Dear Marcia and LSTOWN-L Folks,

>I've started my first mailing list and

Gate Open

From the top of my head, with little study or
thought, I've generated a quick list of steps
in a rough order for your edification. I'm sure
Pete or Winship or Nathan could do better,
if they pleased to and had the time:

General Steps to Set Up A New LISTSERV

1. Get the list created by the site manager.
  Have the site manager also create some
  standard templates, and enable your
  location for list files (Welcome and Farewell,
  for instance). Pick the best available name
  for your new group.

2. Add or subscribe yourself and all other
  list owners. Create a password for your
  list management account(s). Put your own
  account on "review" to prevent accidents.
  Become familiar with the LISTSERV Web
  interface.

3. Test the list with multiple kinds of e-mail
  addresses that you create from hotmail,
  and other free services, and your own
  uh.edu address(es). Delete the tests
  from the archives.

4. Write your welcome message. Put it.

5. Write your faretheewell message. Put it.

6. Write your "I'm just the list owner and
  it's not my job to answer on-topic
  questions in off-list e-mail" message.

7. Write a message to help the &%$#@! to
  unsubscribe. Write another to help anyone
  to subscribe - include both e-mail and Web
  methods.

8. Write your other administrative messages
  as they are required. Save them with names
  that will help you find them in the future. If it
  happens once, it will probably happen again.

9. Create a Web "home page" for your new
  group - create a place for good on-topic
  links to be shared (to get new comers up
  to speed). Include any "rules" or etiquette
  you intend to enforce.

10. Customize your LISTSERV Web interface
  to look the way you want it to be seen. Make
  sure you know what each option does, and
  how it can be used.

11. Announce your new group to NewList and
  register with other list-availability-type
  sites (PAML, TILE.NET, LISZT, etc.). Make
  sure you show up in Catalyst, in time.

12. Join and read the list-owner mailing lists:
  a. Anything local to your site
  b. LSTOWN-L
  c. LSTSRV-L
  d. List-Managers
  e. LIST-moderators, etc.

13. Learn to read e-mail headers and LISTSERV
  error messages. Respond appropriately.

General Advice

Don't say anything you would not want to see
  in a newspaper headline tomorrow.
Don't make a rule you won't enforce fiercely
 against your own mother. Be fair. Live by
  what you wrote, not by what you meant.
Keep your list-manager informed if there are
  barbarians at the gate. Otherwise be nice.
Be as kind as possible to the newbies - they
  are our future, whether we like them or not.

</gate>

I hope this helps (IHTH).

 Pax,
Ballew Kinnaman <[log in to unmask]> 206/463-2322
Discussion list owner:
Allergy ---> http://www.Immune.Com/allergy/index.html
Arthritis ---> http://www.Emissary.Net/arthritis/index.html
Latex Allergy ---> http://www.Immune.Com/rubber/index.html
Thyroid ---> http://www.Emissary.Net/thyroid/index.html