About E-mail Discussion Lists
An e-mail discussion list is a way for people with a common interest to share information and converse via e-mail. This type of discussion group is sometimes referred to as a "listserv" (which is the trademark of the original product used to facilitate this type of online communication), e-mail list, e-mail discussion group, or electronic discussion group.
When a message is posted to a discussion list, it is automatically sent to the e-mail address of everyone who subscribes to that list. E-mail discussion lists serve as a venue for easy networking and sharing ideas, gaining information, and asking for assistance. They allow participants to transmit information to a large audience quickly and to stay attuned to issues, concerns, and changes in their field or area of interest.
The Resource Center hosts several e-mail discussion lists related specifically to national and community service. (See E-mail Discussion Lists.)
How It Works
When an individual or organization decides to host a discussion list, they set up the list server (the computer and software), which automatically handles the administrative functions of the list and maintains the names of subscribers.
The host invites people to subscribe or otherwise markets the list. Once subscribed, any list member can send a message to the distribution address, and the list server then distributes the message to the e-mail address of all list subscribers.
The list server accepts the following types of e-mail messages:
- Subscriptions: Individuals interested in subscribing or unsubscribing to the list send a simple e-mail message to the list server’s subscription address with the proper command. (For example, to subscribe to the Senior Corps list an e-mail message is sent to join-nssctalk@lists.etr.org.)
- Original posts: List participants who want to post a message to the group send an e-mail message to the distribution address. (For example, to post a message to the Senior Corps discussion list an e-mail message is sent to nssctalk@lists.etr.org.)
- Replies to posts: Individuals who wish to respond to the entire group may do so simply by crafting the message and using the reply button. Be aware, however, that sometimes “offline” responses are appropriate. Look in the body of the message to find a person’s e-mail address and then reply or forward directly to that person. A common error is to send a response to the entire list, when it was meant only for an individual.
The list administrator is the person assigned by the host organization to handle any technical issues or problems related to the discussion list, such as monitoring the discussions for propriety or archiving conversations.
Word of Caution
Lists that are very active can inundate a person's e-mail in-box with e-mail every day, which can become overwhelming. One way to combat this deluge is to subscribe to the "digest" form of the list, which allows participants to receive a daily compendium of posts rather than individual e-mails.
Posts can also sometimes stray from the purpose of the discussion list and subscribers may receive irrelevant messages. And, as with any discussions among individuals, disagreements can occur. Disparaging remarks posted to a list can be viewed by the entire list — sometimes thousands of participants — before the list monitor has a chance to intervene.
