The bsn Network

What is the list for?
How do I Join?
Do I have to be bisexual to join?
How old do i have to be?
How do I quit?
Can I say rude words?
Can I send pictures or music?
What sort of music should I love?
How do I take part in the surveys?
Is this a dating service?
Can I plug my band/website/gerbil breeding book?
What subjects are off-limits? What if I ask something someone's asked before?
Should I avoid one-liners?




What is the list for?
bothsidesnow is the world's only bisexual alternative music mailing list - and therefore, by default, the best. The basic idea was to create an online equivalent of a bisexual bar with a brilliant jukebox, or a club where you don't have to fret over who you can look at. We're happy to discuss gay politics, new CDs or MP3s, who we fancy and everything else. So, sometimes its books or Buffy; sometimes Croydon or hairdye. If you're into it, it's on-topic... There are also a slew of subject specific lists - again, they're not policed to remain constantly on-topic.

How do I Join?
Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bothsidesnow and follow the instructions there. To join by email, send a blank mail to bothsidesnow-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - for the other, subject specific lists, check out the network page.

Do I have to be bisexual to join?
No. Obviously, if you find the idea of sexually attractive young people leaping from boy to girl to boy to girl repellent or disturbing, then this isn't the list for you. But not everyone on bsn is bi. Or so they tell us.

How old do i have to be?
We don't set an age limit. The bulk of our membership is between midteens and early thirties, but if you think you're old enough to deal with open and frank discussion of sexuality, and cheap insults at Robbie William's expense, then feel free to clamber on.

How do I quit?
Visit http://yahoo.groups.com/group/bothsidesnow and follow the instructions. Or send a blank email to bothsidesnow-unsubscribe@egroups.com. Don't just send a message going "unsubscribe" because that won't work, and people will laugh at you.

Can I say rude words?
Fricking up to you, dear. Remember- swearing isn't big or clever, but its less fucking irritating than those alleged faces made out of colons and brackets...

Can I send pictures or music?
Not directly. For most of the lists, we've switched off the ability to add attachments to mails, as it clogs up people's mailboxes. You can, however, upload stuff to the yahoogroups site for each list, and check a box which will send an announcement to the whole list to go and look at what you've done. Remember, due to restrictions on space, we might periodically delete stuff in the shared areas; good stuff will be moved to the bsn website (i.e. this bit)

What sort of music should I love?
The church of bothsidesnow is a broad one, especially since genre-boundaries in music are pretty much a thing of the past anyway out there - in the real world. You know record shops where they just lob rap tracks next to skinny indie kids. Indie? Alt rock? Goth? Punk? Skinheadsexpunk? Trance? Yeah, all of that, and more. For the subject-specific lists, you should probably like the bands or stuff involved.

How do I take part in the surveys?
Go to the yahoo website voting area and vote like they tell you

Is this a dating service?
Not as such, though there's nothing to stop members getting off with each other - and they have, oh, they have. Basically, you may find yourself going "bloody hell, I'd love to kiss them" and - lets face it, our members are so goddam gorgeous, why wouldn't you? But the primary purpose of the list isn't dating, so while you can tell us how big your penis is in your first post, if all you're after is a quick shag you may want to try elsewhere.

Can I plug my band/website/gerbil breeding book?
Of course. Up to a point. Members are welcome to alert other bothsiders to things they have made - fanzines, websites, bands, etc - indeed, this is pretty much part of our lifeblood. The links section on the yahoogroups homepage also gives space for a permanent link. However, if you're just planning to sign up to spam the list and fuck off, then do us a favour: go straight to fuck off. Generally: if you're plugging, do it in the context of a post that's any good.

What subjects are off-limits?
Beth Orton sounding like Sting. And, erm, thats it, really. Honestly - if you're into it, it's on topic. Just don't get upset if we all shout back.
Will people shout at me if i raise something that's already been asked?
Nope, or at least: they shouldn't. bsn has never had a "go check the archive" stance, partly because if you're desperate to find out the best coffee shop in Manchester with a gay-friendly policy, its quicker to ask than search hopefully though our fifteen-thousand message archive. But also because people come and go all the time, and its nice to get different perspectives.
Should I avoid oneliners?
Oneliners are fine, providing they're worth it. We've even had creative oneworders.