ABOUT ABPA*

1. They are a place providing free pictures of art to lovers of art worldwide.
2. The posters of ABPA* are not associated with commercial web sites. They volunteer their own time, money and effort to give you the files you download for free. The point is that they don't owe you anything since it's all free to you. You must get the hardware, software, and other resources necessary to acquire the free pictures. Download what you like and pass up what you don't like or can't view. Feel free to add senders you do not like to your filters or excludes lists in your newsreader.
3. Since the posts are free and voluntary, you the downloader, have an obligation to fulfill your part of the transaction. If your current news server is inadequate, you need to subscribe to a better one or be satisfied with what you get - partial posts or short time on the server. It also means acquiring the skills and software you need to view the material the way it is offered, "as is". Requesting re-posts a few days after the original post because your news server sucks is the wrong answer. Requesting pictures be e-mailed to you by posters is the wrong answer, also. If you want to be a picture collector, you need to get or pay for the resources you need to be one. Consider your ISP and news server as important as your hardware, which most likely was NOT free. As a picture collector, your news server and ISP are just as important as any piece of hardware.
4. ABPA* is for people who like art. By entering the group under most ISP's policies you are accepting these terms and accept full responsibility for anything you upload, download, or save on your computer. We, the posters, are liable for what we, as individuals, post. Pornography (including child pornography - pictures of children) is not acceptable in art picture newsgroups.
5. Some frequently-asked questions:

   Q:	Are the ABPA* newsgroups moderated?
   A:	No, and it's not practical or ultimately desirable to make it so. ABPA* is RETRO-moderated, by a few caring individuals, solely for the purpose of canceling Spam and reporting spammers to their ISP's.
   Q:	Then who runs the newsgroup?
   A:	Technically, no one, although there's a good-sized group of contributors and readers who safeguard it through both individual and united efforts. That doesn't mean we agree on everything. ABPA* is a free public forum with thousands of participants worldwide.
   Q:	Well, then, what's with all the rules?
   A:	They are merely time-tested practices for keeping the newsgroups healthy, pleasant and available. It might help to think of the posters as our hosts who are spending their own time, money and effort to provide us with free entertainment. If they ask us to do things a certain way, let's at least give them that courtesy.