• Newsgroup Archives
• Subscribing to the Newsgroup
• General Information
• Some things to Keep in Mind
• Posting Advertisements

Newsgroup Archives:
All messages sent to alt.support.sleep-disorder are archived, you can search the archives by going to our archive page or by clicking here.

Subscribing to the Newsgroup:

While you can read and post messages through the Google Archive via the web, it's much easier and very wise if you subscribe to the Newsgroup through a Newsreader and it will mean you don't miss posts or have any lag like you do with google (some people's messages don't get archived by google including some regular knowledgable posters who have valuable experience and opinions to offer).

You can get programs that function purely as a newsreader such as Agent or the free version Free Agent. You can also access newsgroups through mail programs like Outlook Express.

If your Internet Service Provider (ISP) offers newsgroup access you can subscribe through them. You will need to know the server name your ISP uses for this service. If you're not sure, you will need to contact your ISP to find out. Often, it will take a simliar form to the mail server information and may look something like "news.ispname.com" If your ISP doesn't offer a newsgroup service or are offer one that you've found unreliable, you can register for an independant news service at http://news.individual.net

For instructions on setting up the alt.support.sleep-disorder newsgroup in:

• Outlook Express
• Free Agent

(instructions for other programs will follow once someone provides the info!)

General Information:

1. This newsgroup is not officially moderated, which means anyone can post anything at anytime BUT anyone posting spam or disrupting the group will be dealt with accordingly. We ask that posters follow the Usenet posting rules outline which can be found here (external site). The exceptions to this outline would include the following additions/modifications:
   
   
2. While it is hoped everyone can keep messages brief, it is sometimes necessary to provide a lot of information so others reading your posting will be better able to reply to you. Try to keep your messages brief. Longer messages are welcomed if they present detailed background information to prevent useless replies and repetitive threads.
   
   
3. Simply posting, "I can’t sleep" will not get you much help. Everyone has problems sleeping, but the causes and treatments can vary so much that additional information is needed. Again, this is one example of where a longer post providing more information is better.
   
   
4. If you are new to the internet and newsgroups in general, please see the information here (external site) which is the Official Home Page of the forum news:news.newusers.questions which is the correct place to find out about posting test messages and any other questions you may have about the internet and usenet in general.

Some things to keep in mind while posting and reading articles:

1. This is not an instant reply service, such as AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, or a chat room. This is a public discussion forum, and as such, it may be hours, days, or weeks before someone with experience or knowledge regarding your question posts a reply. There are no guarantees that anyone will post a reply to you.
   
   
2. This is not a List Server (listserv). The methods used to "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" to this forum will vary, based on the software you use, as well as any special login procedures your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may impose. Please check your browser's help file or with your ISP's technical support staff. If you receive this forum from a List Server you must contact the List Server maintainer and not the newsgroup, contact your institution's computer information services (CIS) department or your ISP for instructions on how to do this.
   
   
3. Please bare in mind that when you reply to a posting, and the subject hasn’t changed, use the same subject line or heading. If the original subject was "Re: Original Title," many newsreaders will keep that as a single thread. If you change the subject line, a new thread will be created. Keeping the subject line intact for all similar messages is important, especially on a newsgroup such as this one. Some of the regular readers may have problems with concentration due to sleep deprivation. New threads may make it hard to keep track of the responses. When replying, use the "reply" or "reply to" button, when possible, as well as just the pertinent text parts of from the original message when replying. These efforts will help clarify posts.
   
   
4. Please keep in mind that many posters and readers are Sleep deprived due to their disease, which can affect mood causing replies to appear short tempered, sarcastic, mean spirited, or aggressive, which was not the intent of the writer but rather a side effect of the illness. Please give them the benefit of the doubt and ask for clarification, as this group actively attempts to remain polite even during disagreements in opinion. The only excpetion to this is dealing with trolls and spammers who don't deserve to be treated nicely.
   
   
5. Posts should be made in plain text only. Simply put, that means No HTML. No graphic file attachments, either. If you don't understand what that means, please see go here (external site) or the newsgroup forum news.newusers.questions for help.
   
   
6. While the majority of posted content focuses on sleep apnea, discussion on any sleep-related illness is encouraged.

1. Personal advertisements consist of a brief one-time mention of the equipment for sale and a valid e-mail address so you may be contacted privately. This does not mean equipment re-sellers may post when they have new stock. Rather, it means that individual users wanting to sell equipment they no longer use may make posts.
   
   
2. Commercial advertisers are instructed to read the following Usenet guidelines (external site) especially the comment: "If you don't regularly read a newsgroup, why would you post an ad to it? In so doing, you're basically saying that you don't care what the people in that newsgroup think or whether your ad might inconvenience them; you're out to benefit yourself."
   
   
3. Advertisers are advised that their articles may be forwarded in their entirety to the FTC for investigation.
   
   
4. Sleep-deprived people have little patience or tolerance for those who post ads without being posters to the newsgroup on a regular basis. Advertisers who post commercial content will be reported to their hosting provider as possible violators of the company’s Terms of Service agreement.
   
   
5. A brief mention of a commercial nature at the end of a reply is tolerated as long as it is on topic, and is not longer than the body of the message posted.
   
   
6. Other commercial messages may be posted as signature files, and it is suggested that these be kept short.