Mailing Lists for Celtic Languages
Of all the resources on the Internet for learners of Celtic languages, mailing lists are quite possibly the best. They are especially useful for those who are unable to take regular courses or otherwise continue practising their language skills.
General Introduction to Mailing Lists
If you have never used a mailing list before, there are several general things you should know about them. The way they work is quite simple. There is a list moderator who oversees a mail host that maintains a list of all people in the group. The mail host is the software side of it, and the moderator is the human making sure everything runs smoothly. When somebody on the list sends an email to the list's main address, the host then sends the mail to everybody on the list. This includes the person who originally sent it, though there may be a bit of a delay. The specific instructions on how to subscribe and unsubscribe, and perform various other useful functions, are included on the list's web page, and usually sent out to new members, as well.
There are numerous rules of conduct which should be followed. Usually the rules which the list requires are specified in a welcome email you receive when you sign up. If you break any of these, you could be removed from the list. But there are other rules which are generally courtesies.
Introduce yo'self...
When you first join, you should send a short email to the list introducing yourself. This is because it's considered mildly rude to join a group and not say anything, just like it's somewhat rude to enter a room and not greet people. You may feel uncomfortable doing this right away, so there's nothing wrong with waiting a bit to make sure you do want to stay on the list. Just give basic information about yourself: your name, where you are from, why you have joined the list.
No flaming...
One of the most important rules of mailing lists is that flaming is prohibited. Flaming is quite simply an attack on a list member. Sometimes personalities clash, and one list member will say offensive things about another member. Although it may seem strange, these can get quite nasty sometimes, and often somebody ends up leaving the list. It is generally up to the list moderator to deal with flaming cases, but often they go ignored if nobody contacts the moderator. The key rule to follow to avoid getting into a flaming match is to never get personal. And if you ever do feel you are being flamed, immediately contact the list moderator and don't respond in anger to the list! Things can snowball and get quite ridiculous and you sometimes feel as if you've been transported into a preschool, but fortunately language sites are rarely so bad. The silly thing about it is that quite often everything results from a misunderstanding, and people jumping to the wrong conclusins and firing off a responsive email immediately.
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