Sprinkler Forum

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the purpose of the Forum?

The SprinklerForum exists as a general email forum for the discussion of fire sprinkler technical issues, codes issues, and standards requirements. We have over 700 participants who signed up for the technical discussions. Subjects that are not appropriate for discussion are general business issues, business or employment solicitations, and personal comments not related to technical issues.

2. Is the forum moderated?

Several employees of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (the forum sponsor) are active readers or participants in the Forum. The Forum has two staff administrators. We tend to be somewhat tolerant so that we don’t inhibit discussions, so we don’t moderate/approve every message posted to the Forum. However, violations of the rules may earn you a warning, and continued flagrant violations will result in a ban from posting messages.

3. I receive messages, but I can’t post or reply to messages. Why?

A common problem. The list server software keeps a database of everyone who is subscribed and allowed to post messages. This is based on the email address from which you originally subscribed. If the list server doesn’t recognize your email address, it won’t post your messages. Sometimes people sign up for the forum and later change their email address. They have their email accounts set up to forward email from their old address to their new address. If you try to post a message from an address that differs from the address from which you originally subscribed, the system will not accept your message for posting. It will bounce.

4. I know my subscriber address is current and hasn’t changed, but the Forum still rejects messages I have tried to post.

In order to keep the SprinklerForum free from viruses and not spread viruses to other subscribers, we do not allow attachments to messages – and that includes graphics associated with a signature line. Maybe you think your message is just standard text, but if you have a nice company logo graphic in your signature line, your message will probably not get through. Another reason for message bouncing is that some messages are sent with stylized text – bold, italics, fancy fonts, etc. Because the information about this kind of stylized text is usually contained in an ‘invisible’ attachment, the SprinklerForum list software chokes on it and rejects it. So, to insure that your messages get through and get read by our 700+ subscribers, make sure your messages is standard text without any graphic elements or attachments.

5. Sometimes I don’t receive messages that are posted to the Forum. What gives?

SprinklerForum software sends messages, but we can’t control the delivery. Delivery problems are related to your email server on your end. If it is a company server, or a smaller ISP server, they may have confused the incoming email with SPAM. You will need to talk to your service provider or company email administrator to address the issue. Are you using AOL? For some reason, SOME AOL servers think that messages sent to multiple recipients (like listservers) are spam and won’t deliver the message. It is very hit and miss. Sometimes the messages are delivered, and other times not. Over the years we have had a LOT of problems with the delivery of email from the Forum to AOL subscribers. We wish there was something we could do, but we can’t. You might want to consider a free GMAIL account to receive and send SprinklerForum messages.

6. I’m going on a four-week vacation to Spain and I would like to suspend delivery of email from the Forum until I get back. Can I do that?

Sure. Simply send an email addressed to: sprinklerforum-request@lists.firesprinkler.org In the subject field, enter “set delivery off” (without the quotes) and your email will be suspended until you turn it back on with a command of “set delivery on” in the subject field. This action does not unsubscribe you; it simply stops forwarding email until you resume delivery.

7. I forgot to set delivery off during my four-week vacation to Spain. Now I’ve got hundreds of messages, but I can simply delete them. The BIG problem is that I can’t post messages now.

I’ll bet you turned on your auto vacation message responder saying “I’m in Spain and will deal with your mundane email when I get back.” Well, that message probably got sent to the SprinklerForum enough times that members screamed to the AFSA office and your posting privileges were suspended. We are happy to reinstate your posting privileges after a suitable apology. Simply send your request to: sprinklerforum-owner@lists.firesprinkler.org Please note this is a REALLY GOOD REASON to ALWAYS suspend all email list delivery if you intend to turn on a vacation message.

8. I love the Forum, but sometimes there are too many messages during the day. Are there options for reading the messages only once per day?

• Glad you asked. There is the DIGEST FUNCTION that puts all of the email messages from the day in one single email and sends if off to you.

You can turn the digest feature on/off by sending an email to: sprinklerforum-request@lists.firesprinkler.org and putting “set digest plain” (without the quotes) in the subject field. To start receiving individual messages again, enter “set digest off” in the subject field of another message.