Guidelines for List Serve Use

List serves can be very useful, but if they are used carelessly, they can be extremely annoying, filling up your inbox with garbage messages. Please familiarize yourself with the following guidelines:

Know the Way Your List Serve Works. Specifically, if you reply to a message from the list serve, does your reply go to all members of the list or just to the moderator or just to the sender of the message. Each message which comes from a WSPA list serve will begin with a brief sentence clarifying what happens if you reply. All replies to the National Affairs or Regulation list serve messages will, by default, go to every membr of the list unless you take action to change the addressing. Replies to the chapter list serves, by default, go only to the sender of the message.

Don't Tell the World Unless You Mean It. If this is a discussion list serve like the National Affairs or Regulation list serves, and wish to respond, please be aware that you are addressing mail to the entire list unless you take action to change the addressing. If you wish to respond to the sender of the message, but not the entire list, edit the SEND TO or MAILTO field in your dialog box.

Sometimes a Personal Response Is Best. There will be times when you should send responses to an author, not back to the list. As a general rule of thumb, if you are wanting to thank someone personally or engage in a direct dialog, it's probably best to start talking one-on-one. You will edit the SEND TO field to go back to the author.

No Spamming, Please. If you are activating an automated response to your incoming mail (for example, if your will be out of the offices for a while), kindly unsubscribe yourself from the list before you take such action. If you do leave an auto-responder running, this can result in defacto spamming of the other members of the list. If we catch it you will be removed from the list.

To unsubscribe from a list follow the instructions at the bottom of each message posted on our lists, or e-mail the Administrator directly to request removal.

Who are You? Because e-mail addresses can be cryptic, please identify yourself in any mail you send -- including replies -- by signing with both your e-mail address and your name. Your firm name and phone number (and any other identifying information) are also greatly appreciated.

Content, Content, Content. As with any list serve, we ask that you refrain from the use of offensive language. Violation of this rule will cause immediate removal from the list.

And More About Content. It is very easy to come to believe you are addressing a comment to only a few people. In reality, a list can number in the hundreds. It is a large audience you reach when you post or reply. Bearing in mind the large and diverse audience on the list, consider your content. Are you asking personal questions or providing potentially damaging comments? Are you asking for information that is proprietary or perhaps in violation of anti-trust laws? If so, the list serve is not your best medium.

Tips and Tricks. If you want a private answer to a message you are posting, the best method for helping the audience is to provide your e-mail address in the body of the message following this example:

If you know someone who wants to give me a million dollars, please contact me at mailto:webmaster@wspaonline.org.

And Still More About Content. We ask that you limit your messages to the subject matter of the list. For example, the National Affairs list serve is probably not the appropriate vehicle for inquiring about salary information or available jobs. Also, using a WSPA list serve as a way to solicit votes or money (even for a worthy cause), is strictly prohibited.

 

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