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LOSERNET FAQs

Losernet List Owner/Moderator: Sandra Hull
Deputy Moderators: Elden Carnahan, Jennifer Hart

Following are some of the Frantic and Anguished Queries (FAQs) we here at The Losernet Technical Support Lukewarmline have fielded:

FAQ #1:"What is Losernet? Some kind of nose hair spray?"
FAQ #2:"Sounds like a stone groove. How do I join?"
FAQ #3:"So how do I send an e-mail to everyLoser?"
FAQ #4:"How do I send an e-mail to just one Loser on the list?"
FAQ #5:"I don't want my inbox cluttered up with Losernet e-mail and neither does my boss. What was that thing about viewing messages on the web instead?"
FAQ #6:"Can I send and reply to messages on the web also?"
FAQ #7:"What's the difference between the Losernet web site and that www.gopherdrool.com thing?"
FAQ #8:"My company changed names again and when I tried sending a message to Losernet from my new e-mail address, it bounced. Waaaaaah! Don't you love me anymore?"
FAQ #9:"Ok, ok, I get it already. So how DO I register my additional e-mail addresses?"
FAQ #10:"I forgot my Yahoo! password (or ID)--what should I do? Reboot?"
FAQ #11:"I'm having trouble reading Losernet mail. And yes, smartass, I am literate. I'm talking serious technical difficulties here! Will you make a house call to fix it for me? In the middle of the night? What's your home phone number?"
FAQ #12:"I'm in charge of [insert LoserEvent name here]. How do I put the information on that calendar thingy and get it to send an automatic nagging reminder to everyLoser?"
FAQ #13:"How do I use the Chat feature?"
FAQ #14:"How do I upload a file or add a link?"
FAQ #15:"I'm going to Vietnam for a month and believe it or not I won't have access to e-mail. What do I do?"
FAQ #16:"I lied. I'm not going to Vietnam at all. Fact is, I have suddenly acquired a life and don't want to read Losernet mail at all anymore. Ever."
FAQ #17: FAQ #17: "What's all this jazz about converting my eGroups account to Yahoo!?"

FOR MORE INFO: http://groups.yahoo.com/help/index.html

 

FAQ #1: "What is Losernet? Some kind of nose hair spray?"

Losernet is an e-mail list that replaces the old-fangled, lengthy list of out-of-date Loser e-mail addresses that you had to copy from one message to another and someLoser always got left out. With Losernet, you only have to remember ONE e-mail address: losernet@yahoogroups.com. EveryLoser who has subscribed to Losernet will receive a copy of your message.

You can view Losernet messages in your choice of

  1. your e-mail inbox as individual messages
  2. your e-mail inbox as a daily, all-in-one-message digest, or
  3. on the web at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/losernet

How much would you pay? Before you answer, here's what else you get by joining Losernet:

  • A calendar of LoserEvents, complete with nagging reminders
  • A private, Losernet-members-only chat room
  • Link and File sharing (favorite web sites, photos, sound files, trivia quizzes, you name it)

 

FAQ #2: "Sounds like a stone groove. How do I join?"

Send an e-mail message to losernet-subscribe@yahoogroups.com that contains your FIRST AND LAST NAME and the Week Number of the last Style Invitational contest that you entered (whether any of your entries got printed or not). The list moderators will evaluate your request and may ask you for further information to ensure that you are clear on who we are and we are clear on who you are.

NOTE: Losernet is NOT approved for all audiences. We reserve the right to refuse subscribe requests from anyone who seems unclear on the whole Loser/NRARS concept. Hey, it's for your own good, really. Trust us: you'd thank us later if you knew what we were saving you from.

Once your subscribe request has been approved, you will receive a highly personal automated greeting and you will be able to post messages to the group.

Current Losernet members may recommend their friends, family members, private brain care specialists and/or parole officers for Losernet membership by e-mailing losernet-owner@yahoogroups.com with the person's name, e-mail address and a brief explanation of who they are and why in the world they want to join.

 

FAQ #3: "So how do I send an e-mail to everyLoser?"

Did we stutter? Address your message to: losernet@yahoogroups.com. That's all. No muss, no fuss. Right, Russ?

You didn't ask but we'll tell you anyway: when replying to Losernet messages, clicking your e-mail program's "Reply" button sends your reply to the sender ONLY. Clicking "Reply to All" sends your reply to the entire group. Be sure to choose wisely.

Oh, and one more thing: If you use the "Reply to All" method, the resulting TO: line will show both the Losernet group address (losernet@yahoogroups.com) AND the address of the Loser who sent the message you are replying to (we really wish Yahoo! Groups would change this). If you do not remove the individual Loser's address, he/she/it will receive your reply twice.

 

FAQ #4: "How do I send an e-mail to just one Loser on the list?"

Open an e-mail message sent by the Loser you wish to send a private e-mail to then use your e-mail program's Reply button (or equivalent thereof). Remember: if you select the "Reply to All" option, your reply will be sent to everyLoser on Losernet.

If the Loser you wish to get in touch with has never sent a message to Losernet, you might try:

  • sending a message to losernet@yahoogroups.com with the subject line "Paging [name of Loser]".
  • seeing if the Loser has included their e-mail address in their Behind the Mucus profile on www.gopherdrool.com

Please do not ask the moderators to provide you with someone else's e-mail address. Some people are very touchy and very private about such things.

 

FAQ #5: "I don't want my inbox cluttered up with Losernet e-mail and neither does my boss. What was that thing about viewing messages on the web instead?"

Losernet messages are archived on our own private corner of the web. (NOT to be confused with www.gopherdrool.com -- that's a different, more public, corner of the web, see FAQ #7). To view Losernet messages on the web you must 1) be a Losernet subscriber and 2) be registered with Yahoo! Groups. Yes, there is a difference between the two. See FAQ #2 for meeting criterion #1 (subscribing to Losernet), follow these steps to meet criterion #2 (registering with Yahoo! Groups):

  1. Go to www.groups.yahoo.com
  2. Click on the "click here to register" link
  3. Complete the form provided (you must select a Yahoo! ID and password and provide your e-mail address, etc. They want your zip code, too, but not your home address, so don't stress) Click on "continue to Yahoo!" link (takes you back to http://groups.yahoo.com/)
  4. Click on "eGroups users Link your accounts here" link and type your e-mail address (the one you are subsribed to Losernet under) in the box marked "Don't have a password? Forgot your password?" then click Continue.
  5. This will trigger an e-mail to you containing an authorization code that you must type in at the next screen. After entering the authorization code, click "Continue". All eGroups lists you subscribed to under the e-mail address you provided in step 4 are now associated with -- and accessible through -- your Yahoo! account. Isn't that exciting?
  6. Repeat Steps 4-5 for any additional e-mail addresses you are subscribed to Losernet under.
  7. Don't start with us about the grammatical structure of the previous sentence.

To set your reading option to "web only/no mail":
Simply send a BLANK e-mail message to losernet-nomail@yahoogroups.com.

You will now have to sign in at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/losernet to read Losernet messages.

To set your reading option to "daily digest":
If your web access is restricted you can opt for a "Daily Digest". You will receive all the day's Losernet messages in a single e-mail in your inbox once a day.

Simply send a BLANK e-mail message to losernet-digest@yahoogroups.com.

No more cluttered inbox yet you can still enjoy the pearls of wisdom posted by your fellow Losers! A wiener-wiener situation!

To set your reading option back to individual e-mails:
Simply send a BLANK e-mail message to losernet-mail@yahoogroups.com. (You saw that one coming, didn't you?)

 

FAQ #6: "Can I send and reply to messages on the web also?"

Does a Catholic bear wear red suspenders?

You can send or read Losernet messages on the web even if your delivery option is set for "Individual E-mails" or "Daily Digest"; likewise you can send messages to Losernet from your e-mail program even if you have your delivery option set for "No Mail/Web Only".

Sign in at http://groups.yahoo.comt (see FAQ #5 for registration instructions), click on the Losernet link, then use the handy-dandy navigation links located on the left side of the screen. To wit:

  • To reply to an existing message: click the Messages link, locate and click on the message you want to reply to then click the Reply link. A compose message window appears. At the "To:" line there is a drop-down box where you can specify if just the sender or the entire Losernet membership will receive your reply.

  • To create a new message: click on the Post link. A compose message window appears, already addressed to Losernet and everything. Type your subject line and message in the appropriate areas then click on Send Message.

 

FAQ #7: "What's the difference between the Losernet web site and that www.gopherdrool.com thing?"

This is confusing to many Losers. Let's see if we can set the record straight:

  • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/losernet is a section of the Yahoo! corporate site. This is a PRIVATE site: you MUST be subscribed to Losernet AND registered with Yahoo! to view items here, see FAQ #5. It is strictly for communication amongst Losers: read and send Losernet e-mail, change your delivery options, add and view LoserEvents, join a chat session in our private chat room and upload or view shared files. The Links section contains URLs added by Losernet members but does not necessarily contain the same links found in Links Losers Like or anywhere else on www.gopherdrool.com.

  • www.gopherdrool.com is the official web site of the Not Ready For The Algonquin Roundtable Society; it is maintained by our own beloved, beleaguered Web Dominatrix. This is a PUBLIC site: ANYONE in the whole wide world with world wide web access can view it and any of itz sub-pages. Here you can find out scads of stuff about the Losers, their favorite contests and activities, read self-penned and sometimes-factual Loser profiles, sing along with the Dueling Losers Band, learn who won past Style Invitational contests with what hilarious entry and for what crappy prize, revisit Ears of days gone by, and click on links to other sites favored by Losers.

To give an example of Public vs. Private, let's say that this month's brunch is being held at Jennifer's house. The Brunch Info page on the public site, www.gopherdrool.com, will have date, time and food-bringing instructions but under Location it will say simply "House of Pain" and under Directions it will say "available on Losernet". This means that to view the street address and driving directions you would have to be a previously-approved Losernet member.

And, no, the two sites can't be combined. That's just the way it is. Live with it.

 

FAQ #8: "My company changed names again and when I tried sending a message to Losernet from my new e-mail address, it bounced. Waaaaaah! Don't you love me anymore?"

Don't be silly. How can we say we don't love you anymore if we never loved you in the first place? Now dry your tears, blow your nose and listen up: you may send messages to Losernet using only the e-mail address(es) that you have registered with Yahoo!. Don't look at us with that hurt puppydog expression; itz Yahoo!'s policy, not ours and itz to prevent spamming, not to make your life a misery.

We may not have much of a life, but we don't spend every hour of every day monitoring Losernet, so we are relieved to report that messages from unregistered e-mail addresses are automatically returned to the sender with an explanation and registration instructions.

Avoid rejection: register all of your e-mail addresses. See FAQ #9

 

FAQ #9: "Ok, ok, I get it already. So how DO I register my additional e-mail addresses?"

You can do this two ways:

  1. The smart way: Associate alternate e-mail address(es) with your Yahoo! account. (You have to be registered with Yahoo! to do this. See FAQ #5) After completing the following steps, you will be able to send messages to Losernet using your alternate e-mail address(es).

    • Sign in at www.groups.yahoo.com with your Yahoo! ID and password.
    • click the "My Preferences" link
    • click the "Edit" button to the right of "Email Accounts"
    • type up to 5 alternate e-mail addresses in the area labeled "Alternate Posting Addresses" (you'll have to scroll down a bit to get there)
    • click the "Save Changes" button
    • yer done!

    OR

  2. The way of the weenie: Send a subscribe request from each e-mail address you wish to add, as per FAQ #2. NOTE: To avoid getting a copy of every Losernet message in each inbox, set some or all of the additional accounts to "web only/no email", as per FAQ #5.

 

FAQ #10: "I forgot my Yahoo! password (or ID)--what should I do? Reboot?"

Yes. Reboot. At least twice. Then go to www.groups.yahoo.com and click on the "Trouble Signing in?" link then click the "Password Request Form" link. You will be guided from there and should have your password e-mailed to you within a few minutes.

NOTE: The list owner and moderators do NOT know what your Yahoo! password is and they cannot change your Yahoo! password for you, so don't even ask.

 

FAQ #11: "I'm having trouble reading Losernet mail. And yes, smartass, I am literate. I'm talking serious technical difficulties here! Will you make a house call to fix it for me? In the middle of the night? What's your home phone number?"

Don't make us laugh, a-hah, a-hah, a-hah.

Seriously, if you experience technical troubles such as -- but not limited to -- your computer's freezing up when you view Losernet mail or the ads that accompany each message cause you problems, or if you experience significant delays in sending or receiving Losernet mail, go to directly to the source: http://help.yahoo.com/help/groups/. Asking us to troubleshoot or relay your complaint to Yahoo! Groups will only delay things, especially if you whine at us in front of the whole group. It's not that we don't care; it's just that all we did to become the Losernet list owner was fill in a form online. The 12-year-olds at Yahoo! Groups hold all the technical healing power.

If flames are coming out of your computer, call 911 then call us so we can come watch. We will bring our own marshmallows.

 

FAQ #12: "I'm in charge of [insert LoserEvent name here]. How do I put the information on that calendar thingy and get it to send an automatic nagging reminder to everyLoser?"

We're so glad you asked that. We appreciate it when others show initiative! To add or view LoserEvents on the Yahoo! Groups calendar thingy, you must be registered with Yahoo!. See FAQ #5.

To add a LoserEvent and set an e-mail reminder:

  1. Sign in at www.groups.yahoo.com and click on the Losernet link.
  2. At the main Losernet screen, click on Calendar
  3. Click the Add Event link at the top of the Day, Week, or Month view of the group Calendar. Or, if you are viewing by day, click any hour to add an item to the calendar. Enter the time, date, description, directions, reminder dates and whatnot for your LoserEvent and click Save.

To view LoserEvent details, just follow steps 1 and 2 above to locate the LoserEvent then click its title.

 

FAQ #13: "How do I use the Chat feature?"

This feature isn't widely used, but when it is it is a hoot and a half. Itz just like being at a brunch only you don't have to drive dozens of miles to get there and (even better) you can trade one-liners with other Losers without having to actually look at them. You must be registered with Yahoo! to use the Chat feature. See FAQ #5 for registration instructions.

  1. Sign in at www.groups.yahoo.com and click on the Losernet link.
  2. At the main Losernet screen, click on Chat
  3. If you are prompted to load the Yahoo! chat client, click Ok
  4. After a few moments (be patient), the Chat applet loads. You can see who else is in the chat room, send private messages, etc.
  5. To quit Chat, select another navigation link from the left hand side of the screen or click on Sign Out to exit Yahoo!.

 

FAQ #14: "How do I upload a file or add a link?"

You must be registered with Yahoo! to add or view files or links. See FAQ #5 for registration instructions.

To upload a file:

  1. Sign in at www.groups.yahoo.com and click on the Losernet link.
  2. At the main Losernet screen, click on Files
  3. Browse through any folders until you find the right place to upload the file. Click Add File.
  4. Type the path name or use the Browse button to find the file on your computer. NOTE: You must know the location of the file on your computer to upload.
  5. Type in a description for the file.
  6. Click the Upload File button. NOTE: File upload only works with Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 3.0 or higher. If you use MSIE v3.0, you will need to download a special software patch from Microsoft.

To add a link:

  1. Sign in at www.groups.yahoo.com and click on the Losernet link.
  2. At the main Losernet screen, click on Links
  3. Browse through any folders until you find the right place to add your link. Click Add link.
  4. Type the URL for the site you wish to share with other Losernet members. (The "http://" part is already there.)
  5. Type in a description of the site.
  6. Click the Add Link button.

     

FAQ #15: "I'm going to Vietnam for a month and believe it or not I won't have access to e-mail. What do I do?"

Here are your options. (Hint: Option B is highly recommended)

  • do nothing and read a month's worth of Losernet messages when you get back,

  • change your delivery option from "Individual E-mails" to "No email" as per FAQ #5 then switch back to "Individual E-mails" upon your return, (with this method you can drop us all a line if you stumble across an Internet cafe in Ho Chi Minh City), or

  • unsubscribe completely from Losernet by sending a BLANK message to losernet-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. DO NOT expect to be re-subscribed automatically upon your return, even if you indicated your return date when you sent the unsubscribe e-mail (what part of BLANK did you not understand?) You must re-subscribe by following the procedure outlined in FAQ #2, but only if you bring each of the list moderators a present.

 

FAQ #16: "I lied. I'm not going to Vietnam at all. Fact is, I have suddenly acquired a life and don't want to read Losernet mail at all anymore. Ever."

Unsubscribe as per FAQ #15, option C. Just don't re-subscribe. Duh!

 

FAQ #17: "What's all this jazz about converting my eGroups account to Yahoo!?"

eGroups has been taken over by Yahoo!, not doubt because being associated with our fine group made eGroups a highly lucrative property. If you only ever read and send Losernet mail from your e-mail program and NEVER use any of the Losernet web features then this change will be transparent to you. You can even continue to address messages to "losernet@egroups.com.

HOWEVER, if you use any of the Losernet web features such as reading or sending Losernet mail online, changing your delivery options, viewing shared photos and files, using chat, etc. you must have a Yahoo! account to log in with. If you already have a Yahoo! account, you can use a conversion utility to link your eGroups account to your existing Yahoo! account. If you don't already have a Yahoo! account, you can use the conversion utility to create a new Yahoo! account and link your old eGroups account to it.

Herez how:

  • IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A YAHOO! ACCOUNT:
    Click on one of the "Convert my eGroups account" links at www.egroups.com and provide your eGroups user ID (i.e. your e-mail address) and eGroups password (see below if you don't remember your eGroups password) then provide your Yahoo! user ID and Yahoo! password. Your old eGroups account will then be linked to your existing Yahoo! account. In future you will log in to www.groups.yahoo.com with your Yahoo! ID and password to view Losernet online.

  • IF YOU DO NOT ALREADY HAVE A YAHOO! ACCOUNT:
    You must sign up for one. Don't stress: itz free and there's no math. An advantage here is that instead of using an e-mail address as your ID like you had to do on eGroups, with Yahoo! you can choose a nickname as your ID, plus which you can associate ALL the individual e-mail addresses you had previously registered with eGroups with a single Yahoo! account. Click on one of the "Convert my eGroups account" links at www.egroups.com and provide your eGroups user ID (i.e. the e-mail address) and eGroups password (see below if you don't remember your eGroups password) then you will be prompted to set up a new Yahoo! account.

  • IF FORGOT YOUR EGROUPS PASSWORD OR IF YOU WERE NEVER REGISTERED WITH EGROUPS BUT WANT TO USE THE YAHOO! GROUPS WEB FEATURES:
    Go to www.egroups.com and click on the "Convert my eGroups account" link and put your e-mail address in the box under "Don't have a password?" then click "Continue". This will trigger an e-mail to you containing an authorization code that you must type in at the next screen. Click "Continue" then proceed to associate your existing Yahoo! account (if you already have one) with your eGroups membership or sign up for a Yahoo! account (if you don't already have one.)

 

FOR MORE INFO: http://groups.yahoo.com/help/index.html


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