I think Eric Thomas was doing just that recently to prepare for a talk he had to give. I'm sending you an article I wrote recently to describe LISTSERV in general terms to our users. Feel free to modify it for your use. Good luck. LISTSERV on IUBVM: More Than Just Another Mail Distributor Most academic users are well acquainted with BITNET subscription lists, which distribute electronic mail pertaining to a topic or organization to registered users. More than 2000 BITNET mailing lists are active today. This article will discuss the software which supports these lists, LISTSERV, and how it is used on IUBVM. LISTSERV is a public-domain, VM-based mail and file manager which currently runs on over 260 VM sites. LISTSERV is designed to work with the VM Network MAILER to distribute mail to recipients on all nodes within the BITNET and Internet networks (not just to VM sites) and to any other node accessible via MAILER gateways. Besides the efficient distribution of mail to the subscribers of mailing lists, LISTSERV's capabilities include mail note logging, file distribution, file serving, and archive searching. Recently, LISTSERV was enhanced to also provide mail forwarding services for all local users. Responsibility for creating and maintaining each list is delegated to the list owner. List ownership provides the ability to add and delete subscribers, maintain and collect usage statistics, suspend and resume distribution of mail and other files, define confidentiality values, add files to the lists' database, create file distribution packages, and set confidentiality values for various aspects of the list. If a list is set up so that subscription is automatic and open to the public, very little maintenance is involved. Lists can also be set up which require intervention by the owner for subscription and/or intervention by the owner or designated moderator for posting. These management functions may be performed from an IUBVM account or from any valid BITNET or Internet account via interactive messages, mail messages, or job command files. Subscribers to a list can query and change their distribution and acknowledgement options, change their names as recorded by LISTSERV, search and request copies of the mailing log archives, request files stored in the database, request that updated files be automatically resent or that they be notified of an update. Subscribers, as well as non-subscribers on any BITNET or Internet node, can get copies of the LISTSERV documentation, ask for help, get lists of available mailing lists, subscribe to lists, obtain copies of list definition files, request non-confidential files from any list, and search non-confidential mail archives. Requests for any of these LISTSERV services are sent via interactive messages, mail messages, or job command files. Because LISTSERV allows remote management, VM sites sponsor lists for both local and remote users. Where a list is sponsored depends on the composition of the list (i.e., the percentage of local or regional users), the preference of the list owner, the resources required by the list (disk space, network bandwidth), and the willingness of the host to sponsor it. On IUBVM, owners manage their lists from their IUBVM account or their VAX cluster accounts. IUBVM-sponsored lists include: CJUST-L Criminal Justice Discussion List DIS-L Drosophilia Workers Newsletter DTS-L Dead Teachers' Society Discussion List EDINFO-L Education Information Discussion List MLA-L Music Library Association Mailing List TML-L Database for Latin Music Theory UNION-L Mail, newsletters and salary files for UUP-IU MLA-L is currently the most active list, with frequent postings among its more than 300 users worldwide. TML-L is the most intensive user of LISTSERV's file serving functions, distributing text and graphics files to a wide network of music theorists. TML-L users inform LISTSERV of their area of interest (e.g. 14th century music theory), and then automatically receive updates to any files in that category. To accommodate Internet users, TML-L also provides a means of obtaining files via FTP. For more information about LISTSERV, contact VM Consultant Peter Molnar (MOLNARP@IUBVM or [log in to unmask]). Mary Papakhian VM Systems Programmer University Computing Services WCC 136.13 855-2597