Mailing List Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Qustions (FAQs) are just what the name says; a list or file of answers to common questions about a particular subject, usually asked by beginners. FAQs are an extremely valuable resource. They help you get up to speed quickly on a topic, without taking up other Internet users' time and resources. Almost all newsgroups, mailing lists, and other special interet groups maintain a FAQ file for new users.

Here, you will find answers to frequently asked questions about mailing lists. Check the list of questions to see if yours, or one like it, is among them. If not, use a search engine to track down the information. If you've never used a search engine, click here.

What is a mailing list?
What is ListServ?
How do I subscribe to a mailing list?
HELP! How do I get off a list?
What is a moderated list?
What is a digest?
Where can I find a list I'm interested in?
How much mail can I expect?
Do you have any warnings about mailing lists?

What is a mailing list?

A mailing list is a service that forwards all the mail it receives to the people on the list. For instance, if you want a list of baseball scores, you could subscribe to a baseball score list. You would then, in your personal e-mail box, automatically receive the scores posted to that list. This is an example of a one-way list. You subscribe and then receive announcements. There are also discussion mailing lists, in which people are encouraged to e-mail to the list, and exchange information with other people. Discussion lists often resemble small versions of network newsgroups.

What is ListServ?

Listserv is software that creates and manages Internet mailing lists. Listservs are mailing lists that run on the Listserv software.

How do I subscribe to a mailing list?

Just like everything else on the Internet, there are many ways to subscribe to a mailing list. Most variations have to do with the particular software being used to create the list. There are two main types of subscription procedures, automated and non-automated. Non-automated subscriptions involve sending mail to someone, and requesting to be added to the list. This is probably the easiest method because you're not required to know any particular subscription format. Automated subscriptions involve interacting with the mailing list software via e-mail. This can sometimes be confusing, but there is usually a list of instructions for you to follow. If you subscribe to an automated list, make a note of the instructions you receive explaining how to cancel the subscription. It is important to keep this message. Otherwise you may not know how to cancel the subscription.

HELP! How do I get off of a list?

 If you subscribed to a non-automated list, send an e-mail to the same place you used to subscribe to the list, and ask to be removed. If you subscribed to an automated list, follow the instructions that were sent to you after you subscribed. They will tell you how to get off the list.

What is a moderated list?

A moderated list is restricted. People are not allowed to post directly to the list. All posts must be approved by the `moderator'. The moderator ensures that all the posts to the list are on-topic. Most discussion lists are non-moderated, but certain announcement lists are moderated to prevent people from posting inappropriate questions or messages. If you send a message to a moderated list, you will usually receive a reply stating that your message will be reviewed by the moderator, prior to being posted to the list.

What is a digest?

A digest is a mailing list that compiles messages from another mailing list, and sends them out as one large message at time intervals, such as every couple days or once a week. This is handy for high-volume lists.

Where can I find a list I'm interested in?

You can often find list references on Web sites related to the subject in which you are interested. There are also a variety of lists-of-lists available.

How much mail can I expect?

This varies a lot from list to list. It can be from a few messages a week on a small announce lists to hundreds a day for a very active list. This is one of the reasons to be sure to save your unsubscribe information. If you find that there are too many messages flowing from this list to be comfortably handled, you can unsubscribe easily and with a minimum of delay.

Do you have any warnings about mailing lists?

Some people have voiced concerns about being targeted for advertisments and other junk mail by being subscribed to a list. In most cases, it is an easy matter to view the people subscribed to the list and this makes it very attractive to mass marketers. However, abuse of mailing lists in this manner is infrequent. It does happen enough that you should be aware of it, however.