May 5 05:13 May 13 06:52 May 20 09:20
May 27 05:27 Jun 3 23:06 Jun 11 18:04 Jun 18 14:08
Jun 25 16:06 Jul 3 16:36 Jul 11 03:03 Jul 17 19:13
Jul 25 04:31 Aug 2 08:45 Aug 9 10:55 Aug 16 01:52
Aug 23 19:09 Aug 31 22:56 Sep 7 18:43 Sep 14 11:17
Sep 22 11:45 Sep 30 11:03 Oct 7 03:13 Oct 14 00:26
Oct 22 05:13 Oct 29 21:25 Nov 5 12:58 Nov 12 17:46
Nov 20 22:17 Nov 28 06:29 Dec 5 00:24 Dec 12 14:32
Dec 20 14:00 Dec 27 14:48
2007 Jan 3 13:57 Jan 11 12:44
Jan 19 04:00 Jan 25 23:02 Feb 2 05:45 Feb 10 09:51
Feb 17 16:14 Feb 24 07:56 Mar 3 23:16 Mar 12 03:55
Mar 19 02:43 Mar 25 18:16 Apr 2 17:15 Apr 10 18:04
Apr 17 11:36 Apr 24 06:35 May 2 10:10 May 10 04:27
May 16 19:28 May 23 21:02 Jun 1 01:04 Jun 8 11:43
Jun 15 03:14 Jun 22 13:14 Jun 30 13:49 Jul 7 16:54
Jul 14 12:04 Jul 22 06:28 Jul 30 00:49 Aug 5 21:21
Aug 12 23:02 Aug 20 23:54 Aug 28 10:36 Sep 4 02:34
Sep 11 12:44 Sep 19 16:48 Sep 26 19:46 Oct 3 10:07
Oct 11 05:01 Oct 19 08:33 Oct 26 04:52 Nov 1 21:19
Nov 9 23:03 Nov 17 22:32 Nov 24 14:30 Dec 1 12:44
Dec 9 17:40 Dec 17 10:17 Dec 24 01:15 Dec 31 07:50
2008
Jan 8 11:36 Jan 15 19:45 Jan 22 13:34 Jan 30 05:02
Feb 7 03:44 Feb 14 03:33 Feb 21 03:29 Feb 29 02:19
Mar 7 17:14 Mar 14 10:45 Mar 21 18:39 Mar 29 21:48
Apr 6 03:55 Apr 12 18:31 Apr 20 10:24 Apr 28 14:13
May 5 12:18 May 12 03:46 May 20 02:11 May 28 02:57
Jun 3 19:23 Jun 10 15:02 Jun 18 17:30 Jun 26 12:10
Jul 3 02:19 Jul 10 04:34 Jul 18 07:59 Jul 25 18:42
Aug 1 10:13 Aug 8 20:20 Aug 16 21:17 Aug 23 23:50
Aug 30 19:58 Sep 7 14:04 Sep 15 09:14 Sep 22 05:05
Sep 29 08:12 Oct 7 09:05 Oct 14 20:03 Oct 21 11:56
Oct 28 23:14 Nov 6 04:03 Nov 13 06:18 Nov 19 21:32
Nov 27 16:55 Dec 5 21:25 Dec 12 16:38 Dec 19 10:30
Dec 27 12:22
2009 Jan 4 11:55 Jan 11 03:27 Jan 18 02:46
Jan 26 07:55 Feb 2 23:12 Feb 9 14:48 Feb 16 21:38
Feb 25 01:35 Mar 4 07:44 Mar 11 02:37 Mar 18 17:49
Mar 26 16:07 Apr 2 14:33 Apr 9 14:55 Apr 17 13:37
Apr 25 03:23 May 1 20:44 May 9 04:01 May 17 07:27
May 24 12:11 May 31 03:22 Jun 7 18:11 Jun 15 22:15
Jun 22 19:35 Jun 29 11:28 Jul 7 09:21 Jul 15 09:53
Jul 22 02:34 Jul 28 21:59 Aug 6 00:55 Aug 13 18:55
Aug 20 10:01 Aug 27 11:41 Sep 4 16:03 Sep 12 02:15
Sep 18 18:43 Sep 26 04:48 Oct 4 06:10 Oct 11 08:56
Oct 18 05:32 Oct 26 00:41 Nov 2 19:14 Nov 9 15:56
Nov 16 19:13 Nov 24 21:38 Dec 2 07:31 Dec 9 00:14
Dec 16 12:02 Dec 24 17:35 Dec 31 19:13
2010 Jan 7 10:41
Jan 15 07:12 Jan 23 10:53 Jan 30 06:17 Feb 5 23:50
Feb 14 02:52 Feb 22 00:42 Feb 28 16:37 Mar 7 15:43
Mar 15 21:02 Mar 23 10:59 Mar 30 02:25 Apr 6 09:37
Apr 14 12:30 Apr 21 18:19 Apr 28 12:18 May 6 04:15
May 14 01:05 May 20 23:42 May 27 23:06 Jun 4 22:13
Jun 12 11:14 Jun 19 04:30 Jun 26 11:30 Jul 4 14:36
Jul 11 19:40 Jul 18 10:11 Jul 26 01:36 Aug 3 04:59
Aug 10 03:07 Aug 16 18:14 Aug 24 17:05 Sep 1 17:22
Sep 8 10:29 Sep 15 05:48 Sep 23 09:17 Oct 1 03:52
Oct 7 18:44 Oct 14 21:25 Oct 23 01:37 Oct 30 12:46
Nov 6 04:51 Nov 13 16:37 Nov 21 17:28 Nov 28 20:37
Dec 5 17:36 Dec 13 13:58 Dec 21 08:14 Dec 28 04:19
The original calendar listed only the
full moon dates and times; this revised
calendar covers all the lunar social
(or sociopathic) events. -Miles
It's like most alt groups. Which means it's a lot like Hobbits setting out on a journey. It wanders over hills and through dales, around forestss, wades in creeks, sneaks into mushroom patches, stops off for a drink now and again, has plenty of rest stops, preferably with food, etc.
It doesn't need Black Riders from Mordor to make it do this; it just happens this way. The presence of the evil ones just makes it more frantic. And we've certainly had our share of whiny butt, baby orc, Nazgul wannabes lately to try and make it more frantic.
-Miles, well before the movie came out
Google now has almost everything in the usenet archives back through sometime in 1981. Go to http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search, enter "alt.guitar.amps" in the "Newsgroup" field, and fill in whatever other criteria you like. If you get too few or too many hits, broaden or tighten up your criteria as necessary.
From a response by RonSonic to a particularly clueless sounding individual with an AOL address:
``Curiously enough, this group is made up of real humans who have lives and opinions and jobs and families and feelings and stuff. This isn't a verbal arcade of word games generated by some computer for your amusement. Perhaps you were aware of that. Please explain it to your fellows in that intellectual ghetto, AOL.''(A high percentage of the abuse on AGA seems to originate from AOL accounts. There are also some good contributors from AOL. -Miles)