Electronic mailing lists are useful tools for communicating with and maintaining connections to the different members of your school-community planning team. Here is some basic information.

What is an Electronic Mailing List?

An electronic mailing list is a software program run on a central computer that allows messages sent to one e-mail address to be distributed to a group of people -- the subscribers of the mailing list. Sometimes called listservs -- because that is the name of a popular list management software program -- electronic mailing lists can be used as a tool for information dissemination and discussion among individuals with similar interests and/or professional responsibilities.

Are There Different Types of Mailing Lists?

While all electronic mailing lists function similarly, lists can vary in their purpose, their openness to subscribers and messages, and the manner in which subscribers can elect to receive messages.

One distinction is between announcement and discussion lists.

Announcement lists are basically online newsletters: The list manager alone can post messages and subscribers do not have the option to respond. Announcement lists are a great way to send and receive information quickly and cheaply.

Discussion lists provide subscribers with an online forum for discussion. Typically, any and all subscribers can post, read, and respond to messages. List managers may establish rules for posting messages (e.g., appropriate topics and styles) in order to ensure that the discussion is appropriate for subscribers.

Another distinction is between public and private lists.

Public (or open) lists allow anyone interested in the topic to subscribe.

Private (or closed) lists require subscribers to be approved by the list manager, based on some type of requirement (e.g., group membership).

A third distinction is between moderated and unmoderated lists.

Moderated lists provide a moderator who screens all messages that come in. Moderators can approve, edit, or reject messages in order to prevent inappropriate or irrelevant postings.

Unmoderated lists automatically post and distribute all subscriber messages.

Finally, subscribers can receive messages as a digest or individually.

Messages received in digest form are delivered all together at the end of a specified length of time (e.g., daily or weekly) or once accumulated messages have reached a specified size (e.g., 40 KB). This is a good way to keep mailing list and personal e-mail separate.

Messages can also be delivered as soon as they are posted, or individually (sometimes called immediate messages). Many mailing lists only deliver individual messages. If you prefer the digest arrangement, you can use Eudora, Netscape Messenger, or another e-mail program that includes filters that sort all mailing list messages into a separate folder.

How Do I Create a Mailing List?

There are many issues to consider when creating and running a mailing list. To be effective, you will have to make a variety of informed decisions.

Make a plan. Before you set up an electronic mailing list, you will need to
answer these questions:

• What will you name and how will you describe your list?
• Will membership be private (based on invitation or approval) or public (open to anyone)? If it is private, how will you select or reject subscribers?
• Will you moderate the list and screen messages prior to posting them?
• Will you serve as the sole list manager, or will others assist you?
• Will you configure your list so that only subscribers are able to obtain a list of members, or will others be able to see who is on your list?
• Do you want to archive the messages that are posted to your list?
• What will you include in your welcome message to new subscribers?

Get started. Once you have made your plan, follow these steps:

• Decide where you will host the list. You can use a list server program if you have access to one through your organization or your Internet Service Provider, or you can use a Web-based mailing list site.

• Follow the instructions provided by your list server or Web-based mailing list site. Each list server and mailing list site differs, and the instructions change over time.

• Subscribe yourself and send a test message. It is important to make sure that you are on the mailing list, so follow the subscription instructions specified by your list server. Then try to post a message to the list to make sure that it is working. As a subscriber, you should receive this test message.

Spread the word. Once your list is up and running, you will want to let
people know about it. Start identifying and talking with potential subscribers whom you happen to know. You might also want to promote your list through participation in other lists and discussion forums relevant to your topic, or create a website for your list.