A Primer On
How To Use E-Mail Distribution Lists
Adapted from "A Primer on How to Work With the USENET Community"
Chuq Von Rospach
*** You now have access to Internet, a big network of thousands of computers. Other documents or your system administrator will provide detailed technical documentation. This message describes the Internet culture and customs that have developed over time. All new users should read this message to find out how E-mail discussion lists work. ***
*** (Old users could read it, too, to refresh their memories.) ***
What is an E-mail discussion list?
The easiest way to explain the workings of an E-mail discussion list, is to liken it to a fax machine. The message sender, composes a message and then sends it to the E-mail list address. The List Server software then takes the message and re sends it to every member of the list. In this way, you can communicate with hundreds or thousands of people at one time. This is what makes an E-mail discussion list different from a USENET newsgroup. In a newsgroup, participants select the messages that they want to receive from the server, where in a list all members receive a copy of every message posted.
Always Save The List's UNSUBSCRIBE Instructions
One of the most frequently asked questions on a E-mail discussion lists is, "How do I get of this list?". This also usual starts a flurry of off-topic posts questioning the intelligence of someone who cannot remember to save the instructions for unsubscribing. This even happens on lists that add the instructions, or how to get them, for leaving the list.
Always save a copy of the welcome you receive from the list. This message always includes instructions for the list that will save you embarrassment at a later date. And if you do not save the message, contact the list administrator privately for help.
Never Forget that the Person
on the Other Side is Human
Because your interaction with the list is through a computer it is easy for emotions to erupt into a verbal free-for-all that can lead to hurt feelings. Situations arise where it is easy to forget that there are people "out there." Please remember that people all over the world are reading your words. Do not attack people if you cannot persuade them with your presentation of the facts. Screaming, cursing, and abusing others only serves to make people think less of you and less willing to help you when you need it.
If you are upset at something or someone, wait until you have had a chance to calm down and think about it. A cup of coffee or a good night's sleep works wonders on your perspective. Hasty words create more problems than they solve. Try not to say anything to others you would not say to them in person in a room full of people.
Be Brief
Never say in ten words what you can say in fewer. Say it succinctly and it will have a greater impact. Remember that the longer you make your message, the fewer people will bother to read it.
Your Postings Reflect Upon You --
Be Proud of Them
Most people on the list will know you only by what you say and how well you say it. They may someday be your co-workers or friends. Take some time to make sure each posting is something that will not embarrass you later. Minimize your spelling errors and make sure that the article is easy to read and understand. Writing is an art and to do it well requires practice. Since much of how people judge you on the net is based on your writing, such time is well spent.
Use Descriptive Subject Lines
The subject line of an message is there to enable a person with a limited amount of time to decide whether or not to read your message. Tell people what the message is about before they read it. A title like "Car for Sale" to rec.autos does not help as much as "66 MG Midget for sale: Beaverton OR." Don't expect people to read your message to find out what it is about because many of them won't bother. Some sites truncate the length of the subject line to 40 characters so keep your subjects short and to the point.
Be Careful with Humor and Sarcasm
Without the voice inflections and body language of personal communications, it is easy for a remark meant to be funny to be misinterpreted. Subtle humor tends to get lost, so take steps to make sure that people realize you are trying to be funny. The net has developed a symbol called the smiley face. It looks like ":-)" and points out sections of messages with humorous intent. No matter how broad the humor or satire, it is safer to remind people that you are being funny.
But also be aware that quite frequently satire is posted without any explicit indications. If an message outrages you strongly, you should ask yourself if it just may have been unmarked satire. Several self-proclaimed connoisseurs refuse to use smiley faces, so take heed or you may make a temporary fool of yourself.
Summarize What You are Following Up
When you are following up someone's message, please summarize the parts of the message to which you are responding. This allows readers to appreciate your comments rather than trying to remember what the original message said. It is also possible for your response to get to some sites before the original message.
Summarization is best done by including appropriate quotes from the original message. Do not include the entire message since it will irritate the people who have already seen it. Even if you are responding to the entire message, summarize only the major points you are discussing.
When Summarizing, Summarize!
When you request information from the network, it is common courtesy to report your findings so that others can benefit as well. The best way of doing this is to take all the responses that you received and edit them into a single message that is posted to the places where you originally posted your question. Take the time to strip headers, combine duplicate information, and write a short summary. Try to credit the information to the people that sent it to you, where possible.
Read All Follow-ups and Don't Repeat What Has Already Been Said
Before you submit a follow-up to a message, read the rest of the messages in the newsgroup to see whether someone has already said what you want to say. If someone has, don't repeat it.
Be Careful About Copyrights and Licenses
Once something is posted onto the network, it is effectively in the public domain. When posting material to the network, keep in mind that material that is UNIX-related may be restricted by the license you or your company signed with AT&T and be careful not to violate it. You should also be aware that posting movie reviews, song lyrics, or anything else published under a copyright could cause you, your company, or the net itself to be held liable for damages, so we highly recommend caution in using this material.
Cite Appropriate References
If you are using facts to support a cause, state where they came from. Don't take someone else's ideas and use them as your own. You don't want someone pretending that your ideas are theirs; show them the same respect.
Spelling Flames Considered Harmful
Every few months a plague descends on USENET and E-mail distribution lists called the spelling flame. It starts out when someone posts an message correcting the spelling or grammar in some message. The immediate result seems to be for everyone on the net to turn into a 6th grade English teacher and pick apart each other's postings for a few weeks. This is not productive and tends to cause people who used to be friends to get angry with each other.
It is important to remember that we all make mistakes, and that there are many users on the net who use English as a second language. If you feel that you must make a comment on the quality of a posting, please do so by mail, not on the network.
Don't Overdo Signatures
Signatures are nice, and many people can have a signature added to their postings automatically by placing it in a file called "$HOME/signature". Don't overdo it. Signatures can tell the world something about you, but keep them short. A signature that is longer than the message itself is considered to be in bad taste. The main purpose of a signature is to help people locate you on the net, not learn your life story. Every signature should include your return address relative to a well known site on the network. Your system administrator can give this to you.
Virus Warnings and Chain Letters
Never send virus warnings to a distribution list. Most virus warnings are really hoaxes and are intended to disrupt the flow of mail by creating a heavier load.
It is also important that you not reply or comment on the list about a post that another user makes. This just multiplies the work done by the list servers and creates unnecessary mail for all list members.
The same philosophy applies to chain letters. Most list members do not wish to see these.
Summary of Things to Remember
- Always save the list's UNSUBSCRIBE instructions
- Never forget that the person on the other side is human
- Be brief
- Your postings reflect upon you; be proud of them
- Use descriptive subject lines
- Be careful with humor and sarcasm
- Summarize what you are following up
- When summarizing, Summarize!
- Read all follow-ups and don't repeat what has already been said
- Be careful about copyrights and licenses
- Cite appropriate references
- Spelling flames considered harmful
(*)UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T.
This document has been adapted for use with E-Mail distribution lists from the original public domain document by (Chuq Von Rospach) chuq@sun.COM and my be reproduced or excerpted freely.
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