[microsound] explanation for those who are new here

[Kim Cascone]

an explanation as to how our community works:

we have two email lists
'microsound'
which you are reading now
and the 'microsound-announce' list
where you can post promotional announcements

if you are reading this post then you sub'd to the microsound list  
via the microsound.org site

on that website you will find along with the ability to sub/unsub to/ 
from this list
a box of red text that outlines the rules for posting -- please read  
this!
it never ceases to amaze me how many people completely overlook this  
important bit of text
even though it is in BOLD RED TYPE

Once you are a member of this list
you will then (and only then) have access to the project repository

Paulo enters the email address (by hand) you used to sub to the list  
with into a database of list members allowed to access the repository
when you log into the repository it checks your email address against  
this database

if your email address matches you are then allowed access
if you are using a different email address then you will not be  
allowed access

yes this process could be automated - thanks for the suggestion ;)
but since we are a small team of volunteers
things like coding new features to the microsound site take a back  
seat to doing things like earning a living, raising kids, food  
shopping etc
so things move along at a pace that the three of us can handle

and when I say 'the three of us' this is shorthand for 'Paulo and  
John do the heavy lifting, getting code written and server issues  
resolved'
and I appreciate their hard work very very much and we would be  
seriously lost without them
***so please remember to thank these two very talented and wise  
gentlemen as often as possible! ***

also please note:
-- the time between you sub'ing to the list and being awarded access  
to the repository isn't instantaneous 
it can take a while depending on Paulo's or John's schedule

anyway, I hope that clears up some of the mysteries of microsound for  
the n00bz among us ;)