Hello,

This email is automatically sent to every new poster to comp.infosystems.www.authoring.cgi. You should only receive it once. My apologies if the program contacts you twice, perhaps at two different accounts. This is not a flame, only an attempt to help newcomers get the most out of the newsgroup.

If you are an experienced CGI programmer who simply has not posted before, I apologize for inconveniencing you with this message. Keep in mind that it is intended to help inform newcomers and cut down on redundant posts, which you then won't have to read. Some of the resources in it may prove useful to you anyway, however.

Please look at the following resources, which will often answer your questions without the need to post at all. Every post to the newsgroup consumes the time and effort of readers all over the world, and your cooperation is essential to make the newsgroup useful for everyone.

Thanks!

* * *

1. Check out Marc Hedlund's CGI Frequently Asked Questions list. See the following URL:

http://www.best.com/~hedlund/cgi-faq/

2. The World Wide Web FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions, with Answers) answers many, many questions about the World Wide Web in general. See the following URL:

http://www.boutell.com/faq/

3. Many CGI programmers use Perl. If you have a general Perl question that isn't really a CGI-specific question, check out the Perl FAQ:

http://www.perl.com/perl/faq/

4. If you don't know what a URL is, this fairly technical newsgroup probably is not for you. Check out the FAQ posting regularly made to the newsgroup comp.infosystems.www.misc to learn more about what the web is and how to use it. If you're not clear on what a newsgroup is or how to find a group that discusses your interests, please check out news.announce.newusers, where information about newsgroups in general is posted regularly.

5. Read the newsgroup first to see if your question has already been answered.

6. If you do post to the newsgroup, give as many details as possible. After you post, read the newsgroup for a week or two to see all replies to your posting. If you must, ask for responses by email and offer to post a summary if others are interested in the answer to your question.

7. Remember, USENET newsgroups are based on the idea of mutual aid. USENET only works if we put as much into it as we get out of it. Good luck with your CGI work.

-Tom Boutell, World Wide Web FAQ Maintainer