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Tips for mailing lists
17 March 2004
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| Bew@re of Mailing lists |
A mailing list is a collection of email addresses, that you can contact by sending a message to just one email address. The message is then sent on to all the email addresses on the list. Thousands of people with a common interest can be subscribed to the same list. It is managed either automatically or manually by an administrator. When a list is filtered by a human administrator, it is said to be moderated – if there is no administrator, then the list is unmoderated.
How to use mailing lists at school
For your classes: You may open a list collecting all your pupils’ email addresses to create a virtual exchange via email, where you all share daily problems, thoughts and ideas.
For your project partners: If you are involved in an international project composed of many partners across Europe, a mailing list allows you to communicate with everyone, without forgetting anyone in the group.
For a network: You are part of a big network (eg. Science teachers in Germany, geography teachers in Europe, etc), joining such a list keeps you in close contact with all your peers.
Subscribe to a newsletter: To receive a newsletter, you must subscribe to a list. Your email address is then added to the collection of subscribers. You will receive the newsletters directly in your mailbox.
Do’s and don’ts
DON’T!
Start spamming: As mailing lists reach out to many, sometimes thousands, of people, it is very important not to “spam” the list. Sending too many emails to a list can easily kill it!
Use mailing lists for private emails: Do not use a mailing list to contact one or two of the subscribers; this will immensely irritate the whole group.
Attach heavy files to a list: Do not attach heavyfiles, like pictures, to emails sent to a list. You never know what kind of equipment the other subscribers are using and you may block their mailbox.
Send emails to a newsletter list: It will never go through as most newsletters lists are filtered. If you want something to be published in a newsletter, email the editor/moderator personally.
DO!
Mailing lists, or automatic email distributors, are fast, effective, cheap and easy to use for your own teams and also to receive information without spending hours browsing the web.
Introduce yourself when you are new: just writing a few sentences about who you are helps existing list members to get to know you.
Reply to a list: Mailing lists are made according to sets of privacy and management options. Make sure that you know where your email goes when you reply. Sometimes you reply to all, sometimes to the sender only. Check the email address in your email window after you click ‘reply’.
How to…
Open a mailing list: This is very hard! Either your local, regional or national authorities offer you this service, or you have to find someone who can do that for you.
Join a mailing list: Many mailing lists exist in all countries, regions and projects. They are usually advertised in web sites and easy to spot.
Subscribe to a mailing list: This term is usually used for newsletters. Most portals and projects offer this possibility. It usually means sending a blank email to a funny long address with the word “subscribe” in the subject field.
Unsubscribe: If you are fed up with the list, the people in the list or the messages you receive, you can always unsubscribe. If you look carefully at a message from a list, you will see the “unsubscribe” option. Then click and follow. Sometimes this is very difficult and irritating.
Try it out at European Schoolnet
MyEurope schools discussion list:
http://myeurope.eun.org/eun.org2/eun/en/myEurope_Schools/content.cfm?ov=17639〈=en
Teachers newsletter:
http://eschoolnet.eun.org/eun.org2/eun/en/Collaboration_eschoolnet/sub_area.cfm?sa=800
Create a mailing list:
Email the European Schoolnet with the purpose of the list and the name of your school: sysadmin@eun.org
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| Web Editor: |
Alexandre Cassez |
| Published: |
Tuesday, 21 Oct 2003 |
| Last changed: |
Wednesday, 17 Mar 2004 |
| Keywords: |
communicative competence, e-mail, nonverbal communication |
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