Basic Listserv Instructions

The following topics are described in detail below.

Subscribing to a listserv

• Subscribing by email

• Subscribing via the web

• Establishing a password via the web

Problems posting to a listserv

• Changing your listserv address

• Deleting your old listserv account

• Re-subscribing your new account

Unsubscribing (signoff) from a listserv

• To unsubscribe by email

• To unsubscribe via the web

Searching listserv archives

• Searching archives by email

• Searching archives via the web

The REFCARD command

The REVIEW command

Updating listserv information

Subscribing to a listserv

Subscribing by Email

Send an email message to: listserv@listserv.messiah.edu. In body of the message, type the following command:

Subscribe Listname yourfirstname yourlastname

E.g.:

Subscribe Macrame-Talk Sarah Rocket

The subject line of the email can be left blank.

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Subscribing via the Web

From your web browser go to: http://listserv.messiah.edu

This will take you to a page of listserv lists. Review the list and click on the name of the list to which you wish to subscribe. You will see a page containing a short list of commands, followed by a list of archive files for the listserv. Click on the command titled, "Join or Leave the List (or Change Settings)." You will see a screen similar to the one depicted below. Fill in email information and name and click on the "Join listservname" button. (Also use this procedure to remove yourself from the listserv.)

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Establishing a password via the Web

From your web browser go to: http://listserv.messiah.edu

This will take you to a page of listserv lists. On the left are navigation choices. Choose "Subscriber's Corner."

You are now at the login page where you will need to create a login and password. Click on the link prior to the Login fields called "get a new LISTSERV password." (See sample page below.)

This link will take you to a password registration page that will allow you to enter your email address and the password you want to use. (Enter the password twice for verification. See sample page below.) In order to authenticate the request, the listserv will send you an email with instructions on how to complete the process.

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Unsubscribing (signoff) from a listserv

To unsubscribe (signoff) by email

Send an email message to: listserv@listserv.messiah.edu In the body of the message, type the following command: signoff listname

There is no need to include your name, since listserv does not need a name for a signoff command. E.g.: signoff macrame-talk

The subject line of the email can be left blank.

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To unsubscribe (signoff) via the web

See Subscribing via the Web instructions above.

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Searching listserv archives

Searching listserv archives by email

Command: Search listname keyword

E.g.: search macrame-talk patterns

Below are additional commands for specific search criteria.

search word1 word2 IN listname

FROM date1 (from this date) TO date2 (to this date)
    [See a list of acceptable date formats below]
TODAY (from today)
TODAY-7 (in the last seven (7) days)
WHERE SUBJECT CONTAINS word1 (only this subject)
WHERE SUBJECT CONTAINS word1 AND/OR SENDER CONTAINS word2 (only this author)

The syntax is very flexible and you can specify a date and/or time in just about any of the commonly used formats *:

• DD MMM YYYY (e.g.: 23 Jun 1986)

Example: search macrame-talk 23 Jun 1986 - will return all postings for this date from the list named Macrame-Talk

• YYYY-MM-DD (International date format, e.g.: 1986-06-23)
• MMM (Month)

Example: search macrame-talk Apr - returns a list of all postings from April of the current year from the list named Macrame-Talk

• Month Year (e.g.: April 97)

A more complex search might involve searching for specific criteria within a given time period. (See sample below.)

Format for sample search using dates and the specific criteria - fabric colors:

• SEARCH fabric colors IN macrame-talk FROM 2003-03-31 TO 2004-03-31

*Important: The U.S. date format (MM/DD or MM/DD/YY) is not supported because it is ambiguous. Many other countries use DD/MM or DD/MM/YY instead, and to avoid ambiguities LISTSERV only supports the international date format, YYYY-MM-DD or YY/MM/DD.

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Searching listserv archives via the web

Go to: http://listserv.messiah.edu

From the list of listserv names, choose one to which you are subscribed and whose archives you wish to search. Above the archives list for the listserv, you will see a short list of commands. Choose the "Search the Archives" command from the list. On the search page, type in criteria by which you wish to search. Click on the Submit button when ready to begin. [Note: For most lists you will need to establish a password in order to do this.]

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Problems posting to a listserv

When posting a message to a listserv to which you have subscribed, the list verifies your membership by comparing your current email address to the one registered in the list. A problem may occur when a particular site changes its format for email addresses. For example, if when you joined the listserv your email was "jsmith@edtechlaboratories.com", and the company has since changed its domain name to "edtech.com", the listserv will not recognize the new address as a registered one and will reject the posting. This can be resolved using the following methods.

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CHANGING your listserv address

If you can send a message from your old address, send a command to the listserv by email. To change your address with an email, send a message from your old account to: listserv@listserv.messiah.edu which says: change listname newaddress

If you cannot send a message from the old address, then you must delete the old account and re-subscribe.

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Changing address information via the Web

TODO

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DELETING your OLD listserv account using the web site

If you have already investigated the listserv web site, the following instructions may not look exactly the same. Go to: http://listserv.messiah.edu

On the list of listnames that appear, choose listserv you wish to remove your name from.

Above the archives list on the screen that appears will be a short list of commands. Choose the command that says, "Join or leave the list (or change settings)."

On the next screen, fill in your OLD address in the box provided and click the button labeled: Leave listname

The listserv will send you an email with instructions about how to verify/approve the request to delete your old listserv account.

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RE-SUBSCRIBING your NEW listserv account address

Note that you can go back to the same screen you used to delete your OLD address and subscribe to the list with your NEW address using the web interface. This will end up going through the normal approvals and may take a few days to be activated, so you may want to do this step before deleting the old account.

You can also re-subscribe with your NEW address the good old fashioned way, by sending an email to: listserv@listserv.messiah.edu

The body of the message should say: subscribe listname yourfirstname yourlastname

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Updating listserv information

Follow the instructions detailed in the "Problems posting to a listserv" section above.

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The REVIEW command

Use the Review command to get information about a list.

Syntax: review listname option

E.g.: review macrame-talk by name

Options include:

BY sort_field -> Sort list in a certain order:

by Country by country of origin

by Date by subscription date

by Name by name (last, then first)

by NODEid by hostname/nodeid

by Userid by userid

BY (field1 field2) -> you can specify more than one sort field if enclosed in parentheses: BY (NAME DATE)

When a sort option is not included, LISTSERV will return a copy of the "list header" and a list of all the subscribers. The list header contains the title of the list, various configuration parameters, and a short description of what the list is about .

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The REFCARD command

Use the REFCARD command to get information on all available listserv commands.

Syntax: info refcard

The listserv will return an email listing of user commands.

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