Vine Definition (Courtesy of RO)

[chas <lvtapetrader@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

As written by Woff

Basic Rules:

1. All vines should ideally include an info text (containing lineage 
and any other info) AND a checksum (.st5, .ffp, or .md5). If no text 
file or checksum exists for the show you wish to seed, please generate 
them.
2. All seeds should ideally include a complete and accurate lineage, 
indicating what formats and media the audio has previously been in.
3. All audio seeds must be CD quality, lossless audio in FLAC, SHN, or 
APE format.
4. All seeds must be digitally pure (no diginoise) gapless audio files.
5. No official or out-of-print material is allowed.
6. If you rip an audio CD to lossless files, use EAC, xACT or 
CDParanoia or similar reputable software. Ideally include an extraction 
log.
7. Only DVDs originally produced as DVDs should be vined. No DVDs that 
have been converted from lesser quality video (i.e. 
VCD/SVCD/DivX/xvid/etc converted to DVD).


Signing up for a Vine:

1. When signing up for a vine you will be required to post the 
following information:
- Your login name
- A valid email address
- An approximate geographic location

For example:

US/North America
1. BillyBob - BB@xxxxxxxx (CA)
2. LeonRules - leon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (MD)
3.

ROW
1. Fred33 – Fred33@xxxxxxxxxxx (Timbuktu)
2. Joan77 - Joan77@xxxxxxxxx (Upper Uzbekhistan)
3.

2. Be sure to sign up under the appropriate list: N. America 
[USA/Canada] or Europe or ROW [Rest of the World]. (Or however it has 
been geographically set up).
3. When adding your name to a vine, be sure to use the LAST posted list 
in the thread. Cut and paste the list into your reply, adding your info 
to the bottom of the list. Also, please copy ALL of the list, not just 
the "N. American" or "ROW" part.
4. Once you have signed up for a vine, keep an eye on it (remain 
subscribed) and when it is nearing you make sure that the person in 
front of you has your postal details. If you haven't heard from the 
person after you, chase them up for their address. Vines should not be 
delayed by "waiting for address" situations.
5. Please do not sign up for more vines then you can handle (or have 
spare HDD space for!)


Receiving and Sending Vines:

1. Once you have received the vine please try to resend it ASAP but 
within 72 hours. If, for whatever reason, you are unable to do this 
please communicate by updating the thread.
2. Please post an in/out date in the thread after your name similar to 
the following format, at the appropriate times - **IN 3/17….OUT 3/18** 
(although if you live in the ROW you may see no reason not to make it 
**In 17/03 Out 18/03**)!

For example:
ROW
1. Fred33 – Fred33@xxxxxxxxxxx (Timbuktu) ** In 03/17 out 03/18 **
2. Joan77 - Joan77@xxxxxxxxx (Upper Uzbekhistan) ** in 03/25
3.

3. If you are ready to send the discs out and you have not received an 
address from the person below you….SKIP THEM! Contact the person below 
them and get their address and send the discs on to them. The key is to 
keep the vine moving along as quickly as possible. Do not stall a vine 
waiting for a mailing address. update the thread indicating what has 
happened.
4. If you have been skipped due to lack of communication and you still 
want to participate in the vine, add your name to the vine at the end.
5. Handle the discs with care. Remember these vines are supposed to do 
a lot of traveling and still be functional months down the road. Use 
protective sleeves/CD envelopes and bubble mailers when sending out 
discs.
6. Burn copies of the discs for yourself and send the ORIGINAL discs on 
unless you receive discs that are in bad shape. If you need to reburn a 
copy of the original seed, communicate this in the thread and please 
use only high quality media.
7. If the discs are damaged/lost/unable to extract when you receive 
them, ask the person above you for a reseed. If they can not help you 
for some reason start working your way back up the list until you find 
a reseed.
8. Ideally, keep the data in its original format until at least two 
people after you have received it. This is for reseeding purposes (see 
above).
9. If you are the last person on the list, see how the other legs of 
the vine are travelling - it may be worthwhile to split one of the 
other legs into two parts, and send your discs to the second of the 
split legs. Otherwise retain the discs and add a "waiting for further 
sign-ups" or similar to the end of the vine. Post in the vine thread 
for opinions on doing this if in doubt - or check with the vine 
originator.


Seeding Vines:

1. Depending on interest, it may be desirable to split the vine into 2 
or more different legs - this is really up to the seeder, but a US, 
European and/or ROW leg seems to work reasonably well as a rule.
2. Make sure the vine is suitably named.
3. Please only use high quality media. Please use protective sleeves 
and bubble mailers.Some sites suggest not to write on the discs, but it 
is suggested it may be a good idea to write on them something along the 
lines of "R-O blah Vine" "Disc n" "Send this disc on" or similar, as a 
means of ensuring that the original discs are passed on, not the copies 
that get made.