Contents
Joining
a list
Guidelines for posting to a list
Insidious commercialism
My meta-list of listservers
List-servers I own
Listservers to consider
Listservers I belong to
Retrieving
past postings
Lsoft manual
questions?
©1999 William James
updated 1999-12-05 |
JOINING
A LIST
People who belong to a discussion list receive all the e-mail that is sent to the list
and can in turn send e-mail to the list. To subscribe to a list, send this message (with
NO other text and no brackets) to the subscription address:
SUBSCRIBE [LIST NAME] [YOUR FIRST NAME] [LAST NAME]
For example,
SUBSCRIBE WATER-L JANE DOE
[Note: for "majordomo" lists, don't include your name.]
To leave a list, send this message (with NO other text and no brackets) to the **subscription** address:
UNSUBSCRIBE [LIST NAME] [YOUR FIRST NAME] [LAST NAME]
When going away temporarily, to reduce the amount of email, send this message (with NO other text and no brackets) to the **subscription** address:
SET [LIST NAME] MAIL DIGEST
Some rules offered at this time:
Email is great for communications, one-to-one and one-to-many. Whether this is good or bad
depends on how you use it. This page is meant to provide a few tips for making email lists
work for all of us.
The attributes of email are: ease; a handy record; overcomes mismatches in schedules;
cheapness; saves time; replaces meetings; fosters a sense of community. Subscribers have
however certain expectations of the list - they expect to get specific information on
specific topics from specific people. They should not be forced to receive other types of
material.
Lists have a purpose - ours are for work-related or study-related business. It is
important to post only info directly related to the topic of the list; you owe it to your
colleagues only to post info that they absolutely have to see.. Do not post anything
unless you are certain that it is appropriate for the list - if you aren't sure contact
the list owner first.
Don't pass on info you get via Internet, since we all probably saw it elsewhere already
- common topics are fake virus warnings. Before you post an advertisement contact the list
owner. As a rule, use a Usenet group instead. Posting commercial advertisements using
University resources could be a serious violation of University policies.
In most cases do not reply to the whole list, but respond just to the author to avoid
cluttering mailboxes. Avoid email storms whereby we get repeated requests to stop
off-topic postings, or requests to unsubscribe the sender. Do not post to lists if you are
not a bona fide member - this is like walking uninvited into a private meeting and
breaking into the discussion.
If you are annoyed by a posting, email that person privately. Remember to be kind, the
sender just made a mistake as we all do. If you can't resolve the issue contact the list
owner.
- Review you messages before posting them
- Be especially polite, as readers cannot tell whether you are joking.
- Never send negative messages. Don't be terse. Use the phone instead.
- Don't reply to the whole list.
- Don't use capital letters: this is SHOUTING and is considered RUDE.
- Use emoticons :) :(
- Make the type of info clear (e.g. is this "official"?)
- The message must support the official business of the list or the group.
- The info must be needed by the recipients.
- It must be clear to the recipient why the message was received.
- Only one topic per posting please, and pointed subject heading must relate
precisely to the content.
- The message must be brief and to the point.
- Don't echo back long messages.
- Don't edit quoted messages to change their meaning.
- It should in most cases be time-critical.
- All postings must follow the University's policies on Acceptable Use, Misconduct, etc.
- Moreover, in a professional environment such as an engineering school, postings should
conform to professional standards and ethics - e.g. never make unsubstantiated
accusations or sweeping claims.
- Don't react to a flame, but post a brief apology for unintended impact or acceptable
use.
- Never send a message when you are angry or upset.
- Be patient with inexperienced list users.
- Give senders the benefit of the doubt.
- Posting of info that is merely interesting, or nice to know such as info
about extraneous events, or articles for sale, or opinion, is not acceptable on most
special-purpose listservers.
- Always reply directly to the emailer rather than the list, unless all members
clearly need the info.
- Think before Send.
- Enjoy the list's benefits and share your enjoyment by being pleasant.
Arising from some recent concerns, please do not post on these technical lists material
that:
- is purely religious in nature
- appeals for financial or similar help
- is purely political
- attempts to sell stuff not linked to the interests of the group
- promotes personal "opportunities"
- broadcasts an unpleasant gripe
MY
META-LIST (ACTUALLY A LIST OF LISTS OF LISTSERVERS)
Under development - four lists of listservers are offered at this time:
The "official" catalog of listservs
Inter links, general Internet resources
UNWIN's general Internet resources
Hydrology discussion groups
Under development - following below are mailing lists which I
currently maintain - if you have comments, corrections or additions please e-mail Bill J and I will fix it.
To subscribe to these lists, first read the descriptions, then send to:
listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
just the following one-line email (no signature or subject):
subscribe List-Name Jane Doe
You will receive instructions. You must email the list from this address. Thereafter email
to:
List-Name@listserv.uoguelph.ca
Finally to unsubscribe send again from the subscribed address to:
listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
The following one-line email:
unsubscribe List-Name
- CSCE-HYDRO: Canadian Society of Civil Engineers Hydrotechnical Division committee
Closed list. Email the command "info csce-hydro" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- CSCE-WATER: Canadian Society of Civil Engineers Hydrotechnical Division for open
discussion of northern water engineering.
open list. Email the command "info csce-hydro" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- ENGLIB-L: School of Engineering mailing list for discussion of University library
matters
open list. mail the command "info englib-l" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- EPANET-USERS: EPANET Water Distribution System Modelling Software Users,
and not for marketing competing products
closed list. mail the command "info epanet-users" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- FEQ-USERS: Full Equations Model Users,
and not for marketing competing products
closed list. mail the command "info feq-users" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- HEC-USERS: Hydrologic Engineering Center Software Users,
and not for marketing competing products
closed list. mail the command "info hec-users" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- HSPF-USERS: Hydrologic Simulation Program in Fortran Users,
and not for marketing competing products
closed list. mail the command "info hspf-users" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- SWM-L: Discussion list for the graduate class in Stormwater Management Modelling
(05-661)
closed list. mail the command "info swm-l" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- SWMM-USERS: Stormwater Management Modelling Software Users,
and not for marketing competing products
closed list. mail the command "info swmm-users" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- TCKeeferClub: A list for students who have taken my urban water courses
closed list. Visit my webpage for
info
or mail the command "info TCKeeferClub" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- Urban-Rain: A list for researchers and engineers who have a
professional interest in the special characteristics of rain in urban
areas
closed list.
or mail the command "info Urban-Rain" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- WASP-USERS: EPA's water quality simulation program WASP users,
and not for marketing competing products
closed list. mail the command "info wasp-users" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- WATER-ED: Discussion group of professors specializing in surface water pollution
management
open list. mail the command "info water-ed" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- WATER-L: Discussion list for the undergraduate class in Urban Water Systems
Design (05-437)
mail the command "info water-l" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
Under development - the following are mailing lists some of which I use, own or have
found but not recently checked - if you have comments, corrections or additions please
e-mail Bill J and I will fix it.
- EPANET-USERS: EPANET Water Distribution System Modelling Software Users
mail the command "information epanet-users" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- SEWER-LIST: Sewerage and Waste Treatment Discussion List; for people involved in
design, installation, permitting, operation and maintenance of sanitary sewers, storm
sewers, combined systems, lift stations and publicly-owned treatment works; focus is on
practical matters rather than academic, theoretical or policy concerns.
Subscription address: LISTPROC@MCFEELEY.CC.UTEXAS.EDU
Message Postings to: SEWER-LIST@MCFEELEY.CC.UTEXAS.EDU
- SWMM-USERS: Stormwater Management Modelling Software Users
mail the command "information swmm-users" to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
- WATER-DISTRIB-SYSTEMS: Discussion and information relating to water distribution
systems
mail the command "info Water-Distrib-Systems" to mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk
For my own use - this is a rough list of listservers that I belong to
from time to time and is in addition to those that I own.
- bhs-hydrology
Mail the command "info bhs-hydrology" to mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk
subscription address: mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk
postings address: bhs-hydrology@mailbase.ac.uk
- ceam-users
- civil-l
Subscription address: listserv@@listserv.unb.ca
Message Postings to: civil-l@@listserv.unb.ca
Mail the command "info Civil-l" to listserv@listserv.unb.ca
- GLRC [GLRC@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU]
- hydrology
Subscription address: Majordomo@eng.monash.edu.AU
Message Postings to: Hydrology@eng.monash.edu.au
Mail the command "info Hydrology" to Majordomo@eng.monash.edu.AU
- internetb-l
- libcpes
- npsinfo
subscription address: listserver@unixmail.rtpnc.epa.gov
postings address: npsinfo@unixmail.rtpnc.epa.gov
- owners-l
- pavement-online
- urban-drainage
Mail the command "info urban-drainage" to mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk
subscription address: mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk
postings address: urban-drainage@mailbase.ac.uk
- samountain-talk@netcity.itex.co.za
Subscription address: Majordomo@netcity.itex.co.za
Message Postings to: samountain-talk@netcity.itex.co.za
- sewer-list
Subscription address: LISTPROC@MCFEELEY.CC.UTEXAS.EDU
Message Postings to: SEWER-LIST@MCFEELEY.CC.UTEXAS.EDU
- water-and-san-applied-research
Mail the command "info water-and-san-applied-research" to mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk
subscription address: mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk
postings address: water-and-san-applied-research@mailbase.ac.uk
- water-distrib-systems
Mail the command "info water-distrib-systems" to mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk
subscription address: mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk
postings address: water-distrib-systems@mailbase.ac.uk
- water-env-info-systems
Mail the command "info water-env-info-systems" to mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk
subscription address: mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk
postings address: water-env-info-systems@mailbase.ac.uk
TO RETRIEVE POSTINGS TO A LIST
For subscribers who missed earlier postings, you can retrieve the monthly log e.g. for
Sept so far by emailing:
listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca
[please do not email the list itself!]
send just one line in the text, no subject or signature:
get hydro-l.log9609
You then get all those postings in one long file.
BTW, you can get an index of all the log files by sending to listserv:
index hydro-l
Neat, eh? |