One of the many ways in which the Internet has expanded possibilities for researchers is in providing them with ready access to electronic conferences and discussions. These are typically focused around a specialised topic and require participants to "subscribe" or register to become part of a "mailing list". Registering does not imply any need for payment of a subscription: it is just a means of recording your e-mail address and adding you to an automatic distribution list. 

Mailing lists can be divided into a number of categories, depending on whether they are used for discussion or for the one-way dissemination of information, and whether they are open to the public or only to particular groups, such as members of a professional organization.

Alerting / current awareness services
Some mailing lists are used only to disseminate information - these include electronic newsletters, lists used to inform users of particular web sites about changes or additions to those sites, and publishers' alerting services. Examples of this type of list are:

The Scout Report
A "weekly publication offering a selection of new and newly discovered Internet resources of interest to researchers and educators." Scout offers a fortnightly e-mail report.

For more information visit the Scout Report web site: 
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/index.html

SARA (Scholarly Articles Research Alerting)
A service of the Taylor and Francis group, the SARA e-mail alerting service distributes tables of contents for Carfax, Martin Dunitz, Psychology Press, Routledge, Spon Press and Taylor & Francis journals:
http://www.tandf.co.uk/SARA/SARA.html

womensnet_news
A weekly mailing list informing subscribers of additions to the South African Women'sNet Web site:
http://www.womensnet.org.za/about/wn_news.htm

Discussion lists
Discussion lists are used for networking and communication between people with shared interests. Mailing list software can be configured so that lists are open or closed, moderated or unmoderated.

Open and closed lists
Open lists are open to anyone interested in a particular topic. The range of open discussion lists cover just about every topic under the sun.

Closed lists are open only to members of particular groups. Examples of closed lists include those used by classes to discuss assignments, online tutorial groups, working groups and lists used by members of particular organizations.

Moderated and unmoderated lists
In an unmoderated list, messages sent to the list are automatically distributed to each list member or subscriber.

In a moderated list, messages are first forwarded to the list "moderator" who will approve - or reject - it for distribution to all list members. The levels of moderation vary from list to list. Some list moderators approve just about all messages other than inappropriately directed administrative requests, such as requests to unsubscribe. Others may moderate with a heavier hand, keeping the list tightly focussed and rejecting "off-topic" postings. Much will depend on the character of the particular list, and on the number of subscribers. For example, it may be unnecessary to moderate a list with twenty members, but essential to moderate one with two thousand.

Mailing list programmes

Listserv, Listproc, Majordomo, and others are all "brand names" for the computer programs used to run Mailing Lists. These programs are set up so that one message can be sent to a central address (the Majordomo, Listserv,etc.), which then handles the job of sending a copy to every subscriber of the list. These programs also handle the job of adding and removing subscribers.

Mailing Lists generally have TWO separate and distinct addresses. Getting this clear in your mind right now will save you a lot of confusion and embarrassment later on...

The first is the "Listname" address, where you send anything you want all the subscribers to the list to read. The other address is the "Command Processor", where you send the commands that you want performed. Confusing the two could mean that your commands end up being distributed as messages to everyone on the list!

Subscribing to a list

You subscribe to a list by sending an e-mail message to the address given for the Mailing List Command Processor. The exact form of the command depends on the Mailing List program in use but those for several much-used programs are:

Majordomo
SUBSCRIBE [listname]
(e.g. SUBSCRIBE ELAW-J)

Optionally, include the e-mail address at which you wish to receive list mail: (e.g. SUBSCRIBE [listname] [address])

Listproc
SUBSCRIBE [listname] Firstname Lastname
(e.g. SUBSCRIBE USERSGRP Mfezeko Bunu)

LISTSERV
SUBSCRIBE [listname] Firstname Lastname
(e.g. SUBSCRIBE INT-LAW Mfezeko Bunu)

• Make sure that you direct your messages to and reply to the correct addresses, viz. the list name address, command processor address or individual poster as the case may be. Sending administrative requests to the list name is just annoying for other list members; sending what you intended to be a private response to an individual to five hundred people can be very, very embarrassing.

• Don't set your e-mail programme to acknowledge receipt or delivery of messages, or set up "automatic replies". In the case of unmoderated lists, these messages will go to everyone on the list. In the case of moderated lists they will create unnecessary work for the moderator.

• Unsubscribe from lists if you are going to be without e-mail access for an extended period, or suspend your mail if the list gives you this option.

• Familiarize yourself with the tone and "culture" of the list.

• If you are asking for assistance, formulate your question carefully so as to elicit meaningful responses.

• Use the subject line intelligently. For example, if you're looking for a book on the Boer War don't just title your message "Help wanted". Rather head it along the lines of "Boer War reference needed".

• DON'T WRITE ALL IN CAPITALS – it looks as though you're SHOUTING.

• Don't attach files to messages you send to lists.

• Don't include the entire body of a long previous message in your response – edit it so that only the essentials are included in your message.

• Don't forward chain letters or virus warnings to lists. Why not? See the GENNET mailing list policy on this for an explanation: http://www.geocities.com/~anntothill/chain.htm

• Turn off HTML/RTF styling in your e-mail programme. Gerald Boyd's "Configuring Mail Clients to Send Plain ASCII Text" provides an explanation of how to do this in a variety of e-mail packages: http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1236/nomime.html 
  
  Similar information is available from Rootsweb:
  http://www.rootsweb.com/rootsweb/listowners/html-off.htm