This website hosts a discussion list for owners and fans
of 48-52 Ford trucks. It's called The Bonus Built List
and joining is quick, easy, and free. Note, the list is extremely
low traffic since the Message Boards came along. Quicker answers and
more rubust discussions are there. The mailing list exists for people
who are living in the past--for some reason some people hate message
boards.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Updated December 30, 2003
Q: Who can join this list?
A: Anybody, though it helps if you have an interest in old
Ford trucks.
Q: How do I subscribe?
A: Visit the web control
panel and follow the direcctions.
.Q: How do I post to the list?
A: Send an email to bonusbuilt@bonusbuilt.com.
You must be subscribed in order to post. Use this address whether you
are on the live or digest list.
Q: How do I unsubscribe?
A: Visit the web control
panel and follow the direcctions.
Q: Is there a digest available?
A: Yes, though the list sends out so few messages that the
digest seems silly. It's there if you want to use it however. Visit the
web control
panel and follow the direcctions.
Q: What is the difference between the live and digest list?
A: Subscribers to the live list receive messages one by one
as they are posted to the list. Digest subscribers receive messages bundled
together every few days.
Q: How often are digests sent out?
A: Every 7days or when about 30k of messages have accumulated,
whichever comes first. Since the list generates so few messages, count
on a digest about every 6 months.
Q: Are there archives available?
A: Yes, but only beginning with January 2004. Previous archives
are unfortunately no longer available.
Q: What is acceptable/unacceptable to talk about on this
list?
A: Anything and everything is fair game. The list topic
is 48-52 Ford trucks, so most people would probably prefer that the posts
had something to do with that. However there is no punishment for
discussing other subjects.
Q: Everytime I send a message to the list it bounces. What's
going on?
A: It's probably one of two things. 1.) You're not subscribed
to the list. You must be subscribed in order to post. 2.) You are subscribed
with 1 email address and trying to post with another (from work, friend's
house, etc). You have to post from the address you're subscribed with
(though you can subscribe under as many addresses as you like).
Q: I use AOL and my messages are rejected by the list
server.
A: This shouldn't be a problem anymore, but if it is then
try to disable HTML formatting. Bonusbuilt.com's advice is to dump
aol and get a decent isp whether you're having trouble posting or
not. For detailed information on the problem and troubleshooting it, click
here.
Q: Are there any guidelines for posting to the list?
A: You bet! Don't waste your time with HTML formatting or
attachments. Attachments will be stripped and HTML will be converted to
plain text. These are security measures, but also ensure that messages
use less resources. Also, please do not quote excessively.
Q: Is it okay to send pictures or other attachments to the
list?
A: No. The list will reject any message with an attachment.
If you have a picture that you want to share, please upload it to bonusbuilt.com's
photo gallery or message board--they both permit uploading.
Q: Why the bias toward text only posting?
A: There are a few reasons but basically plain text is compact
and is guaranteed to be forward and backward compatible with all known
mail software. There are also security issues with HTML messages.
Q: Isn't this a lot more restrictive than the old ListBot
list?
A: Absolutely. The difference between this list and the old
list is that this one runs on my domain and I have to manage the resources
it uses. I could care less if we hogged up ListBot's (aka Microsoft's)
resources by archiving messages with attachments and massive over quoting.
Those things pose a serious problem now that I'm paying the bills.
Q: I don't like what user so-and-so is posting, can you
make him stop?
A: Yes and no (but mostly no). I do have the power
to remove individuals from the list, but I am not anxious to do so.
People have the right to post what they want and you have the right
not to read messages by people whose opinions bother you. Setting up email
filters is easy enough to do. As a teacher I spend a lot of my time
resolving other people's conflicts. I don't expect to have to come
home and do the same for adults who are capable of solving their own problems.
I do feel it fair to warn everybody that Big Brother is watching you.
The FBI does monitor email that meets certain criteria. That is not a
paranoia-driven urban legend. People who post about guns, bombs, and terrorist
activities will find themselves banned from the list. These are the types
of things that the Feds keep an eye out for and I don't want to be connected
in any way with a possible Unabomber II.
Q: What if my 49 F1 has a 350, 12 bolt rear, Camaro front
clip, and a tilt wheel?
A: It doesn't matter who made the parts in your truck, as
long as you drive it with pride. This list does not discriminate
against perfectly good trucks just because the owner chose to use non
Ford parts.
Q: Help! I need a NOS passenger side door for my 72
Camaro. HELP!
A: You don't pay much attention to what you're reading, do
you? Though you are allowed to post whatever you like, messages like this
are likely to bring you the electronic equivalent of a storm of spit balls.
Q: I'm going on vacation for a few days and don't want to
flood my mailbox. Can I suspend my subscription while I'm gone?
A: No. You can either unsubscribe entirely or subscribe to
the digest. The list generates so few messages that this shouldn't be
a problem, however.
Q: How can I reach a human if I have a problem with the
list?
A: Visit the web control
panel and follow the direcctions.
Q: What happened to the BonusBuilt list on ListBot.
A: That list no longer exists, for that matter neither does
ListBot. It was frequently slow and didn't provide me with enough administrative
control. The list was moved to the bonusbuilt.com server September 1,
2000. If you were on the ListBot list at that time you should have been
automatically moved to the new list. If you weren't then see subscription
info below.
Q: Jesus Christ, this mailing list sounds like a Class-A pain in the
ass! Isn't there something better?
A: You bet! The message boards are bigger, better, and easier. It's also
unrelated to email so there are no security issues.
Q: If the mailing list is such a loser, why does it still exist?
A: Why were you born with an appendix? Why does your PC still come with
a floppy drive and serial ports? You don't use any of them. Back in the
early 1990's a Majordomo list was cutting edge and the webmaster still
has a fondness for mailing lists.
Q: Any final suggestions?
A: Yes. Obtain and use (frequently) a good quality anti virus
program. Be sure to keep it current too. I can't stress that enough. Although
the list strips attachments you still will have list members' email addresses,
which opens them up to infections. The last thing you want to do is infect
your trucking buddies. Users of Microsoft Outlook (i.e. LookOut Express)
should be especially careful because the virus writers are targeting you
most of all--thanks for the security, Microsoft. I strongly recommend
a comprehensive package like Norton AntiVirus, but I realize that
some people won't pay the money for one, so I'll point you toward AVG,
which can be had for free. http://www.grisoft.com.
Alternately, viruses are completely non-existant on Mac OS X and Linux.
That might be a bit of a life change for most people though.
Q: Where does a 400 pound gorilla sit?
A: Anywhere he wants.
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