What is a Listserv?

The Internet provides thousands of discussion groups via e-mail by allowing users to place themselves on electronic mailing lists. A listserv is program that maintains one or more of these mailing lists (i.e., a list server).

A listserv:

automatically distributes an e-mail message from one member of a list to all other members on that list,
is distributed in the form of digests, electronic journals, discussion groups and the like.

When you subscribe to a list:

Your name and e-mail address is automatically added to the list.
You will receive an email letter of welcome telling you about the list.
You will receive all mail (postings) sent to the list by its members.
You may follow the discussions or join in on them. If you respond, you can send your response to the list (in which case, all members of the list will receive it), or to an individual on the list.
You can signoff (unsubscribe) from a list at any time
You can also get a listing of all the members of a list and their e-mail addresses.

-Author Unknown

For example, here is a Gopher site for a master list of Listservs

gopher://ftp.nic.surfnet.nl:71/00/surfnet/net-management/earn/services/listserv.lists

Sample from listserv listing from above


ACA-L            ACA-L@UAFSYSB.UARK.EDU


                 American Communication Association


 


ACAA             ACAA@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU


                 The Association of Campus Activities Administrators


 


ACADDR-L         ACADDR-L@VM1.MCGILL.CA


                 Academic Computing Centre Directors Forum


 


ACADEMIC_COUNCIL ACADEMIC_COUNCIL@MTC5.MID.TEC.SC.US


                 Mailing list for MTC Academic Council


 


ACADINFO         ACADINFO@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU


                 Academic Information Exchange

Listserv commands

Subscribing Subscribes you to a listserv. Type in the body as shown with changes as indicated in brackets. subscribe <full name>
Example: subscribe ACADINFO Chuck S. Harrsch
Unsubscribe Cancels subscription to a listserv. signoff unsub unsubscribe
Example: unsub ACADINFO
Help The help command will send a request for help to the listserv. The listserv will send a help guide and any special instructions for using that listserv. Type help in the body of the message.
Info Info will return a list of topics for that listserv. Type info in the body of the message.
Set nomail Suspends the mailing of materials from a listserv. set nomail
Example set ACADINFO nomail
Set mail Resumes mailing of materials from a listserv. set mail
Example set ACADINFO mail

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