Microphone Basic Care & Theory

Have you noticed all the questions on various forums about what to do about various spits and sputters in the performance of different mics. When you invest in what you believe to be a quality instrument and it does peculiar things that just don't seem right, how do you know if it means the mic is defective or it just not the right mic for you?
Or how do you take proper care of your mic to make sound its best for a long time?
How many of us old Radio people have seen somebody spray the control or production room mics with Lysol to kill germs? (I think someone makes a product just for that, by the way.)
Here's a couple very basic tips from some folks that know:

Care & Feeding of Condenser Mics (by JP Gerard at ADK mics)

General Mic Theory of Mostly Dynamic Mics (by Bob Heil)

How to Position a Mic for Best Sound (very basic from MXL)

General Mic Techniques (by Shure, mostly for musicians)

and How the Pro's did it 10 Years ago (from Mixonline)

These are not, by far, the ultimate "last word" on the technical subject of microphone basics, but they may be a start for the newbie or a refreshing reminder for the old pro.

If you have better suggestions for resources, or you want to write some tips yourself, don't hesitate to send them to us.