This remnant will be replaced soon. The FAQ is back, with a new design! HEADERHERE... UNDER reCONSTRUCTION! Seed: Root: Administrator: Branch: Leaf: Parent: Child: Orphan: From: wilfong@KMERL.Research.Panasonic.COM (Jonathan Wilfong), Feb 8, 1996: Although these directions are written for "leaves", they really apply equally well to experienced traders and branches. I use the same guideline with my DAT parent as I've written here for analog leaves. These are suggestions of how to make your parent's life easier- I'm not proposing they be made into law or specifying you can't have a different preference. In any email exchange, your best insurance against disappointment is making sure your expectations are clear! Things a good leaf does: 1. Email your parent ONCE asking - Are blanks ok? - What length/type tapes do you want? - Should I send tapes now or wait for you to mail me? - Is there anything I can do to help? 2. Mail a _complete_ package which includes: - The blanks or trade tapes of appropriate lengths - A return address LABEL (this saves your parent a lot of time) (Do NOT rely on the return address on the mailer - it may have been tossed long before your copies are made) - Return postage in the form of STAMPS (some parents may request $$$ instead). NEVER send postage "strips" from the PO (Usually, if you are trading rather than sending blanks, you may have agreed not to send return postage. PLEASE don't try to make someone trade just to get out of paying return postage- your parent will wind up with a tape they don't want and you'll have hurt your reputation) - A return envelope (if they can't reuse the orig. mailer) - using a small number of staples on a padded mailer makes for easy non-destructive opening. - IMPORTANT - A note specifying what tapes (Artist and Date, not just "Dead tree" or "8/18/94") you are looking for 3. Wait patiently ; give at least 1 month before you email asking about status (yes, its a long time but trees are typically that slow) 4. Receive your tapes in the mail, happily open the package, JAM! 5. E-mail a thank-you note and confirmation that you got the tapes ok. 6. Understand when there's a problem or delay. This is something done for FUN, not a job, and your parent is not required to live up to YOUR expectations of what is "right". Sometimes, things just don't happen. Also remember that it may be that your parent's parent is the problem (or somewhere farther up the chain). Just be nice! Many tree parents are very busy individuals. They probably have 3 OTHER leaves like you for the same tree. In addition, they may be signed up for multiple trees at the same time (of different bands). Trying to make things easy for them is the least you can do - after all, you're the one benefiting by getting some great music! What a good parent DOES NOT do: A good parent will not ask you to send an extra blank or $$ for "their trouble". Tape trees are a voluntary proposition - if your parent doesn't want to do it freely, they should not be on a tree. If your parent does ask you for "pay", politely tell them that you thought the process did not work that way. If they persist, say "Thanks, but no thanks" and get the tape from one of the many people who WILL do it for you to be kind! MAKE YOUR PARENT'S LIFE EASIER! Less work per tree = MORE TREES! Terms The Seed Usually provided by the taper of the show, this is the master copy of the show and tree (where everything comes from) The Branch A branch receives a copy of the show from his parent (ie the 1st generation DAT branches receive copies of the show from the seed) and copy it for several people. The Leaf The leaf is the final portion of the tree. A leaf will receive the last copies of the show and have no obligation to copy for anyone. (These can be DAT or Analog leafs) The parent (branch) is the person who is taping the shows for the people below them (their children). Of course someone can be both a parent and a child in the tree, since they receive a copy of the show and also copy the show for their children. Subject heading DAT->DAT A DAT (Digital Audio Tape, no quality loss when copied to another DAT) copy to a DAT Clone DAT->Analog A DAT copy (clone from DAT) to an analog copy A->Analog An analog copy to an analog copy A LEAF Receives an analog copy (final portion of the tree) D LEAF Receives a DAT copy (for people with no D>D capabilities, limited space) How Trees Work Now the way a tree works is that the master copy of the show is copied through various branches so that as many people as possible can have this show/s. The master is copied from DAT to, say, 4 DAT people. Each of these people will copy the show for two or three other DAT people. These people (depending on the size of the tree) will copy the DAT copy to an analog copy and send them to analog people. (By the way, a DAT deck usually cost atleast $700, you need 2 for copying). From the analog branches the show is copied to other analog branches, and much like a chain letter, each person who copies the show copies it for a few people so that the show can reach as many people as possible. Because of the amount of times a show need to be copied it is imperative that people who are higher up in the tree structure (closer to the DAT copies) have high-quality equipment. The minimum to be high in the tree receiving tapes from a D>A person (1st generation) is usually to have at least one 3-headed deck (around $300 a piece). The advantages of being higher in the branch is a getting a better copy of the show, but with it goes the responsibility of getting it copied and to your own children quickly. This is basically how it works. I designed this document from a variety of sources for the ALL FALL Widespread Panic tree that I am also administering. I believe that it is also useful here. It should clear things up for those of not terribly familiar with tape trees. Well, thanks for reading this and please email me with specific questions. Haney Every tree I've run, people have flaked out on their responsibilities. Some folks lost net access, others lost their copy of the tree, others lost interest after they got their tapes. Two things to do - 1. Stay on your parent's back - don't wait for him to contact you, stay in touch with him with a "check-in" every month or so. 2. If those "check-in" don't bring any replies, but aren't bouncing, complain to the tree administrator and see if he or she can send a message and give your parent a poke. I ran a tree for a Tom Waits show back in April, and I'm still breaking up log jams. There's no FAQ on tree etiquette that I know of ("Take care of your responsibilities" sums it up pretty well). I have a step-by-step how-to on running them, and I'll send a copy to anyone interested. Take care, Jon Kingfish 11/20/96 "I find it easier and easier to write music and I'm actually doing a symphony thing next February [2001], which I've always wanted to do. It's like a dream come true."" -- Trey, on working with a youth orchestra" This page last updated January 24, 2007. All contents © 1992-2007 Ellis Godard. All rights reserved.