Biomch-L posting format

Plain text only!

Biomch-L postings must be submitted as plain text.  This means:

• No attachments
• No RTF or HTML formatting

If you accidentally submit the wrong format, the server will notify you. 

The most recent version of the LISTSERV software appears to convert HTML to plain text, rather than reject the posting.  This conversion inserts blank lines between paragraphs.  If you created paragraph breaks in HTML by hitting <Enter> twice, your mail software may have created two paragraph breaks.  After LISTSERV's conversion to plain text , there will be three blank lines between paragraphs!  Similarly, if you used <Enter> to force a line break, you will find an extra blank line between the lines.  To avoid this, either use proper HTML formatting to create paragraph and line breaks, or send your message as plain text.  Plain text is recommended.  You can always verify the quality of the format conversion at the proofreading stage.

How to type your E-mail as plain text

When typing text in your E-mail software, you can usually generate plain text by going to the "Format" menu, and selecting "Plain Text".  Plain text will usually appear on your screen in Courier (typewriter) font such as this.  If you already have formatted text in your mail composition window, the same menu button will usually convert it to plain text.

Text from Word etc.

If you wish to post text that was originally written in a word processor, the best method is to higlight the text in Word, and use Copy and Paste to transfer the text to your E-mail software.  Then, while in Plain Text mode, finish the formatting before you submit the posting.  Some formats that work well on the printed page do not work well in E-mail messages.  For example, left-justified text looks much better than centered text.

Word wrapping

It is best to write without using the Enter key within a paragraph.  Pressing the Enter key will cause a "hard" line break.  When someone reads your text in a window that is too narrow for your lines, the lines will be fragmented.  It is recommended to unly use the Enter key at the end of a paragraph, and press the Enter key twice to create a blank line between paragraphs.

Links and URLs

It is recommended to use hyperlinks whenever appropriate.  While in plain text mode, type hyperlinks like this: http://www.biomch-l.org.  A subscriber's E-mail software will usually convert this to a clickable link.  If not, they can still copy the URL into their web browser's address bar.

Submit the posting

When you are done composing the posting, e-mail it to Biomch-L@nic.surfnet.nl.

Proofread your posting

After submitting your posting, LISTSERV will send you first an e-mail to confirm that the message originated from you.  This is an anti-spam measure.  Your posting will be in the attachment.  Before clicking on the confirmation link, it is a good idea to proofread the attachment, to make sure that the formatting has not been lost during the conversion by LISTSERV.  If you find a formatting problem, do not confirm the posting.  Instead, correct the problem, using the instructions on this page, and resubmit the posting. If you still have problems, contact Biomch-L-Request@nic.surfnet.nl for assistance.