The following article is reprinted with permission from TechSoup.org
Q:
What is a listserv and what would I use one for?
A:
Listservs, named after the original software for email list
applications, are electronic mailing lists that distribute
messages to individuals who subscribe. Email lists, or
listservs, can simplify regular communications for groups
of people. They are great for organizational issues such
as scheduling, and sending out updates and information.
They are convenient in cases where group decisions have
to be made. Listservs are particularly useful for nonprofit
staff seeking to share resources with colleagues in other
nonprofits. It is possible to find a great support system
in your listserv community. You will find people who have
advice and knowledge that you need, and colleagues
who are eager to answer the questions you post. There
are tens of thousands of special interest groups that
manage their online community discussions through
listservs.
One of the most useful features of listservs is that you
can forward the same message to many people as a
group, without having to select individual email
addresses. You can also receive many messages at
once in a compiled and organized fashion. With many
listservs, subscribers can send responses to the rest
of the list by replying to the original email. Listservs
offer an important benefit to nonprofits-they help to
build virtual communities through the Internet.
Listservs can serve different functions:
- Information Lists: people seek and offer information
specific to the list topic.
- Dialogue Lists: subscribers exchange views on
issues and ideas. These sometimes have more of a
political dimension about them.
- Project Lists: subscribers use email to collaborate on
a specific project on which all list members are working.
There are two (2) main types of Listservs:
- Announcement Lists: the owner of the list is the only
one who writes. Also known as "receive-only" lists.
- Discussion Lists: anyone can post a message that will
reach everyone on the subscription list.
Within the category of "Discussion Lists", there are
"Moderated" and "Unmoderated" lists. Moderated Lists are
screened by a person, and only the messages meeting the
moderator's standards are posted. These standards depend
on the primary purpose of the list, and the individual
moderating the list. The moderator will either directly post
the messages to the list, or collect the messages and send
them out as a digest. Unmoderated Lists are open.
Members can post messages directly to the listserv without
interference. While unmoderated lists offer the advantage of
a quick exchange, they also have the potential to populate
your inbox with a very high volume of traffic.
Basic Tips on participating in Listservs:
- Always save the first subscribe message, as it will have
important information on how to unsubscribe.
- Set up mailboxes, or filters in your inbox to organize your
messages.
- Read the subject headings to decide whether or not you
want to read a message.
- Use specific subject headings whenever you post a
message.
- If the post is off-topic, indicate it in the subject
(ex. "JOB:" or "FUN:")
- Present your message as succinctly as possible. Be
considerate of other people's time.
- When responding to a thread, only include the part of
the discussion that is relevant to your response.
Useful Links:
CompuMentor's TechSoup Guide to Email Listservs and Internet Mailing Lists
TechSoup's list of nonprofit technology email lists,
newsletters and discussion groups
Benton Foundation has a comprehensive list of nonprofit-related listservs
ONE/Northwest has a great introduction to email lists
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