How to Use Email Lists What is an email list? How does an email list work? Who uses an email list? How do I join an email list? How do I use an email list? the technical stuff How do I use an email list? the practical stuff How do I leave an email list?
	What is an email list? There are many special interest discussion groups on the Internet. These electronic discussion groups are called mailing lists, email lists, or simply lists. Email lists allow you to send email messages (post) to a large number of people with similar interests simultaneously, and receive messages from anyone else on the list. How does an email list work? Email lists are managed on the computer that hosts the list (listserver) by special computer programs such as majordomo, listserv, listproc or mailserv. This term refers to the computer program, not a person. List messages can be sent to users either in a digest form or on a post-by-post basis. Listservers can also distribute electronic journals (ejournals) and newsletters, which are simply online magazines (ezines) that are edited and distributed as a list. Who uses an email list? Lists are owned by list owners on behalf of an organisation, and the list owner is a person. Lists can moderated, ie. filtered by the list owner, or unmoderated, ie. a free-for-all discussion without a person filtering the messages. Lists can be open, ie. anyone can join, or closed, ie. the list owner must approve anyone who requests to join a list. Closed lists are often created for specific purposes such as communication amongst executive members of an organisation.
	How do I join an email list? Email lists are usually free to join, even though the word subscribe is used. Some commercial organisations on the Internet can charge for you to join an ezine email list. Most email lists can be joined (subscribed to) by posting an email to the listserver address and sending the following message in the body of the text: subscribe name of list Nothing else should be written within the message text. In most cases the subject line is left blank. Occasionally, however, the message is sent in the subject line. For example, to join the TEFA Primary Technology Educators' Email list you would send an email message to lyris@rite.ed.qut.edu.au and type the following message within the post: subscribe prim-techla The listserver will then add you to the list and generate a message telling you that you have joined. You will also receive a welcome message telling you about the list and how to unsubscribe. File this message as you will need the instructions for when you wish to leave the list. How do I use an email list? The technical stuff Directions for using an email list appear in the welcome message you receive once you've joined the list. The address for sending email to all the other subscribers on the list will be different to the address you use to subscribe to the list. For example, to send messages to the TEFA Primary Technology Educators' Email list you email them to prim-techla@rite.ed.qut.edu.au The list management software can also be used for tasks such as getting help, and finding out who is on the list. How do I use an email list? The practical stuff Any member of a list may take part in a conversation or begin a new topic. It is best to have some understanding of netiquette when using an email list. Remember that list members come from far and wide, so please use terminology everyone can understand. The purpose of a list is to facilitate interactive communication between members. When replying to list messages, if you automatically click the Reply To: button the reply will not be returned to the list, but rather to the original sender of the message, and the rest of the list members will not be able to interact with it. This is not to stop you emailing privately to any other list member, it's an explanation of how a mailing list works. How do I leave an email list? You can leave an email list (unsubscribe) by posting an email to the listserver address and sending the following message in the body of the text: unsubscribe name of list For example, to unsubscribe from the TEFA Primary Technology Educators' Email list you would send an email message to lyris@rite.ed.qut.edu.au and type the following within the post: unsubscribe prim-techla
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