[GKES] getting this miniFAQ/resource sheet kicked off

From: Reason (reason@exratio.com)
Date: Mon Jul 21 2003 - 03:00:43 MDT

  • Next message: Reason: "[GKES] figuring out just what everyone is here is doing to bring on a better world"

    So here we are in thread #2. I'm going to stamp these things with [GKES] to
    be kind to those with filters who don't feel like joining in. So please,
    folks, be nice and keep the [GKES] if we're talking about this stuff, ok? :)

    Examples are good, I feel. Far easier for me to demonstrate the sort of
    thing I think we need by showing you how the CR Society
    (www.calorierestriction.org) does this. They post this thing once every week
    or two weeks or so. Copyrighted you'll note, and reproduced completely
    without permission, glee:

    (I continue with my comments afterwards, so scroll down by all means).

    ------------------begin include----------------

    Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2003 18:08:19 -0700
    From: Lynn Martin <dayrain@EARTHLINK.NET>
    Subject: Information for newcomers

        Here are some useful CR Society links (see CONTENTS below).
        Browsing the WEB SITE and/or the FAQs will increase your CR
    sophistication,
    and then if you read whichever List posts interest you most, consulting the
    GLOSSARY now and then along with other info mentioned below, your knowledge
    and
    science savvy will increase.
        Sometimes a post's subject line indicates how technical the post is. If
    you
    see "tech:" right after the "[CR]," the post is probably pretty dense. Some
    CR
    List members are working scientists, and from time to time one of them
    translates some source data into an easier-to-read discussion that benefits
    us
    all.
        Comments/updates welcomed.
        Lynn M., dayrain@earthlink.net.

    CONTENTS (alphabetical):
    -- ANTIOXIDANTS
    -- ARCHIVES (including archive search instructions)
    -- BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
    -- CHAT ROOMS
    -- DIGEST MODE. See SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES
    -- FAQs
    -- GLOSSARY
    -- HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY
    -- POSTING (sending a message to the list)
    -- RECEIVING TOO MANY CR MESSAGES?
    -- RECIPES
    -- RESEARCH STUDY (human, now underway)
    -- SUBSCRIBING
    -- SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES
    -- SUPPLEMENTS
    -- UNSUBSCRIBING
    -- VIDEO / SOUND CLIPS
    -- WEB SITE OF THE CR SOCIETY

    ANTIOXIDANTS
        Although it seems clear that calorie restriction gives greater health
    benefits than supplementation does, many List members take antioxidants as
    dietary SUPPLEMENTS.
        Lester Packer's book /The Antioxidant Miracle/ sets forth his research
    (UC
    Berkeley) and that of others into the human body's antioxidant network, in
    which
    one nutrient regenerates another for sustained power against ROS (Reactive
    Oxygen Species, AKA "free radicals"). The book also tells how genes aren't
    just
    for reproduction. Sections can be read online starting at
    http://tinyurl.com/801h (or at copy-and-paste URL
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0471353116/ref=lib_dp_sp_1/104
    -044
    8161-0042300?v=glance&s=books&vi=slide-show#reader-link).
       Published in 1999, the book fails to make the important newer distinction
    between alpha-lipoic acid (aLA) and R(+)-lipoic acid (R-lipoic, R-LA,
    RLA)--but
    the difference is laid out in the CR Society ARCHIVES.

    ARCHIVES
    To find archives of posts made to this List (or to the CR-Meta list), click
    on
    http://lists.calorierestriction.org/
    or start at the Society's WEB SITE and click on the "Archives" link at the
    top
    of the page.
    Instructions for searching the archives for info on a specific topic are at
    http://lists.calorierestriction.org/cgi-bin/wa?SHOWTPL=SEARCH-HELP&L=crsocieqmai
    ty.

    BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
    -- For a good layman's book discussing genes and antioxidants, see
    ANTIOXIDANTS.
    --*Beyond the 120 Year Diet* by Roy Walford, M.D., tells about the evidence
    showing that CR works, and describes the program in detail, with a good deal
    of helpful information. For more information and online ordering, see
    http://walford.com/books.htm. Please be skeptical, though, where you see
    veal
    meat spoken well of as a food. I suspect the author wasn't aware--most
    people
    aren't--of the excessive cruelty required for veal production
    (www.peta.org/mc/facts/fsveg4.html).
    (See also related reader's comment at the end of this message.)

    CHAT ROOMS
    Chat was crackling for a while but has lessened. There could be a
    renaissance
    at any time. Waiting for a scheduled chat might be the best bet for now --
    watch the List for announcements.
    =====
    IRC Chat Rooms
    --Access IRC chat rooms by starting at the Society's WEB SITE and clicking
    on
    the "Chatroom" link at the top of the page. (Or go directly to
    http://chat.calorierestriction.org.)
    -- A window will appear asking, "Do you want to install and run jIRC
    applet...?"
    Say yes.
    -- In the "Welcome to ... StarChat...." window, change the name in the blue
    Nick
    Name field from "Guest" to your chosen nickname.
    -- Hit "Connect now!"
    -- Type your comments into the long narrow field at the bottom of the chat
    text
    area and press "Enter."
    =====
    ParaChat Chat Room (little used now, I think)
    -- Access ParaChat by clicking on
    http://chat.calorierestriction.org/parachat1.html.
    -- Type whatever alphanumeric "name" you like in the yellow User Name field.
    -- Click "OK, Connect!"
    -- Type your comments into the long narrow field near screen bottom and
    press
    "Enter."

    DIGEST MODE
    See SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES below.

    FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) are answered at
    www.calorierestriction.org/faq_all.htm.

    GLOSSARY
    For a glossary of terms frequently used on the list, click on
    www.calorierestriction.org/CR_Glossary.htm.

    HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY
    There's a brief recent history of Society advances at
    http://www.calorierestriction.org/whatsnew_atTheCRS.htm.

    POSTING
    To post an email message to the list, send your message to
    crsociety@LISTS.CALORIERESTRICTION.ORG.
    REPLYING TO A POST:
      --SAVING SPACE: Clicking "reply" probably appends the whole original
    message
    to your reply. To prevent cluttering up the archives with redundancies,
    edit
    out all but sender, date, subject, and parts of the message that are
    especially
    pertinent to your own message.
      --SUBJECT FIELD: If in replying to a post you add or change even one
    character of the Subject field--even to remove an extra space or correct a
    misspelled word--you make it harder for a future archives reader to follow
    the
    whole thread. (If the discussion's meandered, though, maybe it's time
    to change the Subject field so it describes the new topic.)

    RECEIVING TOO MANY CR MESSAGES?
    If too many posts are flooding into your Inbox, consider changing to digest
    mode
    (see SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES below). Or, if your email reader permits, you can
    set
    up a filter (message handling rule) that automatically routes incoming
    CR posts into a designated folder/directory.

    RECIPES
    The Society's online cookbook automatically calculates a nutrition profile
    for
    each recipe.
    To read recipes, go to
    http://recipes.calorierestriction.org/default.view.
    To have one of yours put online, email it to
    Joe C. (crsociety@diethacker.com).
    (You can enter it yourself, starting at
    http://recipes.calorierestriction.org/AddressBook/signup/signup.view,
    but some difficulties with the process are being worked out.)

    RESEARCH STUDY (human)
    For participation in or information about the Human Calorie Restriction
    Study
    currently underway, go to
    www.calorierestriction.org/our_studies/cr_study_intro.htm.

    SUBSCRIBING
    To start a new subscription to the CR Society's email List,
        (1) Go to "Join or leave the CRSOCIETY list" at
    http://lists.calorierestriction.org/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=crsociety&A=1
        (2) Enter your email address and your name.
        (3) Select the options you want--there's a pertinent discussion under
    SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES below (or leave the default options in place);
        (4) Click "Join the list."
        (5) Wait for a "confirmation request" email message to arrive.
        (6) Click on its link.

    SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES
        You can change from regular mode (receiving lots of separate messages
    every
    day) to a digest mode (receiving just one "digest" containing the day's
    messages) or vice versa. Of the digest formats, the one called "Digest
    (HTML
    format) [HTML DIGEST]" has a nice table of contents and will probably be
    most
    satisfactory unless your browser is quite old.
        Other subscription changes offered involve mail header style, type of
    acknowledgement for posts you send, temporary disabling of CR list mail
    delivery, and address concealment.
        In my experience, the only always-reliable way to make a subscription
    change
    is to unsubscribe (see UNSUBSCRIBING below) and then subscribe again (see
    SUBSCRIBING above), choosing the desired options when you re-subscribe. If
    you
    wait 'til after 10 pm USA Pacific Time, you probably won't miss any posts
    during
    the brief time you're unsubscribed. You can make sure you haven't by
    checking
    with another List member, or by checking the ARCHIVES--though it can take
    some
    days for the archives to be updated.

    SUPPLEMENTS
       Research has uncovered reasons why it's best to obtain nutrients from
    food
    wherever possible. Research also shows that in some cases (antioxidant
    vitamin
    E complex, etc.) food alone can't supply enough. The List and the ARCHIVES
    hold
    discussions of studies done on supplemental molecules including benfotiamin
    (inhibitor of Advanced Glycation Endproduct formation), bone/artery
    nutrients
    vitamin K2 and strontium (non-radioactive!), and some of the ANTIOXIDANTS
    (which
    are not interchangeable!)--as well as dangers involved in supplementing
    certain
    vitamin A and E molecules.
       For more information about demonstrated-value supplements, including
    criteria
    for deciding which companies to trust, and a product/price list for (mostly)
    A*O*R* supplements, contact Lynn Martin at dayrain@earthlink.net.
        Disclaimer: These statements do not reflect Food and Drug
    Administration
    approval of any scientific research, and neither they nor products mentioned
    are
    intended as medical advice/treatment. Each person must make his/her own
    decision about nutritional supplements and would do well to consult research
    reports and well-informed health professional(s).
        Disclosure: The writer of this post is a distributor of anti-aging
    dietary
    supplements, and has a financial interest in this activity.

    UNSUBSCRIBING
        You might consider changing to a "digest" version of the posts, which
    you'd
    receive as just one email message per day (see SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES above).
        If you want to unsubscribe:
        (1) Go to "Join or leave the CRSOCIETY list" at
    http://lists.calorierestriction.org/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=crsociety&A=1
        (2) Enter your email address and click "Leave the list."
        (3) Wait one to fifteen minutes for a "confirmation request" email
    message
    to arrive in your Inbox. (Steps 3 and 4 prevent someone else from
    unsubscribing
    you without permission.)
        (4) Click on the link in the confirmation request to complete the
    unsubscription process.

    VIDEO / SOUND CLIPS
    Downloadable clips of CR Society members in the media are found at
    http://www.calorierestriction.org/whatsnew_CR_in_Media.htm.

    WEB SITE OF THE CR SOCIETY
    For extensive information about CR, click on
    www.calorierestriction.org/index.htm.
    The Web site is undergoing revision and may look cluttered for a while --
    but
    the information is there.
    ------
    Veal is a cruel food: http://www.peta.org/mc/facts/fsveg4.html.
    -----
    For obtaining food that's better from nutritional, social, political,
    economic,
    and ethical standpoints, try researching local sources. The site at
    www.westonaprice.org may help.)
    ------
    Search terms: bones osteoporosis (SUPPLEMENTS)
    Copyright 2003 Lynn Martin
    Distributor of AOR supplements.
    Product list and research information sent upon request.

    ------------------end include------------------

    Oh, and the PETA slipped in there too. All sales pitches. Hmm. Still,
    steering by committee will do that to you.

    Here's the pertinent reductionist points that I think would be useful to
    include in our version of this here miniFAQ:

    1) It points you to places where you can find more information about the
    list hosting organization

    2) It tells you a little bit about the list hosting organization

    3) It tells you a little bit about the list culture, rules and "rules", what
    to expect, how to deal

    4) It points you to places online to read more about what the list is there
    to discuss

    5) It points you to other places online where this topic is also discussed

    6) It answers the few beginner-level questions that can arise; how to
    unsubscribe, answers to the first thing everyone asks, where's the bathroom,
    etc.

    Basically, what we're after is something that jumps you directly from the
    functional equivalent of [clueless newbie who joined after one scan of the
    ExI site] to [someone who's lurked and actually listened for a month or
    two]. I don't think that should be terribly hard to do in two pages or so.
    Very valuable thing to have.

    So, pitch in with comments, because a draft will be coming from me if you
    don't -- and trust me, you don't want that without the comments first.

    Reason
    http://www.exratio.com/



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