NIH LISTSERV Facility
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Division of Network Systems and Telecommunications |
The easiest way to interact directly with LISTSERV is via LISTSERV's World Wide Web interface. The Web "gateway" to LISTSERV is the NIH LISTSERV Home Page (Figure 1). The address is:
Figure 1: The NIH LISTSERV Home Page
For those users who are familiar with using commands to communicate with LISTSERV, e.g., to subscribe to a list, you can still do this. For more information, please refer to Appendix B: User Commands.
An important part of the NIH LISTSERV website for general users of LISTSERV is the NIH "List of Lists" (Figure 2). From the List of Lists, you can (depending on the list settings) join or leave a list; modify your subscriber options; post to a list; and browse the list archives. To access the List of Lists, click the Browse button from the NIH LISTSERV Home page. There are three ways to find a particular list: 1) choose a letter from the alphabetic index; 2) type in a term or phrase to search for and click Go!; or 3) simply scroll down - the list is alphabetic. When you have found the desired list, click the list link.
If the desired list doesn't appear, the list owner may have designated it as confidential (a setting that allows the list owner to hide it from the List of Lists). You can still view a confidential list if you know its exact name. To view a confidential list, click on the "Access unlisted links" link directly under the alpha index. Type in the name of the desired list in the "List Name" box, then click Go! to begin the search. If you are prompted to log in, follow the steps. NOTE: some lists have restricted access, and you may not be allowed to access them even by logging in.
Figure 2: The NIH List of Lists
Some LISTSERV user functions now require you to log in. Whether login is required depends on the list settings. For example, if the owner of a list has decided that only list subscribers may see the list archives, LISTSERV will prompt you to log in to determine if you are a subscriber. If login is required, the LISTSERV Login Screen appears (Figure 3).
Figure 3: LISTSERV Login Screen
To log in, you'll need a LISTSERV password. If you're already on the LISTSERV Login Screen (it appears whenever you're prompted to log in), click on the CREATE A LISTSERV PASSWORD link. If you're on the LISTSERV Home Page, click For General Users, then click Create a LISTSERV Password. The "Create a LISTSERV Password" screen appears (Figure 4).
Figure 4: The "Create a LISTSERV Password" Screen
Fill in your e-mail address, and type in a password of your choosing. (LISTSERV asks you to type it twice to protect against misspellings.) Then click the Create Password button. LISTSERV acknowledges the request onscreen and sends a request for confirmation via e-mail. NOTE: before LISTSERV actually accepts your password, you must confirm the request (see next section).
When you use the web interface, LISTSERV "knows" you by the e-mail address with which you log in. Generally, your login address should be the same as your subscriber address for the list you wish to access. If you commonly use more than one e-mail address, you may wish to create a password for each address. (You may use the same password for multiple addresses, if you wish.)
To confirm the request for confirmation, bring up your e-mail software. (If you use more than one type of e-mail software, choose the one at which you receive mail at the address you used to create your LISTSERV password.) You should find a request for confirmation from LISTSERV (Figure 5) in your e-mail Inbox within a moment or two.
Figure 5: E-mail Request for Confirmation
There are two ways to confirm your subscription: by e-mail reply, or by web hyperlink.
To confirm by e-mail reply: Press the reply button in your e-mail and type the word OK in the body of the reply. Leave the subject intact. Send the message.
To confirm by web hyperlink: Find the text after the first paragraph of the request for confirmation that reads, "...point your browser to the following URL:", followed by a web link. Click on the link to confirm the command. This should bring up your browser window, and you should see an acknowledgement that your new password has been accepted.
After confirming your password, press the BACK button in your browser to return to the LISTSERV Login Screen. You should now be able to log in using your new password. At this point, you should see the main archive page for the list you have selected (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Main List Archive Screen
List archives are stored copies of all postings (messages) sent to a list. They are usually saved in files containing a month's worth, or a week's worth, of postings. The list owner decides whether archives should be kept; how long they should be kept; and who may access them.
To search messages in the list archives, click the Search the archives link on the main archive page for the desired list (see Figure 6, above). The "Search the (list name) List" screen appears (Figure 7).
Enter the relevant information for your search in the fields provided, then click the Start the search! button at the bottom of the screen. Note the highlighted terms on the search screen, such as Search for: and Substring search. These are links to online help topics. If a feature on the search screen is unclear, click on the link to read more about the feature.
Figure 7: Archive Search Screen
When the search is complete, the results are displayed on the list's "Search Results" screen (Figure 8). Results include the number of matches, links to each of the matches found, and details about each match (date, time, subject). If no matches are found, click the Search again button to begin a new search.
Figure 8: Search Results Screen
Click the link in the left column ("Item #") to view full text of each message found in the search. The individual message is displayed, along with origin links to other archived messages (Figure 9).
Figure 9: Full Text of Archive Message
To sort and view archive messages within a particular time period, click the link to the desired time period on the main list archive page (see Figure 6, above). The archive file for that time period is displayed, beginning with a table of contents that links to each individual message in the archive (Figure 10). Clicking the table of contents link for each message displays the link to the actual message, with the message's total number of lines in parentheses, and the name of the message's author.
Figure 10: Sample Weekly Archive File
Five sorting options currently are available:
- By Author
- By Posting Date
- By Topic
- Chronologically
- Most Recent First
Additionally, four views are available:
- Show Author
- Hide Author
- Show Table of Contents
- Hide Table of Contents
Clicking the By Author link in the Sort menu displays a message link table of contents listed alphabetically by the author's last name. Clicking the link for the desired author displays all that author's messages, listed alphabetically by subject, for the specified time period.
Clicking the By Posting Date link in the Sort menu displays a message link table of contents, grouped and listed by date posted, with the most recently posted messages listed last. Clicking the desired message link displays the message's full detail (Figure 11).
Figure 11: Message Detail
Clicking the By Topic link in the Sort menu displays a message link table of contents listed alphabetically by subject. Clicking the desired message link in the table of contents displays message links listed alphabetically by subject (beginning with the message link you clicked), with the author's name listed directly below the message link. Clicking the message link from this view displays the message's full detail.
Clicking the Chronologically link in the Sort menu displays a message link table of contents listed alphabetically by subject. Clicking the desired message link from here displays a message link list. Clicking a message link from the list displays the message's full detail. From this view, you may select several links on the Go To menu: Previous/Next Message; Previous/Next by Same Author; Previous Page (for archive date); Back to Main List Page.
Clicking the Most Recent First link in the Sort menu displays a message link table of contents listed alphabetically by subject. Clicking the desired message link from here displays a message link list. Clicking the message link from this view displays the message's full detail. From this view, you may select several links on the Go To menu: Previous (more recent) Message/Next (less recent) Message; Previous (more recent) by Same Author/Next (less recent) by Same Author; Previous Page (for archive date); Back to Main List Page.
Clicking the Show Author link in the View menu displays links to posted archive messages (by subject), showing the author's name.
Clicking the Hide Author link in the View menu displays links to posted archive messages (by subject), without showing the author's name.
Clicking the Show Table of Contents link in the View menu displays links to posted archive messages, along with a table of contents for each message (by subject), either with or without the author's name visible.
Clicking the Hide Table of Contents link in the View menu displays links to posted archive messages without a table of contents, either with or without the author's name visible.
L-Soft International, the owner of the LISTSERV technology, maintains a global Website called CataList. To search archives of lists outside of NIH, find your list on the CataList site, then either browse the available notebook archives by clicking on the various links, or choose "Search the Archives" to bring up a search page. (NOTE: you will only be able to access archives designated for public access by the list owner.) Other search sites for mailing lists also exist. To link to CataList or other search sites, point your Web browser at the NIH LISTSERV Home Page and click on Mailing List Search.
To join or leave a list, first click the Join or leave the list, or update options link (Figure 12) from the main Archives screen for the list
Figure 12: Main List Archive Screen
The Join or leave the (list name) list screen appears (Figure 13), displaying the user subscription form. Enter your e-mail address and your name, then select the list you want to join or leave. Select any one of the following options:
- Join the list
- Leave the list
- Leave all the lists
Figure 13: "Join or Leave the List, or Change Options" Screen
Select a Subscription type by clicking one of the following radio buttons:
- Regular (default)
- Digest (traditional)
- Digest (MIME format)
- Digest (HTML format)
- Index (traditional)
- Index (HTML format)
Select a Mail header style by clicking one of the following radio buttons:
- Normal LISTSERV-style header (default)
- LISTSERV-style, with list name in subject
- LISTSERV-style, short
- "Dual" (second header in mail body)
- Sendmail-style
Select Acknowledgements by clicking one of the following radio buttons :
- No acknowledgements
- Short message confirming receipt (default)
- Receive copy of own postings
Select a Miscellaneous item by clicking one of the following checkboxes:
- Mail delivery disabled temporarily
- Address concealed from REVIEW listing
When you have entered all information, click one of the following option buttons:
- Update options
- Leave (list name)
- Back to (list name) page
Once you are subscribed to a list, you can use the LISTSERV User Web Interface to modify your subscription. Items that may be modified include your subscriber name and e-mail address, as well as your personal options settings for Subscription type, Mail header style, Acknowledgements, and Miscellaneous items (Figure 14). (Every subscriber has such settings--although in most cases they're set to the default settings for the list--and is entitled to modify them.)
To modify your settings for a given list, click the Join or leave the list, or modify options link from the main Archives screen for the list (Figure 12, above). The "Join or leave the (list name) list, or modify options" screen appears (Figure 13, above), displaying the user subscription form. Click on the login with your LISTSERV password link in the second paragraph and follow the instructions to log in. If you don't have a LISTSERV password, you'll need to create one. For assistance, refer to the previous section, "Login and Passwords."
Once you've successfully logged in, LISTSERV will display your subscription options, subscriber name, and subscriber address for the list (Figure 14). (You may need to scroll down to see these.) To change your subscriber name or address, simply correct them onscreen. To alter your option settings, click the radio button for the desired setting. For more information on LISTSERV personal options settings, click on any highlighted term onscreen to access online help.
When you have completed your modifications, click the Update options button. A confirmation message will appear at the top of the screen, and the subscription form will display the updated subscription option settings.
Refer to Appendix B: "Modifying Your Personal List Settings" for more comprehensive information, including how to set personal options using e-mailed commands. Following are some general descriptions of various subscription option settings.
Figure 14: Subscription Option Settings
Regular
With a "regular" subscription, you receive individual postings immediately, as they are processed by LISTSERV.
Digest
With a "digest" subscription, you receive larger messages (called "digests") at regular intervals, usually once per day or once per week. These "digests" are collections of individual list postings. Some lists are so active that they produce several digests per day. Digests are a good compromise between reading everything as it is posted and feeling like the list is clogging your mailbox with a multitude of individual postings.
There are three digest formats:
- Digest (traditional), a text-only format
- Digest (MIME format), a MIME format, which (with mail clients that understand MIME digests) "bursts" the individual messages out of the digest so that you can read them separately
- Digest (HTML format), an HTML format, which requires HTML mail clients
Index
With an "index" subscription, you receive short "index" messages at regular intervals, usually once per day or once per week. These "indexes" show you what is being discussed on the list, without including the text of the individual postings. For each posting, the date, the author's name and address, the subject of the message and the number of lines is listed. You can then download messages of interest from the server (the index contains instructions on how to do that).
An index subscription is ideal if you have a slow connection and only read a few hand-picked messages. The indexes are very short and you do not have to worry about long download times. The drawback of course is that you need to reconnect to order messages of interest from the server.
There are two index formats:
- Index (traditional), a plain text format
- Index (HTML format), an HTML format with hyperlinks
Mail header style
Full headers (default setting for new lists)
Normal LISTSERV-style "full" mail header, containing Internet routing information, MIME headers, and so forth.
Subject headers
Normal LISTSERV-style full header, except that a "subject tag" is added to the subject line of mail coming from the list. If there is no subject tag defined in the list's configuration, the name of the list will be used. This is very useful for sorting and filtering mail.
IETF or Sendmail-style headers
an advanced option that selects Sendmail-style headers, i.e. an exact copy of the original, incoming mail header with the addition of a 'Received:' line and of a 'Sender:' field. Some technical people prefer this type of header.
Short headers (not recommended)
LISTSERV-style, short, an advanced option with a header similar to the normal LISTSERV-style header except that Internet routing information and MIME headers are removed. (NOTE: this setting will cause problems with MIME attachments, which are the standard attachment format at NIH.)
"Dual" headers (not recommended)
LISTSERV-style short header, followed by a second copy of the header inside the message body. This second header shows what list the message is coming from ('Sender:'), the name and address of the person who posted it ('Poster:'), the poster's organization, if present, and the message subject. Dual headers are helpful if your mail client does not preserve the original return e-mail address. (NOTE: this setting will cause problems with MIME attachments, which are the standard attachment format at NIH.)
Acknowledgements
No acknowledgements
LISTSERV sends no acknowledgement when you post to the list.
Short message confirming receipt
Typically the default setting, although it can be overridden by the list owner. If you choose this setting, LISTSERV sends you a short message whenever you post to the list, confirming the distribution of your message and telling you how many people it was sent to.
Receive copy of own postings
Some people prefer this setting over the short acknowledgement message. It tells LISTSERV to send you a copy of your own postings, so that you can see exactly how it appeared on the list (useful if you are behind an unreliable gateway or firewall).
Miscellaneous
Mail delivery disabled temporarily
This option toggles the receipt of mail from the list. You may want to disable mail delivery if you will be away from your mail for an extended period of time.
Address concealed from REVIEW listing
This option conceals you from the list of subscribers shown by the REVIEW command. Note that the list owner and the LISTSERV administrator can always get the complete list of subscribers, regardless of this setting. Nowadays, most lists are configured so that only the list owner can see the list of subscribers, but some lists still allow list members to get a listing of all list subscribers. Select this option if you are concerned about your e-mail address being viewed by others.
Topics
(This section will only be visible if topics are enabled for the list.) This section allows you to subscribe or unsubscribe to all, some, or none of the available topics.
Posting Messages to a List From the Web Interface
To post messages to a LISTSERV list via the web interface, click the Post to the list link from the Main Archive Screen for the desired list.
screen appears (Figure 15). Type the message subject in the Subject field. Type your name in the Your name field (the current user's name may already appear in this field). Check the Mail a copy of the message to (user's e-mail address) check box if you wish to have a copy of the message sent to your e-mail address. Tab down to the message box and begin composing your message. Figure 15: Compose a New Message Screen
When the message is complete, click the Send button at the bottom of the screen. A notice appears at the top of the Compose a new message screen, confirming that your message has been successfully posted to the desired LISTSERV list.
If you checked the box to send a copy of the message to your own e-mail address, it will appear in your mailbox shortly after the message is posted to the list. Depending on your personal subscription options, you may also receive a brief acknowledgement message that your message was posted to the list.
NOTE: only plain (ASCII) text messages may be sent when posting from the web. Attachments, special formatting, and message banners are lost. Messages with attachments or special formatting, or which require a message banner to be visible, must be posted from e-mail. (Message banners are "boilerplate" text attached at the top or bottom of all list mail. They may be set up by the list owner. For further information on this feature, please consult the L-Soft List Owner's Manual.)
Many lists restrict posting to certain individuals or groups. Depending on the list settings, you may be prompted to log in, and/or you may not be allowed to post to the list.
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