**FILING GUIDELINES** LAST UPDATED: 05-01-97 This is a general information message for folks interested in volunteering to help file submissions in the QRD. A. Points of information about filing at the QRD: 1. All path references in this document are relative to the QRD Home Directory, that is: /pub/QRD. Any exceptions will be clearly noted. On the QRD home machine, the directory is also /home/ftponly/QRD. 2. E-mail addresses and directories at the QRD: SUBMIT: People who want to add information to the QRD's collection should email their files as messages to "submissions@qrd.org" or "submit@qrd.org". STAFF: The "help desk" for the QRD is "staff@qrd.org". This address points to the QRD volunteers who have specific job duties to help the QRD grow and change as time goes by. When doing filing of new files, you should email to staff@qrd.org things like hate mail and general information requests, or if you see a file which looks like it was meant for staff. Send a complete copy, with all the headers, if it is available. We suggest, when forwarding a copy of a file to staff, simply use the following as the message subject: "(Fwd from filer) q12345.qrd", for example. Otherwise, use your own judgment for designating the message subject. If you are new to filing, then instead of forwarding files to staff@qrd.org, send them to the file manager (see next section), until you are instructed otherwise. FILING: The volunteer in charge of adding files to the QRD--currently, user jfsa----can always be reached by email at "filemanager@qrd.org". That address is for any questions you have about your filing, and, at least at the outset, about your access and software on an account on the home site of the QRD, for doing volunteer filing. FILERS: All the volunteer filers are added to the list "filers@qrd.org". This is where you will send reports of what files you have filed, moved, forwarded or deleted. Notices or information to filers are also sent to this address OTHER: If you see a message which mentions a new URL or web site, or is html-coded, move the file into the incoming/wwwstaff directory. If you see a message which contains copyright material, move the file to incoming/.Copyright--note that the period and the capitaliza- tion have to match this pathname exactly. More about copyright issues in a sec. 2. To get a list of all files currently stored in the QRD, view or download the file named ls-laR. This file is regenerated every day at slightly after 2 a.m. Eastern Time, usually. 3. To get a directory map of the QRD, also updated at 2 a.m. Eastern Time, generally, download the file named qrdinfo/dirmap. 4. All submissions to the QRD are accepted in the /incoming directory. If a file has been submitted via email, it will have a filename of the sort "q#####.qrd", where ##### was a relatively random number generated when the mail message arrived. If a file has been submitted via FTP, it will have the name given by whomever uploaded the file. In almost all cases, files submitted to the QRD will have to be renamed and edited. B. The Plan: 1. You will be given a user account on mother.qrd.org. FTP and telnet are the ONLY access methods permitted on the QRD home machine. Most of the filing can be done an FTP account. TELNET accounts are really useful primarily to people who are actively on the QRD in excess of one dozen hours per month. If you would like suggestions for where to look for references or software, there are simple guides for unix and ftp available on the net. Shell scripts for use on telnet, as well as automated programs for ftp transfers, are also available. Please feel free to ask filemanager@ qrd.org, or filers@qrd.org for more information, and provide a description of your computer, operating system and internet access. TELNET: Telnet works like a unix shell account. It allows editing, renaming, moving and forwarding-by-mail of files directly at the site, as well as access to the home machine's unix-compatible shells, commands and help, at levels comparable to those of a unix operating system. Telnet users each have their own login directory; the path is /home/[user]. FTP: When filing with FTP access only, use software which implements the move, rename and delete commands, in addition to sending and receiving files, of course. All user account logins via ftp are to the /home/ftponly subdirectory. 2. The files which need filing are currently being screened, edited and renamed automatically by the file manager. They are then moved to incoming/filing. That process will be made available to all filers very soon, and it is explained in more detail in the file incoming/filing/00_FILES.TXT. Following is a description of what that process accomplishes. You need to be familiar with these steps, even though we no longer need to do them. The reason for knowing these steps is to be able to recognize when something did not get formatted completely correctly by the automatic process. This may happen when a message has an unusual text format in the headers, for example. In that case, the easiest way to fix it is probably, on telnet, by using one of the unix-compatible editors, or with ftp, by downloading, editing, and then uploading. --------------------- Copy of editing specifications ----------------- Open the files up in a text editor or word processor, one at a time. Since almost all of them will be email submissions, you will need to rip out the headers. Please leave the FROM, DATE and SUBJECT headers intact. Everything else in the headers can be deleted. This will help us catalog and track our submissions. Also, check through the file to make sure that it is in standard UNIX ASCII format. If you're on a Mac or UNIX box, make sure there are no ^Ms wander- ing around at the end of lines. If you are on a PC, make sure that the whole file isn't crushed up onto one single line. If you need help reading, translating or decoding a file you've downloaded, send mail to staff@qrd.org asking for help. One of us will open the file up with tools to try to figure it out. When you are finished editing, make sure you save the file in standard ASCII format. If you are using a word or document processing program, you might want to double-check that it even has a "Save as ASCII" option before you use it. If you are using a PC, System V UNIX, or other computer which restricts filenames to 14 letters or less, please upload the file using a temporary name and then use the FTP "rename" command to change the filename to provide more description if necessary. -------------------- End of copy ------------------------------------- For an explanation of how to use the file lists in incoming/filing, and of how to prepare for filing, please be sure to read the file incoming/filing/00_FILES.TXT, together with this filing.intro. Basically, all you have to do is: a) Browse the files lists, the 00*.txt files in incoming/filing. Look for groups of related files, and for files that you recognize where they should go. If nothing occurs to you along those lines, you can always just do them in chronological order. b) Move a group of files to work on, from incoming/filing, to your own subdirectory. c) Look at the files you selected. d) Sometimes, a little more editing is needed, either because of errors in stripping the file, or because the file sender requests that a personal message to us be deleted from the main portion of the message. We just want the DATA in the file, along with contact info for the contributor, the subject header, and finally, the date the file was contributed. Signatures of people who mailed in files also be kept. d) Move the files to their destination paths and new filenames. 4. Saving a file with a new filename, and uploading it or moving it to an appropriate subdirectory in the QRD is the most important part of your job. Use your judgment carefully. Most files can be stored by either geographic or topical headings. If you have a file which you think should be stored in both, pick the geographic one for now. You may link files to another filename in another subdirectory. This is another important aspect of your job, but one which you should not worry about at the beginning. Become very familiar with with the filetree, observe other, existing links on existing files, and become comfortable with the symbolic link command (ln), before attempting to link files. If you need help linking, because your FTP access doesn't do it, or if you just want to throw out a link idea, please write the file manager. 5. For quality control purposes, and for sharing important filing information, we need to know what files you've moved and where you've put them. Some DOS text editing programs can introduce hidden characters which are not visible unless the file is viewed from a UNIX system. Some filers will see headings they have not yet worked in, and will learn about the file tree and re-naming by seeing others' reports. Someone may suggest or take up doing changes, based on information in your reports. Send a message to filers@qrd.org with a list of each file you move out of incoming/filing to your own subdirectory, and of each file you move or delete from there. Samples might look something like this: 15342.qrd ---> usa/federal/hb.354.vote.count 27631.qrd ---> family/family.in.crisis.report --> education/misc.news-04.24.97: 970424.q18330 richter@eecs.berkeley.edu (Jea 4/24/97 pt. 2 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news --> electronic/email/txdyke-l: 970424.q18718 miswit new mailing list --> usa/new_mexico/glaad.ellens.out.party-albuquerque: 970424.q18888 summers@rt66.com (Bob Summersg Benefit Celebrates Coming Out Episode of "Ellen" Make up whatever is convenient for you. Just provide a list of files you've processed and where you've put them. As we go along, the need for this step may go away. C. Naming Conventions: 1. Use concise but descriptive file names. This will take good judgment and some practice to get used to. Some "firsts: to consider: a) Observe the naming scheme in the destination subdirectory, first. Often, they are just volume numbers and dates. b) First, list only the important words or ideas. Then, try putting the most important one of all first, as though you were preparing an index, a table of contents, or a newspaper column headline. c) Although unix file systems can support very long names, every character you add is one that someone else may need to type. After deciding on a name, but before using it, first try seeing what you can really do without, in the name. 2. On the other hand, cryptic filenames are useless, because often a filename is all that QRD users will have to go on. DO NOT: a) Use non-intuitive abbreviations like 'w' for 'with'. b) Use symbols like '&' and '+' for 'and'. c) Spell numbers out-NEVER! There is absolutely no need for that. Use the digit character string, ''0' through '9', only. 3. It is hard to write a descriptive filename in LESS THAN 80 CHARACTERS. But we do not want the file names to get too long. They should be the most brief description possible, not necessarily grammatically correct sentences with verbs and prepositions. 4. Never repeat something in a filename which is already present in the pathname. For example, filenames within the orgs/HRCF directory should *NEVER* have "HRCF" in them. 5. If there is anything more frustrating than typing the same name repeatedly in a path, it is having to use the shift key to do so. As a rule, USE LOWERCASE EXCLUSIVELY. There are a very few exceptions to this rule. One is organization's acronyms -- NGLTF, for example. Another is news outlets -- LAT or DC.POST, for example. If you're ever wondering whether to capitalize or not, don't. 6. Use a dash to set off separate information within a filename, for example, source or date information. Filenames generally should have their relevant date information preserved in the filename, and this is especially true for events such as conferences, deadlines for submissions, or important feature article datestamps. Always use MM.DD.YY for the date format. For example, a February 25, 1997 press release from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, applauding a statement by President Clinton about the bombing of a gay bar in Atlanta, is stored under the filename: "orgs/NGLTF/atlanta.gay.bar.bomb-clinton-02.25.97". An annual convention of the PFLAG organization is stored under the name: "orgs/PFLAG/annual.conf-phila.pa-07.97". 7. LEGAL CHARACTERS IN FILE NAMES: A-Z,a-z,0-9, '.' and '-'. That's IT!! D. Special Directories: The following directories have their own maintainers on the QRD Staff. If you have a file that you think belongs in one of those directories, send a copy of the entire file as a message to staff@qrd.org, unless it is for /www, in which case it should be moved to incoming/wwwstaff. (See section A, above, subsection 1, "STAFF" and "OTHER".) The off-limits directories are: /www /orgs/BRC /orgs/UUA /browse The /browse directory is a special case, since it doesn't actually contain files. This directory contains only *links* to interesting and frequently-requested files. If you have a file which looks unusually valuable or interesting, put it wherever it belongs and send a note to Staff so we can build an appropriate link to the /browse directory. E. Copyrighted Information *DANGER* People submit copyrighted information to the QRD all the time. It is very important that this information be set aside for special post-processing. Failure to do this may make QRD volunteers (especially me) liable for copyright infringement lawsuits. Although people violate international copyright law constantly on Usenet and some electronic mailing lists, the risks are very low since the information disappears very quickly. The QRD, on the other hand, is at substantial risk since it stores this information indefinitely. If you find a file which contains copyrighted materials, for example, an Associated Press news article which starts with (AP), or just about anything which starts with "Reprinted without permission", then upload it to the /incoming/.Copyright directory for post processing. After we've filed most of the QRD submissions, we will look at the copyright issues and process these files. Unlike the other *.qrd files, please keep most of the headers on these files intact, if they are available (This can only be done during the automatic processing and screening stage, which you won't be doing immediately.) We may need this information to contact whomever submitted the file. F. Duplicate Files Many people know about the QRD and often pass along files that they think that should be included in our collection. That's great but it often ends up with the QRD receiving multiple copies of the same file. When you file something you should always check to see that it hasn't been filed already. If it has, report it and delete it. Obviously you can't easily search the entire QRD via FTP for a duplicate of the file you're working on, but you should at least check your intended destination directory for a file with a name which suggests it may have the same contents. On telnet, unix commands make such searches much simpler. Shell scripts can pinpoint keywords in all both the directories and the files at the QRD. This makes looking for duplicates, as well as locating related files, a snap. G. Suggested Use of Web Browsers in filing Netscape and Mosaic are ubiquitous programs which are used to 'surf the Net' (browse the world wide web). However, they can also be used to look at files if you use the FTP mode. Just try the URL ftp://mother.qrd.org/QRD/incoming /filing to look at the incoming files. It's a good way of checking out files without having to use FTP by hand first. You can, of course, also read files which have already been filed, by using www.qrd.org and its mirrors. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original written by David Casti Modified by Ron Buckmire Modified by jfsa ADDENDA: 1. cdc/daily.summaries As of 1/1/97 we aren't filing CDC News Briefs, unless they contain info specifically about a foreign country, whereby that info can be filed under the specific country code. Otherwise, delete them. 2. copyright We are aware that there ARE newspaper articles in the QRD but we are trying desperately to get rid of them. If you see any, please [move them to incoming/.Copyright, and send in a note with your report to filers@qrd.org]. 3. lol@qrd.org You can delete "SUBSCRIBE" messages sent to LOL@qrd.org. LOL@qrd.org is the address to suggest new entries to the electronic/email directory, which contains the definitive list of GLBTQ email lists. Messages (including those to LOL@qrd.org) with descriptions of mailing lists should be placed in the electronic/email directory, e.g.: > > >Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the workplace mailing list. > >List Description >================ >glbt-workplace is a general discussion list on any topic which is in some >way related to both GLBTs and the workplace. There are many unique concerns > > would be moved to electronic/email/glbt-workplace. 4. Filename Length Most likely people will be finding things by searching for keywords. 80 characters is the absolute limit. 5. Email requests for searches We are under no obligation to respond to requests for information. We are not a library service. You can answer these or delete them or pass them onto staff to answer, as you see fit. >To: lol@qrd.org >Subject: mailing lists > >Help! > >I have started a lesbian and gay event planning business located in Miami, >Florida. I would like to get the word out to local and national groups, >organizations and individuals. How do I get effective mailing lists for >minimal costs. Please send me some information. Thank you. > 6. Delete "=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D" should be deleted from any file. Delete any empty incoming files, i.e., those with no message text. 7. Questions and Comments Please let us hear from you. --