LISTSERV Help for Subscribers
This document answers a few basic questions about LISTSERV at Wayne State University for list subscribers.
If you have a question that is not answered here, send e-mail to listmaster@wayne.edu or refer to the
LISTSERV Documentation at the
L-Soft website.
What is LISTSERV?
LISTSERV is software designed to facilitate e-mail communication among a group of people who share a
common interest. Such groups (known as "mailing lists," "discussion lists," or simply "lists")
can be virtually any size and can include members from out around the world.
There are hundreds of LISTSERV lists at WSU alone, and thousands more worldwide. Some are public and open to
anyone to join. Others are private; for example, a list for a specific course at WSU would only be open to
students taking the course. Each list has its own unique e-mail address. A message sent to the list's address will
be distributed by the LISTSERV software to all the list's members.
How do I find out what lists are available?
There is a directory of all public LISTSERV lists called
CataList that you can use to search for lists throughout the world. You can view just the
public WSU lists there also.
Sending Commands to LISTSERV
You make LISTSERV work for you by sending commands in an e-mail message to the listserv address.
At WSU, the listserv address is LISTSERV@LISTS.WAYNE.EDU.
How do I subscribe to a WSU LISTSERV list?
Send e-mail to LISTSERV@LISTS.WAYNE.EDU with the
command:
subscribe listname your
name
where
listname is the name of the
list you wish to join, and your name is your
full name. (LISTSERV will get your
e-mail address from the
"From:" address of your
e-mail message.)
How do I send mail to a list?
To send mail, or "post," to a list,
address your e-mail message to the list address:
listname@lists.wayne.edu
where listname is the name of the
list you are sending the message to. Be sure not to confuse the list address (where you send mail to the
people on the list) with the listserv address (where you send commands like subscribe, signoff, etc.).
How do I leave a LISTSERV
list?
To
remove yourself from a WSU list, send e-mail to
LISTSERV@LISTS.WAYNE.EDU
with the command:
signoff listname
Help! I'm trying to signoff from a
list, but LISTSERV is telling me I'm not subscribed. What's wrong?
This can happen if you are using a different e-mail address from
the one you used when you originally subscribed to the list. The reason is that LISTSERV only knows you by the
"From:" address of the e-mail you send to it when
you subscribe. So, when your e-mail address changes, LISTSERV no longer
"recognizes" you.
Use your original e-mail address, if possible. If you cannot, contact
the list owner. Send e-mail to
listname-request@lists.wayne.edu
and ask for help getting off the list.
How do I temporarily stop receiving list mail if I'm going to be gone for a while?
Send e-mail to LISTSERV@LISTS.WAYNE.EDU with the
command:
set listname
nomail
To restart your mail, send the
following command:
set listname mail
I subscribed to a list but I can't keep up with all the mail. I' m interested in the list and don't want to
unsubscribe. Is there anything else I can do?
Yes, you can ask LISTSERV to consolidate the mail into one large daily message.
Send e-mail to LISTSERV@LISTS.WAYNE.EDU with the
command:
set listname mail
digest
Can I see who else is subscribed to a list?
It depends on how the list is set up. Some lists allow it, others don't.
Send e-mail to LISTSERV@LISTS.WAYNE.EDU with the command:
review listname
