What is a listserv?
Finding a list
A listserv has TWO important addresses
Subscribing
Unsubscribing
Help
Tips for working with listservs
 

What is a listserv?

A listserv is a special interest online discussion group which you access through your e-mail.  It is a list of e-mail address of people interested in the same topic.  Once you subscribe to the list you will receive all messages posted to the list.  And, when you send a message to the list, all of the people who have joined receive a copy.  You may actively participate in the discussion or just listen in -- this is called "lurking."

Listservs are run by software programs called mailing list managers (MLMs).  There are two types of lists:
 

• announcement lists - have a moderator (list owner) who filters messages.  (You may not post messages yourself)
• discussion lists - everyone on the list may participate (post) without any filtering

There are thousands of discussion lists on the Internet.  For a list in your major, consult the subject page created by your bibliographer:
 

Journalism
Nursing
Social Work

For  broader subject coverage try:
 

CataList, the official catalog of LISTSERV lists  (lists only email groups running on LISTSERV        brand software)
Directory of Scholarly and Professional E-Conferences
Liszt, the Mailing List Directory
Publically Accessible Mailing Lists
Search the List of Lists
Tile.Net List of Internet Discussion Groups
 

A list administrator address and a list address.  A list administrator address is for subscribing and unsubscribing.  The list address is for posting messages.

When you first subscribe, the list administrator software will send you a reply which tells you how to participate in the list and how to unsubscribe, should you wish to do so.

Subscribing to a list

 Subscribe to a list by sending an e-mail to the list administrator address and placing the following in the first line of the actual message:
 

subscribe [name of list] [your first name] [your last name]

eg.:  subscribe ruralswk Jane Smith
 

Unsubscribing from a list

If you don't like a list, find your e-mail box too full, or are going on vacation, you may wish to be removed from a listserv.  To unsubscribe, send an e-mail message to the list administrator address with the following in the body of the message:
 

signoff [name of list]

eg.:  signoff ruralswk
 
 

For information on more advanced listserv operations such as obtaining a list of subscribers and obtaining archives for your listserv, see:

James Milles' Mailing List Manager Commands
 
 

Tips for working with listservs
 
 

• Save the list instructions sent to you when you subscribe.  This will help you participate and sign off the list, should you wish to do so.
• Unsubscribe from listservs when you go on vacation.  (Some lists may have a vacation option.)  That way you won't overflow your mailbox.
• Spend some time getting to know the group before posting. ('Lurk')
• Write clear, concise messages.
• Consider whether a response to a message should be sent to the entire group or just to one individual.
• Be courteous.  Remember that your message is sent to a very large public forum.
•  Also remember that your message is sent to people from diverse cultures and those with a different mind set.  You are communicating  by words alone.  So, be careful in your use of humor, and avoid sarcasm.

Please send corrections to Corryn Crosby-Muilenburg: cc2@axe.humboldt.edu
Last updated: 04/16/1999