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What is a mailing list?
A mailing list is a basic type of discussion group that uses
e-mail to communicate. The messages are distributed to all
the subscribers, i.e. everyone that belongs to the list. There
are thousands of lists covering every imaginable topic, from
hobbies and music to news and science.
Types of lists
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Discussion lists let you send and receive messages,
providing a discussion forum for the participants; but
they're different from newsgroups. In a discussion list
you receive the messages directly into your e-mail box.
In a newsgroup you read the articles, ie, messages posted
by contributors that are stored in one central location.
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One-way lists only let you receive messages, not
send them. They're good for busy people who only wish
to receive broadcast information.
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Some lists can be received as a periodic "digest".
This contains a lot of messages which have been grouped
together and sent as a single message.
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Other lists are restricted to certain users,
requiring specific qualifications to join them. For
example, a list about the science of stars and planets
may be restricted to astronomers.
How to subscribe
Before you can start receiving messages from a list you need
to subscribe to it. This process adds your e-mail address
to the list.
If the list is automated (controlled by a computer
program like listserv, listproc, or majordomo) you usually
write in the body of the message:
<subscribe listname>
where "listname" is the name of the list. The
address has the form
<majordomo@address.site>
You can quit a mailing list at any time. To unsubscribe
you just need to write
<unsubscribe listname>
or, if this doesn't work, try
<signoff listname>
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If the list is administered by a person, just send
a message to the human moderator saying something like <please
subscribe me to the list>. The address has the form
<list-request@address.site>.
Remember that each list has two addresses: (i) the administrative
address, used to subscribe and unsubscribe , and (ii) the
list address, used to distribute the messages to everyone
on the list.
Tips
When you join a list, you receive a confirmation message
and some instructions about how to unsubscribe. Save this
information, you may need it in the future.
Some lists have a FAQ (frequently asked questions) document
with the most common questions asked by newbies (new contributors).
Read this file if you have any problem.
Avoid flame wars. Flames are insulting messages directed
at each other in discussion forums.
When you go on holiday , remember to unsubscribe from lists
temporarily. Otherwise your mailbox may overflow with messages.
The Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists Website will help you
find the mailing list that interests you. Go to http://www.neosoft.com/internet/paml
and choose an index by name or by subject.
You can also try Liszt, a famous list directory , at http://www.liszt.com.
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