How to find people by using mailing lists


One of the most powerful ways of finding people with a particular interest is via electronic mailing lists. Mailing lists, like newsgroups, are large online discussion groups. There are more than 100,000 mailing lists, each about a different subject, comprising every topic imaginable. According to Topica, one of the leading mailing list companies, it has twelve million subscribers.

Unlike newsgroups, you must subscribe to a list in order to receive the postings. All the messages on a subject are sent to a mailing list computer or majordomo computer and are forwarded to all the members of the subscribed group via email. None of the messages are private, but for the most part, they are not readable outside of the subscribed membership. Keep in mind that they can be forwarded outside the group, so you should still be careful about what you post. On rare occasions, they show up in search engines' databases, so you must remember to think of them as public mailing lists.

These lists give you access to people who care about a subject, sometimes passionately. Some have expertise and others do not, but to a researcher they offer access to a community of knowledge and a way to tap into great resources of information. Mailing lists vary widely.

Moderators often use a screening mechanism to keep the postings on topic. With certain topics, moderators may have to calm emotions and ask participants to be civil. To subscribe to a list, simply follow the instructions provided by the mailing list administrator. These instructions usually state that you should send a subscription request to the mailing list. Make sure you send it to the right place. Most mailing lists have two addresses:

To get on or off a list, send a note to the administrator, not the entire list. If you happen to err, you will doubtless get a stack of angry email, called "flames". Your message should follow a standardized format, in which you leave the subject line blank and, in the body of the text, write "subscribe" followed by your first name and then last name with no punctuation. The server will send you a confirmation and a welcome note of rules and guidelines. Save and consult it if and when you decide to unsubscribe. This method works for most, but not all, mailing lists.

Free discussion being what it is, some mailing lists generate avalanches of postings daily. Be prepared. Some lists offer "digest" - all the posts are condensed to a single email - or a "web only" option where you view the posts on a private website instead of receiving an email.

Make sure you know how to get off a list if it becomes overwhelming or useless. Always save the "welcome message," which will give you instructions on how to get off the list - to unsubscribe. Also, be aware that some of these archives are provided to search engines - what you said in a discussion could end up showing up in a search engine's results!

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This article was sent to us by: Kevin D. Tessler at 08282010

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