"How To: Using Mailing Lists, Part 2 (of 2)"

Last month we covered the basics of using a mailing list, from understanding how one works to learning how to join and leave lists. This month we will focus on several other aspects of list participation, such as how to retrieve the information and policies file for the list, what to do if you absolutely cannot get off a list or if you are a victim of a forgery, how to find mailing lists of interest, and how to start your own list. The information presented here is not intended to be comprehensive, and we will provide links to resources for further exploration.

First, a brief reminder: in the examples used below, I often use the word listname, but in all cases you should always substitute the word listname for the actual name of the list you are on, spelled and hyphenated *exactly* the way it appears in the list's headers. I also refer to the address: majordomo@host.com, but there is no such address. You should substitute host.com for the actual host of the list you're running. For example, if we are discussing the cyber-sisters list run by majordomo@cgim.com, then you would substitute cyber-sisters for listname, and majordomo@cgim.com for majordomo@host.com

How to retrieve a new copy of a list's info file or policies

Send email to: majordomo@host.com
And in the body type ONLY: info listname

In most cases the listowner has combined basic information about how to join and leave the list with the list's posting policies in this one file, but sometimes she will have two files available. At any rate, the file you retrieve following the instructions above should give what you need to find the information you're looking for. You can typically get a copy of this file whenever you request it.

If the list you are on is run by listserv or listproc, you can't always be sure that the list actually has an automated info file. In fact for most listserv lists I belong to the info file comes only in the form of a welcome message which arrives shortly after you join the list and is not otherwise available for retrieval by standard means, although some listowners make the information available via special means, like an FTP or Web site. Be sure to save the list's welcome message for future reference, especially if it isn't clear how to get another copy in the future.

What to do if you have trouble getting off the list

The most common reason people have trouble unsubscribing from mailing lists is that they send their unsub requests from an address which is different from the one they used to subscribe. This does work, if you include the address you subscribed with in the request, like this:

To: majordomo@host.com
Body: unsubscribe listname janedoe@syr.edu

But in the example above, the listowner will be required to "approve" the request, so it could take anywhere from a couple of minutes to a couple of days or weeks before the listowner gets to it. This is also true if the list you are on is run by majordomo and you send a message to an address that looks like: listname-request@host.com.

The only way to make sure your request is processed instantly is for you to send it FROM the same address you used to subscribe to the list. You can find this information one of three ways:

1. Look at the welcome message you received when you joined the list. It will contain the email address you used to join.

2. Send a "which" command to the majordomo server to find out which address you used, like this:

   To: majordomo@host.com
   Body: which login

   Replace the word "login" with the login you typically use (the part of your email address before the @ symbol). If you do not use the same login for different accounts, this won't be very effective, unless you try if for all your different logins.

3. Get a list of all the email addresses subscribed to the list, locate your address, and then send your unsub request FROM that address. To get a copy of the list of subscribers, do this:

   To: majordomo@host.com
   Body: who listname

To send email FROM an address that is different from the one you normally use, simply change the "return address" settings in your email program temporarily, write the email and send it, and then change the settings back. If you can't figure out how to change the settings in your email program, try doing so in your web browser. Netscape makes it fairly easy to do this -- just change the POP server line to the other address, send your mail, and then change it back.

You will know you've been unsubscribed when you receive a message that looks something like this:

--

>>>> unsubscribe listname
Succeeded.
>>>> 
>>>> 

Forgeries: what to do if you're a victim

A forgery happens when someone attempts to subscribe someone else to a mailing list against their wishes. Some mailing list managers, like Listserv and custom hacks of majordomo, make this virtually impossible if the listowner has activated the appropriate settings. In those cases, a message is sent to the email address the forger is trying to subscribe which asks the person to verify whether or not she really wants to join the list. If the person does not follow the steps to verify the request, she is not added to the list.

If the list is run by majordomo or listproc it is fairly simple for a person to forge a subscribe request to a particular list, or in some cases to a several hundred lists at one time. If the list is open, meaning anyone who tries to can join it, then the person will be added against their will and will have to deal with the consequences: the volume of mail they might suddenly begin receiving and the effort of getting off the list. This is a good reason for a listowner to keep her list closed, since forgeries are becoming increasingly prevalent, especially for women's and lesbian and gay lists (apparently forgers get their jollies subscribing their friends, family and enemies to these lists!)

If you are a victim of a forgery, you should follow these steps

1. Unsubscribe from the list by sending email FROM the address used to subscribe you (get this address from the list's welcome message).

   To: majordomo@host.com (or listproc@host.com)
   Body: unsubscribe listname

   If you encounter difficulty unsubscribing, send a private note to the listowner with the word "urgent" in the subject line. Do not, under any circumstances, send email to the list, unless of course you decide it's a list you actually wish to participate in!

2. Alert the listowner and your postmaster to the fact that you have been the victim of a forgery. Write to the listowner at: owner-listname@host.com and to your postmaster at postmaster@yourhost.com. Put the words"Forgery Attempt" in the subject line to get their attention.

Considering the increasing likelihood of being subscribed to a list against your will, and particularly to a high volume list, you might want to keep an eye on your email if you go out of town, either by checking it yourself if you can, having someone else check it, or if you will be gone a long time, temporarily closing your account. And if you know any jokester types, be sure to let them know you consider this highly inappropriate behavior!

How to find mailing lists of interest

Tile.net
Extensive, searchable database.
http://www.tile.net/tile/listserv/

Liszt.
Large searchable directory of mailing lists.
http://www.liszt.com/

Inter-Links Master List of Discussion Groups.
Searchable database of more than 5900 lists.
http://www.nova.edu/Inter-Links/cgi-bin/lists

Directory of Scholarly Electronic Conferences.
FTP archive of various academic lists.
FTP: ftp://una.hh.lib.umich.edu/inetdirsstacks/
WWW: http://n2h2.com/KOVACS/

Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists.
Indexed by name and subject.
http://www.neosoft.com/internet/paml/index.html

Dartmouth College List of Bitnet and Internet Interest Groups
http://www.mid.net/DARTMOUTH/

How to learn more majordomo and listerv (and about starting your own list)

Using Majordomo

Majordomo Guides:

http://www.uchicago.edu/a.docs/Mail/majordomo.basic.html

Majordomo Commands:

   subscribe <list> <address>
	Subscribe yourself (or <address> if specified) to the named <list>.

    unsubscribe <list> <address>
	Unsubscribe yourself (or <address> if specified) from the named <list>.

    get <list> <filename>
        Get a file related to <list>.

    index <list>
        Return an index of files you can "get" for <list>.

    which <address>
	Find out which lists you (or <address> if specified) are on.

    who <list>
	Find out who is on the named <list>.

    info <list>
	Retrieve the general introductory information for the named list.

    lists
	Show the lists served by this Majordomo server.

    help
	Retrieve this message.

    end
	Stop processing commands (useful if your mailer adds a signature).

Using Listserv:

Listserv guides:

http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/ifla/I/training/listserv/lsvguide.txt
http://www.earn.net/lug/notice.html

Listserv Commands:

SUBscribe   Sign on to a mailing list
SIGNUP      A synonym for the SUBscribe command
UNSubscribe Sign off a mailing list
SIGNOFF     A synonym for the UNSubscribe command
List        Receive a listing of all the mailing lists at a server
REView      Receive details of a mailing list
Query       Review your optional settings for a mailing list
SET         Change your optional setting for a mailing list
CONFIRM     Confirm your subscription to a mailing list
STats       Display statistical information about a mailing list
REGister    Register your name at a LISTSERV server