🚀 go-pugleaf

jogs wrote:

> On Jun 21, 3:06�pm, David Stevenson <brid...@nospam.demon.co.uk>
> wrote:
> > � � � Advice on style for contributions to rec.games.bridge
> > � � � *****************************************************
> > 
> > Last modified: 2010-06-21
> > 
> > GENERAL
> > � The quality of a newsgroup will benefit if its community adheres
> > to certain conventions in presentation and style. �In this posting
> > we provide some suggestions concerning contributions to
> > rec.games.bridge.  We claim no authority, but hope that
> > contributors to RGB will be able to use these suggestions to their
> > advantage.
> > 
> > � RGB is a text group. �Like chess, RGB has some particular problems
> > due to presenting hands and auctions. �It is all too easy to make
> > your article difficult to read on other members' computers.
> > �However using the formatting tips given herein will avoid such
> > problems and keep discussion flowing smoothly. �There are a few
> > things in particular that recur and should be avoided:
> > 
> > 1) Do not use tabs in formatting as this in particular can ruin hand
> > records with certain news readers.
> > 2) Do not use proportional fonts for the same reason. �(If your
> > reader is presently set to proportional the example deals below
> > will not align correctly).
> > 3) State where you are posting from as the answers to many laws and
> > bidding questions will depend on this.
> > 4) Include the form of scoring and vulnerability if asking how to
> > bid/play a hand.
> > 5) Post using a text format. �No binaries, no HTML, no attachments,
> > no files, no pictures, no music, no MIME documents.
> > 6) When posting complete hands, check and recheck that they have
> > exactly thirteen cards, and that no cards are duplicated between
> > two or more hands.
> > 7) Do not use hands from online bridge games before they have been
> > retired by that game.
> > 
> > � These are discussed in more detail below.
> > 
> > � Richard Pavlicek has also written a Bridge Writing Style Guide
> > with much good advice. �It may be seen
> > athttp://www.rpbridge.net/7z69.htm.  Alternatively you can download
> > a PDF version athttp://www.rpbridge.net/p/7z69.pdf.
> > 
> > INFORMATION ON THE WEB
> > � This posting is not the rgb.FAQ, which was a separate document
> > for the group containing 'frequently asked questions' (FAQ), but is
> > no longer available. �Here is a quick to various online information:
> > 
> > �The Laws of Bridge � � :http://blakjak.org/lws_lnks.htm
> > �International Appeals �:http://home.worldcom.ch/~fsb/appealse.html
> > �ACBL home page � � � � :http://www.acbl.org
> > �Great Bridge Links � � :http://www.greatbridgelinks.com
> > �Bridge Newsgroups � � �:http://blakjak.org/br_ngrps.htm
> > �Online Bridge � � � � �:http://www.greatbridgelinks.com/gblPLAY/
> > �National organisations :http://blakjak.org/brg_lnkn.htm
> > �Rulings forums � � � � :http://blakjak.org/iblf.htm
> > 
> > NETIQUETTE
> > � The newsgroup news.announce.newusers regularly provides an
> > introduction to the general rules and etiquette of net use. �You
> > will find there much commonsense advice: your postings reflect upon
> > you, compose your text carefully, be brief, use a descriptive
> > subject header, summarize previous posts to which you are
> > responding, don't quote more material than is necessary, restrict
> > your lines to 72 characters, sign your articles. �You will find
> > there also a discussion of the disease of mushrooming
> > meta-discussions, suggestions about when to use private email
> > rather than the net, suggestions about ignoring or dealing with
> > postings that are deemed inappropriate, obnoxious or silly, advice
> > about proper procedure in quoting previous posts and private email,
> > and much else.
> > 
> > � It is important that you use a text format and a Fixed Font:
> > details of how to do this with Outlook Express may be found
> > athttp://blakjak.org/out_exp.htm. �Do not use HTML or post MIME
> > documents, and do not include any attachments, so no binaries, no
> > files, no pictures, no music.
> > 
> > � RGB is an international group, and it helps particularly to
> > identify your country in postings, as many issues may be specific
> > to it. �It is polite to give your real name, and Town/City. �A
> > short sigfile such as:
> > 
> > --
> > John B Doe - Cambridge Mass. USA
> > 
> > ... will make replies to your query or point much more meaningful.
> > 
> > � General Netiquette asks you to restrict sigs to maximum 4 text
> > lines.  The special "-- " (3 character line) prefix [called a "sig
> > separator"] allows good news programs to snip out the sig
> > automatically when others reply. �Unfortunately some Microsoft
> > products [eg Hotmail via a web browser] will forcibly change a "--
> > " line in a posting into "--", making the sig separator ineffective.
> > 
> > � When responding to a post you should include enough of the
> > question so that people know to what you are replying but delete
> > enough [called "snipping"] so that people do not have to read large
> > chunks they have already read earlier. �Such editing can be quite
> > an art. �Look over other postings to see what is excessive editing,
> > or clutter from too much repetition. �You should nearly always edit
> > out sigfiles if your reader does not do this.
> > 
> > � Try to snip in such a way as not to misattribute quotations, and
> > especially when quoting someone in order to disagree with them, try
> > not to distort their position through careless cutting.
> > 
> > SUBJECTS
> > � Some people put problems in the subject lines. �For example, the
> > subject might read "What do you bid with AKQx Jxx xxx xxx?".
> > 
> > � If you do this, it is important to repeat the content in the body
> > of the article. �If a hand is included then it is important that is
> > repeated in a way that is easily readable - see next
> > section.
> > 
> > HAND DIAGRAMS
> > � It is helpful to your readers if you follow a minimal standard
> > format when posting a hand or a deal. �Count the cards! �Check
> > there are no duplications! �List the suits in the order S, H, D, C.
> > �In a diagram of four hands, place South at the bottom and
> > rearrange the directions to make South declarer unless there is a
> > special reason not to. �Do not use the tab key to compose a
> > diagram, as the diagram may become misaligned on other people's
> > screens and is very likely to become misaligned if your text is
> > quoted and indented. �If only two hands are shown it may be better
> > to place them side by side as West and East, and a single hand can
> > be specified inline. �Please do not use proportional fonts: this is
> > also important.
> > 
> > � The exact distribution of small cards is often relevant for
> > signalling and for communication between the hands, so please do
> > not use xx's to represent small cards when discussing a play
> > problem, and in a bidding problem use xx's only when they may truly
> > be understood to represent the smallest cards in the suit. �If you
> > are posting a deal from actual play and you've forgotten all the
> > small cards, then it may be best to make them up in some way so
> > that this newsgroup has a precisely specified problem to consider.
> > 
> > � There are some defensive problems where one wants to "filter out"
> > signalling issues, emphasizing inferences from bidding and
> > declarer's play. �In such cases, use of xx's may avoid peripheral
> > concerns.
> > 
> > � Here are some minor points to improve readability. �The symbol
> > "T" for 10 is common and its use is recommended, particularly if
> > you don't use spaces between cards. �In the auction, use P or Pass
> > and X or Dbl rather than PASS and DBL. �A vertical layout for the
> > suits in the North and South hands is difficult to read, please
> > don't use that format. �Cards are always specified suit first and
> > bids level first (so D2 is a card and 2D is a bid or contract).
> > �Please capitalize the symbols AKQJT and use lower-case "x" for the
> > unspecified small cards.
> > 
> > � When recapping the auction, make sure that East's bids are to the
> > right of West's, else readers may associate the bids with the wrong
> > hand. �The recommended format is to list the bids in four columns
> > in the order W-N-E-S. �Note all alertable bids and explain the bid
> > in context.  Do not explain a bid by convention name if it is not
> > one of the standard bids or if you play some variation that is not
> > standard. �You can avoid confusion by describing a bid rather than
> > naming it.
> > 
> > � Some people have small screens, and it is helpful if they do not
> > have to continually scroll up and down to read a hand. �Thus a
> > helpful diagram is quite small. �Height tends to be more of a
> > problem than width and the example below (in a 72 character width)
> > will be legible almost anywhere. �Note that if its columns don't
> > line up then your news program needs setting to fixed font!
> > 
> > �-------------------------------------------------------------------
> > ---- �Brd: 1 � � � � � S KT83 � �Pairs � � | �W � � � N � � � E � �
> > � S �Dlr: N � � � � � H A5 � � � � � � � �| � � � � �1C(1) � P � �
> > � 1H(2) �Vul: NS � � � � �D AJ62 � � � � � � �| �P � � � P � � � P
> > � � � � � � � � � C J73 � � � � � � � |
> > � � � � �S A97 � � � � � �S J652 � � �|
> > � � � � �H T832 � � � � � H K7 � � � �|
> > � � � � �D KT75 � � � � � D 943 � � � | (1) alerted, explained only
> > as � � � � �C 98 � � � � � � C KQ65 � � �| � � "could be short"
> > � � � � � � � � � S Q4 � � � � � � � �|
> > �Opening � � � � �H QJ964 � �Result: �| (2) less than 10 points,
> > � lead: D5 � � � �D Q8 � � � �+140 NS | � � non-forcing, not alerted
> > � � � � � � � � � C AT42 � � � � � � �|
> > 
> > � �N/S are playing a system where you need a five card suit to open
> > 1D, �1H or 1S. �1C is marked as forcing, 13-15 if balanced.
> > �-------------------------------------------------------------------
> > ----
> > 
> > � Play problems where only two hands are shown are easier to read if
> > declarer is shown as West and dummy as East. �For example:
> > 
> > � � � � A97 � � � � � � J652 � � �| � West deals and opens 1NT.
> > � � � � AT32 � � � � � �K7 � � � �| Everyone passes and North leads
> > � � � � KT75 � � � � � �943 � � � | H5. �How do you play?
> > � � � � J8 � � � � � � �KQ65 � � �|
> > 
> > ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
> > � When you post a bidding problem, supply the method of scoring, the
> > vulnerability and the position of the dealer. �Do this even if you
> > think the information is superfluous; it seldom is, and takes up
> > very little space.
> > 
> > � When you post a play problem, always state the contract, lead,
> > and who is declarer. �Even if it is obvious [for example if the
> > bidding is given] this aids clarity. �The declarer is
> > ...
> > 
> > read more �
> ***
> 2) Do not use proportional fonts for the same reason.  (If your reader
> is presently set to proportional the example deals below will not
> align
> correctly).
> ***
> 
> Which font do you suggest?

If you're reading through Google Groups, your choices may be limited.

A news reader program should let you choose from any font available to
your computer OS (eg on Windows, I prefer Lucida Console over Courier
New).

-- 
Steve Foster
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