Detailed Version:

"Of the most recognized and much worshiped manifestations of God as Avatar, that of Zarathustra is the earliest — having been before Ram, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad. Thousands of years ago, he gave to the world the essence of Truth in the form of three fundamental precepts — Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds. These precepts were and are constantly unfolded to humanity in one form or another, directly or indirectly in every cycle, by the Avatar of the age as he leads humanity, imperceptibly, toward the Truth. To put these precepts of Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds into practice is not as easily done as it would appear, though it is not impossible. But to live up to these precepts honestly and literally is apparently as impossible as it is to practice a living death in the midst of life."

~~Avatar Meher Baba, "Highest of the High."

  1. Who is Meher Baba?
  2. Is there more than one listserv?
  3. What is the purpose of the Baba listserv?
  4. What is the purpose of the Baba-talk listserv?
  5. What is the purpose of the Quotes Only listserv?
  6. Is there any other way to receive a daily Baba quote?
  7. What are the ethical guidelines for participation?
  8. Are the three listservs moderated?
  9. Has anyone ever been moderated?
10. Has anyone ever been banned?
11. Can I ban people from the listserv myself?
12. Can I post pictures of Meher Baba?
13. Can I post messages in HTML or RTF formats?
14. Are subscribers allowed to use aliases and nicknames?
15. Is posting of private messages appropriate behavior?
16. Is it alright to use vulgar language or call people names?
17. I'm angry, what now?
18. If I observe someone behaving in an inappropriate manner, what should I do?
19. What is the digest? How do I subscribe to it?
20. How do I change my password?
21. How do I unsubscribe?
22. How do I put my subscription on No Mail?
23. Do the listservs have available archives?

*** 1 *** Who is Meher Baba?

Meher Baba was born on February 25, 1894, in Poona, India. His given name is Merwan Sheriar Irani, and the name Meher Baba, which means "Compassionate Father" was later given to Him by His Mandali (disciples). Meher Baba is the Avatar, which refers to His status as the head of the Spiritual Hierarchy. He is also called the Ancient One, the One who descends to earth again and again, age after age, to dispense Love to a starving humanity. He is the Messiah, the Holy Prophet, the first soul to complete all stages of evolution, reincarnation and involution and achieve full spiritual awakening, which is union with God. His recent incarnations include Zarathustra (Zoroaster), Ram, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad. Meher Baba dropped His body in 1969, and, as is the occurrence with the Christ of every Age, Meher Baba's Manifestation is currently underway. Meher Baba is as accessible to each of us now as He was when He was walking among us.

For further information see Avatar Meher Baba Anthology

*** 2 *** Is there more than one listserv?

Divinenet offers three listservs. They are:

Baba listserv
Baba-talk listserv
Quotes Only listserv

*** 3 *** What is the purpose of the Baba listserv?

The Baba listserv began in Autumn of 1994 to distribute a daily Meher Baba quote, as well as announcements of interest to the Meher Baba community as a whole. It is not intended as a forum for discussion or personal messages, or for news that does not personally relate to Meher Baba. The volume of traffic is kept very low in consideration of subscribers who prefer to receive few messages.

Acceptable posts to the Baba listserv include: quotes and stories, book and music release announcements, announcements from or about the Mandali, prayer requests.

Commentary on any of the above should be directed privately to the original poster, or conducted on the Baba-talk listserv.

*** 4 *** What is the purpose of the Baba-talk listserv?

The Baba-talk listserv is dedicated to Avatar Meher Baba; it was created in 1995 to provide a forum for followers of Meher Baba to share experiences, ideas, post news and events, and to discuss the life and teachings of Avatar Meher Baba. It is not intended to be a chat room or group therapy session. There are other venues and media for those types of activities. All are welcome to join. Please feel free to post questions about Meher Baba to the readership.

*** 5 *** What is the purpose of the Quotes Only listserv?

The Quotes Only listserv sends out one quote relating to Meher Baba per day, and nothing else. Subscriber posting on this list is not allowed.

*** 6 *** Is there any other way to receive a daily Baba quote?

Yes, you can subscribe to the RSS newsfeed which is located at the lower left corner of the Avatar of the Age website. Click the small orange XML graphic.

The RSS newsfeed to enter into your newsfeed reader is: http://www.avatarmeherbaba.org/channel.xml

Recommended free-of-cost newsfeed readers for Windows are Awasu, Feedreader, Serence KlipFolio and others; for Linux, Evolution, rssowl and others. For more information about newsfeed readers, see: Explanation of RSS, How You Can Use It.

*** 7 *** What are the ethical guidelines?

Netiquette is the name for ethical guidelines for online behavior. The following guidelines are based on the "Core Rules of Netiquette" from Virginia Shea's well-known book, Netiquette.

7.1. Remember the human: Make your point, but do not insist on it. Say what you would in an email, the same way you would interact in the physical presence of that person. Remember that Meher Baba is present in this interaction, and act accordingly.

7.2. Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in your everyday offline life: Some people think that a lower standard of ethics or personal behavior is acceptable in cyberspace. It is not. Act the same way on line as you would in Meherabad or at any other Meher Baba Center.

7.3. Know where you are in cyberspace: Baba's directives emphasize the ills of backbiting and gossip. These activities may be prevalent in chat rooms, therapy sessions and elsewhere, but they are not appropriate here.

7.4. Respect other people's time and bandwidth: When you post to a listserv, you are taking up other people's time with your email. Try to be responsible, and ensure that the time they spend reading your posting isn't wasted. Try also not to repeat your point again and again. Once it has been stated, it is already out there.

7.5. Know what you're talking about and make sense: Check your facts. Improper information may be absorbed by some unsuspecting reader, and be considered gospel.

7.6. Share expert knowledge: Please share information about what you know, especially personal experiences with Baba and the Mandali. This is why we are here.

7.7. Help keep flame wars under control: "Flaming" is what people do when their opinions get the better of them. Use tact and control. Flaming is not acceptable behavior on the Meher Baba listservs.

7.8. Respect other people's privacy: Don't go through other listees' desk drawers. Although people are responsible for what they say, dredging up personal information and irrelevant statements from other venues and presenting them to the readership to discredit a listee is not appropriate. People change and grow. Never post a private email on a public forum without the express permission of its author.

7.9. Don't abuse your power: If you believe you have greater knowledge than another person, express that information in a dignified manner. If you believe you have greater knowledge of list etiquette than others, please refrain from asserting your superiority.

7.10. Be forgiving of other people's mistakes: There is no need to correct other people's mistakes publicly. If someone has a problem with grammar or spelling, or posts what you consider to be a stupid question or an overly verbose answer, be forgiving. Be kind and polite. Give the offender the benefit of the doubt. Pointing out Netiquette violations are often examples of poor Netiquette in and of themselves. If you have a problem with someone on the list, please don't point fingers or take the situation into your own hands. Contact one of the administrators, privately, and they will handle the situation to the best of their ability.

*** 8 *** Are the three listservs moderated?

Definition of a moderated mailing list (from NetLingo.com): "A mailing list that is screened by a moderator. The messages are sent to the list owner first, so the moderator can review and approve them before they're distributed to subscribers."

The Baba listserv is moderated. The Baba-talk listserv is not moderated. If a subscriber behaves in gross disregard of the ethical guidelines, that person will be reminded, and if s/he proves unresponsive, will be individually moderated.

The Quotes only listserv is not open to messages from individuals.

*** 9 *** Has anyone ever been moderated?

Yes. When by persistent disruptive behavior an individual or small group takes over the listserv for its own agenda and change its tone and focus, the majority of subscribers abandon it as unusable and uninteresting. When this happens, the offenders are requested to desist. If uncooperative, they are warned and then finally put on moderated status, which means that his or her posts are reviewed by the administrators before submission to the readership until the list returns to its primary focus, which is Meher Baba.

*** 10 *** Has anyone ever been banned?

Yes. People with critical attitudes have joined our list and endeavored to teach us how we should relate with Meher Baba. They have worked diligently in an endeavor to distract the readership from its primary focus on the Avatar. Those who come for purposes other than the appreciation of the Avatar will eventually find themselves unwelcome and they will be asked to leave. Since there have been few such instances, considerable latitude has been given before they were asked to unsubscribe.

*** 11 *** Can I ban people from the listserv myself?

Yes. Virtually all mailing programs have systems for automatically eliminating incoming messages from unwanted correspondents. Usually it is very easy, often as simple as right-clicking on the message and choosing "Make a rule" or "Make a filter" by name, address and other criteria. If not in the context menu, look in the "Tools" drop-down menu. It works! Try it!

*** 12 *** Can I post pictures of Meher Baba?

Please don't. Graphics are not suitable for the listserv. They clog the digest format with reams of unreadable "garbage." If you would like to share a photo or graphic, please place the picture on a website and inform the listserv readership where they can view it. If you do not have access to a website, post a message to the list, offering to send the photo or graphic image via private email.

*** 13 *** Can I post messages in HTML or RTF formats?

Please don't. Both HTML and RTF formatted messages are not well received on the listserv. They display messy tags in digest format as well as in the archives, making them difficult to read. The inclusion of an HTML copy of your message trebles its size and clutters the digest and archives with an unnecessary second copy. If you are unable to turn off the HTML function in your mailer, we will help you change it. If you are posting from Yahoo.com, choose the Plain Text option in the message composer. Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) support only HTML. Please contact one of the administrators, who will help you through the process if it is possible to arrange with your ISP.

*** 14 *** Are subscribers allowed to use aliases and nicknames?

Yes. Some people prefer anonymity, and we honor that right. We do, however, encourage the use of real names, as it makes the readership more comfortable.

*** 15 *** Is posting of private messages appropriate behavior?

Absolutely not. What is sent to you backchannel was entrusted to you by the sender, and to post it publicly would be in very bad taste. Sometimes people make mistakes and hit the Send button inadvertently; please try to remember to check the "Send To:" field on your email before sending your post.

*** 16 *** Is it okay to use vulgar language?

This is a spiritual forum, dedicated to the Avatar of the Age. Using language that you would not use in Baba's presence is discouraged. If you feel passionately about a certain word, and insist on using it, please disguise it by replacing some of its letters with asterisks. These are family listservs; youths and children read them.

*** 17 *** I'm angry, what now?

Please do not punish the entire listserv! Consider whether you are being manipulated by a troll — an individual who regularly posts specious arguments, flames, or personal attacks to a discussion list for no other purpose than to annoy someone or disrupt a discussion. Trolls are recognizable by the fact that they have no real interest in learning about the topic at hand; they simply want to utter flame bait (reference: The Joy of Linux by Michael Hall and Brian Proffitt).

According to another well-known source of information at "Beware the Troll" a troll is in essence a person who aims to have 'pleasure' at your expense. They may be people who are psychologically disturbed, and seek to feel good by making other list members feel bad. This is a sort of "psycho troll," whose deception involves deceiving themselves as well as others. In this respect, they are no different from the sorts of people we meet in everyday life who are disturbed — some of them are easy to spot, and others aren't.

• gaining credence for false and invidious ideas
• driving bona fide list members, and/or particular groups, out of the mailing list
• dominating the list with messages/posts that they have generated
• gaining recognition or an award for their trolling from fellow trollers
• getting reprimanded by individuals, list managers or internet authorities
• gaining the confidence, trust and support of bona fide list members
• distracting list members from their own bona fide discussions or objectives.
• gaining attention that they cannot get using their real personalities

What's the best way of dealing with these sorts of trolls? Ignore them. Filter the thread to automatic deletion (Killfile it!) Others will join in, undoubtedly — but the more people ignore it, the better. Even by acknowledging to the troll that you know what it is ("You are a Troll! Go away!") will boost his ego. Like the best way of winning a fight, the best way of beating a Troll is to not get involved. That way, you can't get hurt. So, in brief...

BE CALM — Don't rise to their antagonising attitude.
DON'T LOWER YOURSELF TO THEIR LEVEL — Don't start throwing insults at them. It's what they want.
PAY A COMPLIMENT — It is the last thing they are expecting -- and the opposite of what they want.
ENCOURAGE THEM TO JOIN IN — Let them know they have valid points, and make their faults seem like yours.
But, above all else, USE YOUR KILLFILE — Set up a filter or rule that automatically deletes their incoming messages. The ability to do that is there for a reason, and it is your most powerful weapon.

*** 18 *** If I observe someone behaving in an inappropriate manner, what should I do?

Please do not take matters into your own hands. Bring it to the attention of one of the administrators.

*** 19 *** What is the digest? How do I subscribe to it?

A subscriber in digest mode receives one email each day, which contains all the messages for the entire day as a single text document.

To subscribe to the digest on the Baba listserv, go to Baba Listserv Information Page.

Scroll down to the last entry, which is labeled "Edit Options." Type your password and click on "Edit Options."

To subscribe to the digest on the Baba-talk listserv, go to Baba-talk Listserv Information Page.

Scroll down to the last entry, which is labeled "Edit Options." Type your password and click on "Edit Options."

If you do not remember your password, enter your subscription address and your password will be sent to you immediately.

If you have trouble with this procedure, contact an administrators, who will be happy to do this for you. Babakijai "at" yahoo "dot" com or frank "dot" bloise "at" gmail "dot" com

*** 20 *** How do I change my password?

For the Baba listserv, go to Baba Listserv Information Page.

Scroll down to the last entry, labeled "Edit Options." Type your password and click "Edit Options."

For the Baba-Talk listserv go to Baba-talk Listserv Information Page.

Scroll down to the last entry, labeled "Edit Options." Type in your password and click "Edit Options."

If you don't remember your password, enter your subscription address and your password will be emailed to you immediately.

If you have trouble with this procedure, contact an administrator, who will be happy to do this for you. Babakijai "at" yahoo "dot" com or frank "dot" bloise "at" gmail "dot" com

*** 21 *** How do I unsubscribe?

For the Baba listserv go to: Baba Listserv Information Page.

Scroll down to the last entry, which is labeled "Edit Options." Type your password and click on "Edit Options."

For the Baba-Talk listserv go to: Baba-talk Listserv Information Page.

Scroll down to the last entry, which is labeled "Edit Options." Type your password and click on "Edit Options."

If you do not remember your password, enter your subscription address and your password will be sent to you immediately.

If you have trouble with this procedure, contact an administrator, who will be happy to do this for you. Babakijai "at" yahoo "dot" com or frank "dot" bloise "at" gmail "dot" com

*** 22 *** How do I put my subscription on No Mail?

For the Baba listserv go to: Baba Listserv Information Page.

Scroll down to the last entry, which is labeled "Edit Options." Type your password and click on "Edit Options."

For the Baba-Talk listserv go to: Baba-talk Listserv Information Page.

Scroll down to the last entry, which is labeled "Edit Options." Type your password and click on "Edit Options."

If you do not remember your password, enter your subscription address and your password will be sent to you immediately.

If you have trouble with this procedure, contact an administrator, who will be happy to do this for you. Babakijai "at" yahoo "dot" com or frank "dot" bloise "at" gmail "dot" com

*** 23 *** Do the listservs have available archives?

Yes, for the archives of the Baba listserv go to: Baba Listserv Information Page.

Type your subscription email address and password. Click on "Let me in."

For the Baba-Talk archives go to: Baba-talk Listserv Information Page.

Type your subscription email address and password. Click on "Let me in."

If you have trouble with this procedure, contact an administrator, who will be happy to walk you through the procedure.