LISTSERVS

Listservs, along with newsgroups , are two ways to join into discussion with other people interested in a particular topic. While newsgroups are modeled after bulletin board message areas, listservs are an e-mail routing list. Listserv software manages the subscription list of those who want to be part of a listserv. When anyone sends a message to the listserv, the software sees that a copy is routed to all the members of the listserv.

Listservs can be open (anyone who wants to can "subscribe") or closed (you must prove you have the necessary credentials, usually job or experience, to belong to the listserv). Some listservs are set up just for members of a committee to correspond or people from the same organization.

There are two types of listservs: "Moderated" listservs generally have a person who looks over messages posted to the list, ensuring that the message is on topic for that particular listserv's discussion interest. "Unmoderated" listservs just pass along anything sent, sometimes resulting in a lot of "noise" on the listserv.

Another difference between listservs and newsgroups is that newsgroups are more transient, while the listserv community is fairly constant. Listservs are more for personal / professional support and updating while the newsgroups' messages are more for keeping an ear to the ground on a topic or beat.

Uses for listservs

There are thousands upon thousands of listservs dealing from very specific to more general discussion. For example, look for listservs on the topic "crime" and you'll find one specifically for discussion of the National Crime Survey and another for on the more general topic of juvenile delinquency.

The people who "subscribe" to listservs generally are very knowledgeable and / or interested in the topic of the list either because of their profession or their life experiences. Estimates are that fewer than 15 percent of the subscribers to a list actively post messages, the rest being "lurkers" only. However, all the subscribers, whether just readers or active participants, have their own personal networks of contacts that might be helpful to you. Posting questions (if they haven't been answered, and re-answered in the past) to the list can tap you into a group of experts, and people with experience. Listservs are also often the early warning system for events and trends being spotted by a group of people with a great deal of interest in a topic.

Anyone with a specific "beat" (health or education or environment, for example) should subscribe to at least one listserv on that topic. This is a great way to keep up with what experts are talking about, solicit information, advice or contacts from them and to generally tap into a broad expert base.

One of the best resources for journalists combines e-mail messaging and listservs. Profnet is a listserv set-up for college and university public information officers. Journalists can send a message (mailto:profnet@vyne.com), or call ( 800-776-3638 or 516-632-6332) to Profnet which posts it to the Profnet listserv. The subscribers (the PIOs) read these messages requesting contacts with experts in universities and put the journalist in touch with appropriate faculty members.

Other Uses

Keep in touch with colleagues: There are numerous listservs operating for journalists. Whether you are a copy-editor, a news researcher, a computer-assisted reporting specialist, or a photojournalist, there is a special listserv of your colleagues.

Request information, raise concerns: As a professional development tool, these communities are great support groups. Listservs you might join because of beat responsibilities can help you stay current with the latest interests and concerns of the members of that listserv.

Receive 'zines: Hundreds of specialty publications are distributed only through listserv subscriptions. Sign up to get the latest issues. Search John Labovitz's E*Zine*List (http://www.meer.net/~johnl/e-zine-list/index.html) to find some that may be useful.

What you need to use listservs

One of the great things about listservs is they are useful even to those with lower-end equipment. As long as you have an Internet e-mail address through any Internet connected service, you can join a listserv.

Cost: Most listservs are free to belong to, a very few request an actual subscription to join. Be careful when reading over your Internet service's charges. Sometimes there are additional charges for numbers of e-mail messages received or amount of storage of messages. This could add up if you belong to a very active listserv.

Instructions for using listservs: To subscribe to a list, send an e-mail message to the listserv "subscribe to" address with one line in the body of the message: ( SUB listname yourname) where listname is the name of the list, and yourname is your full name (ie: sub CARR-L Jane Smith). When your "subscription" goes through, you will usually be sent a message with instructions for posting and signoff the list. The address you send a message to is the listserv name and @ address. The listserv software used by different listservs can have different routines and instructions, so be sure you know how the ones you subscribe to work.

Tips for using listservs

• Flame-prone lists: Some listserv groups are, frankly, friendlier than others. "Lurk" for awhile (read messages but don't send messages) to get a feel for the tone of that particular listserv. Also, always read the directions for how to post to the list and how to "unsubscribe", nothing generates more irate messages than uninformed users. Getting flamed (curt or cutting messages about your posting) can keep you from getting fully involved in the group. Part of being on a list is knowing that list's style.
• Stay on topic, know what's been discussed: Other instant sources of flamebait, people who wander off the topic of the list's discussion or who bring up for discussion a topic that has been discussed to death. Check the archives of the listservs messages to see if topics you want to bring up have already been covered.
• Consider the source of the message: One of the benefits of listservs over newsgroups is the user base is more stable. Some listservs restrict members to those who have a legitimate interest or knowledge in the topic being discussed (closed lists). So, although it is often easier to confirm the legitimacy of the members of a list, it is still important to verify anything posted to a list.
• Don't quote without permission: Consider e-mail messages the same as you would personal correspondence or telephone conversations. If you are going to quote, let the speaker (typer) know.
• Don't use on deadline: Don't expect to post a message to a list (or a newsgroup) and get an immediate response. If you are on deadline, this may not be the technique to try.
• Identify yourself: The messages get posted to the list and look as if they come from the list, not from an individual, so be sure you add your "sig" to any message so readers can readily identify who sent it.
• Be generous: What goes around, comes around. If you've gotten help or advice from people on the list, be sure to be an active participant and help out others. The quality of the discussion depends on the individual members.
• DON'T SHOUT: A message typed in all caps looks like shouting in the world of listservs. Be sure you don't have cap lock on, and try emphasis by putting an asterisk on either side of the word.
• Re-read before you post: The ease and quickness of e-mailing messages to lists can sometimes be dangerous. Be sure to look over what you post before you send it. Messages live a long time in cyberspace, and you never know just who will be reading the message.
• Beware the over-flowing e-mail box: Some listservs might generate dozens of messages a day. If you don't monitor your e-mail box regularly, you could quickly be overwhelmed with messages. Some listservs provide a "digest" feature which merges all the messages sent to the list and sends out just one huge message to your mailbox each day. This can cut down on the message volume.
• Pick your group carefully: Make sure the community you are joining is the right one for you. You will be getting lots of e-mail, so if you find that most is irrelevant or annoying, it will only be taking up your time.
• Don't advertise: Most listserv subscribers deeply resent being used as a promotions mailing list. Unless the group specifically allows advertising type announcements, don't send them.
• If it's personal, send it to a person: Be sure to send messages that might have limited interest to the whole group to specific people rather than to the listserv.
• Ask for help if you need it, not just because you're lazy: Sure, you can post to an astronomy listserv and ask for an explanation of the "big bang", but you will probably get flamed. If you can look it up, don't expect the members of the listserv to waste their time responding. And don't send out 25 question surveys to a list, at the very worst you'll just be ignored.

How to find listservs / instructions for using listservs

http://www.nova.edu/Inter-Links/listserv.html
Brought to you by Robert Kabacoff at Nova Southeastern University, this site lets you search a Master List of more than 6,000 Discussion Groups and a Directory of Scholarly E-Lists. There's also a great set of instructions on subscribing, unsubscribing, and posting to listservs and other listserv commands.

http://scwww.ucs.indiana.edu/mlarchive
Indiana University's database of 12,850 listservs (also called mailing lists). Search for "architecture" and retrieve information about more than 20 listservs from Art and Architecture to Landscape Architecture to Town-planning and Architecture Simulation to Minority Architecture Students.

http://www.tile.net/tile/listserv/index.html
TILE.NET "The reference to Internet Discussion Groups" contains indexes to listservs grouped by description, name, host country, sponsoring organization, size of membership, and there this a subject search. Click on one you are interested in to get a full description of the listserv, who can join, where it is, subscription address and administrator's address.

http://www.neosoft.com/internet/paml/bysubj.html
Subject index to Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists (Listservs): This listing by keywords links you to descriptions of the list's topics and instructions for how to subscribe.

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Nora Paul
Poynter Institute
mailto:npaul@poynter.org

Updated 2/16/96