Using Mailing Lists
This is a short introduction to using mailing lists. You might want to read this, if your are new to mailing lists.
Every mailing list has two addresses: a listserver address and a list address.
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from a mailing list, or to change your subscription option, send email to the listserver address. Emails to listservers usually must contain the appropriate command on a single line in the body of the message. Anything in the Subject line of the message is ignored.
To post messages to a mailing list, send email to the list address. Never send commands to the list address, as they would be distributed to all subscribers of the mailing list.
Subscribing to a Mailing List
To subscribe to a mailing list, send an email to the listserver address with the following command in the body of the message:
subscribe listname your_name
where:
- listname is the name of the list you want to subscribe to, for example, UTEST
- your_name is your full name, such as "Dr. John J. Doe"
After your subscription has been accepted, all emails posted to the list are send to the email address in the From line of your email.
Generally, once you have subscribed to a mailing list, you can only unsubscribe from the mailing list or change your subscription option if the address in the From line of your email matches the address under which you subscribed to the list.
Unsubscribing from a Mailing List
To unsubscribe from a mailing list, send email to the listserver address with one of the following commands:
unsubscribe listname
signoff listname
where:
- listname is the name of the list you want to unsubscribe from
Most listservers recognize both commands.
Changing your Subscription Options
Most listservers support the following options:
- Receive messages as they are posted. This is the default for most mailing lists.
- Receive a daily digest of messages, i.e., a compilation of all messages posted during the day.
- Receive a daily index of messages, i.e., a list of all messages posted on a particular day. In this case you have to retrieve the actual messages by requesting them through email.
Most listservers also allow you to suspend receiving any messages without having to unsubscribe and subscribe again. This is useful if you are away for a while and you do not want your mailbox to overflow.
The commands for these options vary between listservers. In many cases sending an email to the listserver with the command "help" in the body of the message provides you with information on available commands.
Most mailing lists send you additional information on these options when you subscribe. Make sure to save this email.
Sending Mail to a Mailing List
To post messages to a mailing list, send email to the list address.
Some mailing lists allow only subscribers to post messages, other mailing lists allow anybody to post messages.
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