Ingrid, OOOOOOOOPS! Please forgive me, I am very new to "listserving," and one of the reasons I joined this list is to not only find out the technical do's, but the "nettiqual" and ethical don'ts. I am aware of the word SPAM and have seen several messages on this list about Spams, but I was under the impression that a Spam was something done for malicious intent (like something obscene or otherwise offensive) or done for personal financial gain (I get paid the same whether I teach courses via WWW or in a traditional classroom with desks and chairs and pens and paper). I definitely see your point, though, and understand how if this were done on a regular basis by thousands or millions of users it could become a HUGE problem. Again, sorry--and thanks for teaching me a valuable lesson! Larry p.s. To the rest of the members of LSTOWN-L: If you agree with Ingrid, please don't waste space on this list or waste your valuable time repeating her sentiments--I got the point, I repent, and I shall go and sin no more . . . >A SPAM is a SPAM is a SPAM! No matter how benign the intention >and beneficial the service offered (from opposing nuclear testing >to offering free[?] courses) NO ONE should be encouraged to >forward messages to lists that are not clearly of interest to the >subscribers of that list, especially if the message contains the >potentially disastrous self-replicating request to forward to yet >more lists! In terms of cyberspace, this is infinitely more >irresponsible than bringing rabbits to Australia! Can you >imagine how many mailboxes could potentially be filled if people >were to take your request seriously? Can you imagine the burden >on an already overloaded system? Fortunately the built-in >listserv SPAM detector would stop your commercial fairly quickly, >but surely getting caught spamming is not your intention (or that >of your college)! So, PLEASE, do not send this message to any >more lists (and read the material in the Listowners' Manual >concerning spamming, chainletters, and other inappropriate >activities). > >Ingrid Shafer ([log in to unmask]) >