First you have to GET the header of your list and add the line TOPICS=IRC Then you have to PUT the header back which should unlock the list which will have been locked as the result of the GET command. THEN you are ready to inform people that they can send mail to the IRC topic by inserting IRC in the SUBJECT line of their header. IRC must be by itself or followed by a colon. The colon acts as separator and listserv still recognizes the TOPIC. After the colon additional subject matter can be added: Subject: IRC: Saturday meeting. NOTE: the Topics feature depends on the willingness of subscribers to make sure they ALWAYS insert the topic; it's the "switch" that makes listserv send the message only to the subscribers who are on IRC. Which reminds me. Of course, the next step after setting the TOPIC(s) up in the header is sending the command: TOPIC= +IRC for all the people who want to be set that way. It becomes part of their user profile. I better sign off; a student is waiting. Send me a private note if you need more help. I do a great deal of work with TOPICs. Ingrid Shafer [log in to unmask] and [log in to unmask]