Mailing List FAQ's

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Mailing List FAQ's

This collection of Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) about the helpnet-list mailing list is a work in process. If you are a helpnet-list member with a question you think should be addressed here, click on the link below to send a message to the list administrator. If your question seems like one other people will also want to know the answer to, we'll add it to the FAQ's.

Mail the List Administrator

Here's the Questions:

The Basics...: How do I subscribe?; How do I unsubscribe?; How do I send a message to helpnet-list?

If You Want To Go Deeper...: What's the difference between replying to the list and replying to an individual?; What's the difference between sending a message to the list and sending a command to the listserv's management program?; What does "netiquette" mean?; Is there a way for me to see old helpnet-list list messages?; Are there rules about what I can and cannot say on helpnet-list?; Who's in charge of this list, and how do I contact them?; Why do some of the messages have a bunch of junk characters that I can't understand in them?; Why are some of the messages so long, and full of little ">>" marks?; Can I send message attachments to helpnet-list?; Can I send HTML-formatted E-mail to helpnet-list?; How can I learn more about helpnet-list and other E-mail mailing lists?

Q: How do I subscribe?
A: The easiest way to subscribe is to send a blank E-mail to helpnet-list-subscribe@ptfolkschool.org. Once you are approved by the list administrator you will be added to the list .

Q: How do I unsubscribe?
A: It's similar to subscribing. send a blank E-mail to helpnet-list-unsubscribe@ptfolkschool.org.

Q: How do I send a message to helpnet-list ?
A: To send a message to the list, address your E-mail to helpnet-list@topica.com. NOTE: This is not the same address you use for subscribing and unsubscribing. Related question:

What's the difference between replying to the list and replying to an individual?

Q: What's the difference between replying to the list and replying to an individual?
A: When you read a message from helpnet-list that you want to reply to, and you click the "Reply" button on your E-mail program, your reply message will, by default, be addressed to helpnet-list . (You can check this by looking at the address on the "TO:" line of the message - it should say "helpnet-list@ptfolkschool.org.") This means that your reply will be distributed to all the members of the list. If you want to send a message that will only go to the author of the original message, you must read their address from the original message, and make sure that your reply is addressed to this address. You will probably need to cut-and-paste the address, or type it into your message by hand.

Q: What's the difference between sending a message to the list and sending a command to the list machine?
A: For any automated list, there are two important addresses to keep in mind - the address of the machine (software) that runs the list, and the address of the list itself. You send mail to the list machine (in this case, to specific addresses at ptfolkschool.org) telling it specific things you want to do. You send mail to the list with messages that you want distributed to all list members. Confusing these two addresses is probably the most common mistake people using listserv lists make.

For instance, if I have something about web authoring I want to share with the members of helpnet-list, I should send it to helpnet-list@ptfolkschool.org. But if I want to unsubscribe from the list, sending a message to helpnet-list@topica.com that says "Unsbscribe" won't get me off the list - it just lets everyone esle on the ist know that I want to quit. To unsubscribe, I need to sent a blank message to helpnet-list-unsubscribe@tptfolkschool.org.

Q: Is there a way for me to see old helpnet-list messages?
A: Yes, there is. The list archives are in this Web site. You can go there now. Related question:

Q: What does "netiquette" mean?
A: "Netiquette" is geek-speak for the set of manners and customs that make it easier for us all to get along on mailing lists and in newsgroups. Most of netiquette is just common courtesy, common sense, and a few tricks to make messages more readable. Within helpnet-list , the principal elements of netiquette consist of respect for other list members, making sure messages are addressed to the person(s) you wish to read them, and keeping messages relatively short. Related questions:

Are there rules about what I can and cannot say on helpnet-list?

Who's in charge of this list, and how do I contact them?

What's the difference between replying to the list and replying to an individual?

Why are some of the messages so long, and full of little ">>" marks?

Can I send message attachments to helpnet-list?

Can I send HTML-formatted E-mail to helpnet-list?

Q: Are there rules about what I can and cannot say on helpnet-list?
A: The helpnet-list list has no formal Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) at this point. We ask that members try to keep their discussion focused on the subjects that this list was created for, and we ask that all list members observe the rules of courtesy and consideration that apply in any community discussion.

Q: Who's in charge of this list, and how do I contact them?
A: Jon Falk is the list administrator. You can contact him at info@ptfolkschool.org

Q: Why are some of the messages so long, and full of little ">>" marks?
A: Many E-mail programs are configured so that when you reply to a message, the original message appears at the bottom of your reply. Each line of the original message starts with an arrow (">") to distinguish it from the reply. Of course, this makes the message twice as long. Then, if someone replies to the reply, the original lines get two arrows (">>"), the first reply now has one arrow on each line, and the message is now 3 times as long. Pretty soon it gets hard to find the real message - it's like a kite with a tail that's so long and heavy it can't get off the ground. If you're writing a reply to a message on the helpnet-list list, everyone on the list has already seen the original message, so we ask that you don't include it in most cases. Please delete most of the original message from your replies - it's OK to keep the first few lines to help identify what you're responding to. This will make it easier for list members to get right to the point of your message, and will reduce clutter in their mailboxes. Related question:

What does "netiquette" mean?

Q: Why do some of the messages have a bunch of junk characters that I can't understand in them?
A: There are at least three sources of extraneous characters in helpnet-list messages. Right arrows at the beginning of lines (>, >>, >>>, etc.) indicate an original message being included in a reply. Solid blocks of many lines of seemingly random numbers, symbols and characters indicate an attachment being sent as an encoded inclusion in a message. Words and symbols in brackets scattered through the text, such as this example - Q: Why do some of the messages have a bunch of junk characters that I can't understand in them? - are what you see when a HTML-formatted message is displayed by an E-mail program that can't interpret HTML. For more on these problems, and how to avoid them, see these related questions:

Why are some of the messages so long, and full of little ">>" marks?

Can I send message attachments to helpnet-list?

Can I send HTML-formatted E-mail to helpnet-list?

Q: Can I send message attachments to helpnet-list?
A: Yes, but please keep them small. In general, listserv mailing lists do not like attachments, which often end up as encoded inclusions within your message. You may have seen these in messages you've received - they look like a solid block of line after line of numbers, letters and symbols. Few list members are able to decode and read this material. If you have something you want to send with your message, we prefer that you convert it to "text-only" format and send it within your message. ) Related question:

What does "netiquette" mean?

Q: Can I send HTML-formatted E-mail to helpnet-list?
A: Yes, you can, but again it's simpler if you didn't. HTML is the coding language that Web pages are written in. Some of the newer E-mail programs, including Microsoft Outlook Express and the E-mail component of Netscape Communicator, are configured by default to send messages in HTML format. This allows you to include color, different font sizes, etc. to make your messages more attractive. But many popular E-mail programs are not able to handle HTML. Instead, they think the coding is part of the message, so that a line like "Q: Can I send HTML-formatted E-mail to helpnet-list?" ends up looking like "Q: Can I send HTML-formatted E-mail to helpnet-list?." To avoid this problem, we suggest that you look in the "Options" or "Preferences" menu of your E-mail program and set your message formatting to "text-only." Related question:

What does "netiquette" mean?

Q: How can I learn more about helpnet-list and other E-mail mailing lists?
A: There are many tens of thousands of mailing lists on the Internet. If you want to learn more about them, here are two good places to start:: "Roadmap," by Patrick Douglas Crispen, is a free workshop of 27 short lessons on all aspects of using the Internet. Originally offered by e-mail, it is now available on the Web as Roadmap96. Lessons 5 and 6 cover the subject of mailing lists.; If you want to find other listserv lists from around the world, Topica and Yahoo!Groups host and catalog tens of thousands of them.

Pine Tree Folk School
RR 2, Box 7162
Carmel, ME 04419
207/848-2433
E-mail: info@ptfolkschool.org

October 20, 2001