> From: Seth Dotterer <[log in to unmask]>
> A couple of questions from a relative newbie to list-ownership.....
>
> 1)  We're picking up hosting a list from an educational listserver that
no
> longer wishes to carry the list.  Basically, a discussion group for users
> of my company's products.  They've told the list that they're
discontinuing
> it, but it's currently still functioning.  I've offered our listserver to

I just went through merging two lists. APHAMH-L was abandoned by the
listowner. When I started posting several people wondered why they were
getting mail. It had been so long since they had subscribed. People could
not signoff the list because they had changed email addresses or other
reasons. There were 200 people on the list. I contacted the systems
programmer responsible for the list at the site it was on. I asked to
become the listowner. Then I announced on the list that these two lists
would be merged. I gave everyone who did not want to have the lists merged
24 hours to sign off the list.
I then did a REVIEW, of the list getting all the email addresses. I used
"QUIET ADD" for all 200 names (using my word processor of course - I did
not type each on in individually). Then they were on my new list. I
contacted the systems program and he deleted the old list, but put in am
mail reflector so if anyone tries to subscribe to the old list the will end
up subscribed to my list. Don't want to throw away all that goodwill and
advertising ya know.

Then the problems started. It was terrible for about a week as I explained
over and over to people what had happened and how to get off the list. It
just seemed like noone was reading the administrative posts. It was very
frustrating. I lost about 80 out of the 200 subscribers that I moved over.

I think it was worth it. If I had just asked them to resubscribe many of
the lurkers would not have raised a finger to do so. If I had it to do
over, I would have posted more messages on the old list over and over for
maybe 3 days instead of 24 hours so everyone who wanted to could get off
the list BEFORE I merged them.

Make up your mind and do it. As the listowner you make the rules. Good
Luck.


--------
   George Blake                                        [log in to unmask]
   American Association of Psychiatric Technicians, Inc.   219-879-2911
   ...Certifying Mental Health Workers Nationwide...       800-391-7589
   336 Johnson Road, Michigan City, Indiana 46360      Fax 219-879-1887

        MENTAL-HEALTH-WORKER  is an unmoderated discussion list for
   those interested in entry level psychology, psychiatry, and mental
   health jobs requiring a bachelors degree or less. To subscribe to
   Mental-Health-Worker, send the following command:
   SUBSCRIBE MENTAL-HEALTH-WORKER  yourfirstname yourlastname
   in the BODY of your e-mail to:     [log in to unmask]