Creating Your Own Lists

How to set up a list on the topic of your choice, with you as manager

Mailing list management programs (list servers) don't let just anyone set up new mailing lists. Only the lsit server's site manager can do that. If you are connected with an organization that runs a list server, ask the site manager to set up a list for you.

Most people don't have that option. For the rest of us, there are a number of free Web-based mailing list sites that will host a mailing list for free. You specify the list name and settings, and you manage the list. In return the Web site displays ads, either on the Web site or appended to the list postings (or both).

What You Need to Decide Before Creating Your List

Before you set up a list, decide on the following:

List Name: Choose a short, typable, memorable name for the list. The list name does not have to end with "-L" (a tradition, esp. among LISTSERV lists).
List Description: A one-line description of the list that will appear when people request information about the list.
Open or Closed: Will the list be open (public, open to anyone) or closed (private, by approval of the list manager only)? If the list will be closed, decide who you are going to let in, so you can admit people consistently. For example, if you are setting up a list for a committee, decidee whether only committee members can subscribe, or whether you'll let others kibbitz.
Moderation: Will the list be moderated, that is, will you (the list manager) approve each posting before it is distributed to the list? The advantage of moderation is that you can refuse to post messages that are off-topic, inflamatory, or otherwise inappropriate to the list. The disadvantage is that messages are delayed until you get around to reading your mail and approving the postings, so you'd better check your mail often and arrange for coverage when you are busy or away. You are also liable to get a lot of whining from subscribers whose messages you don't post.
List Managers: Do you want to manage the list by yourself, or get a friend or two to help? Having other list managers can be great when the list volume builds up and you need to share the work, or when controversies flare up and you need compatriots to help you decide what to do.
Visibility of Subscribers: Should people be able to find out who is on the list? Most lists are configured so that only list subscribers can get a list of who else is on the list (by sending a command to the list server program). Otherwise, spammers can "harvest" the subscriber list for their own evil purposes.
Archives: Should the messages posted to the list be archived? Not all list servers provide messages archives, but many do. Even if yours doesn't, there are services that can store the messages from your list as a searchable Web-based archive. A disadvantage to archiving your list is that everything that everyone says -- even the most offhand remark -- is stored for all time. If you want to encourage informal conversation, don't archive the list!
Welcome Message and FAQ: Most list servers send a welcome message to new subscribers, and most store an "info" file about each list. Anyone can see the info file by sending the command "info listname" to the list server's administrative address. Write a welcome message and info file (which can be a FAQ, or list of frequently asked questions) for your list. Be sure to include how to unsubscribe, rules for posting to the list, and how to contact the list manager with problems.

Steps to Creating a List

Decide where you'll host the list. If you don't have access to a list server program, choose a free Web-based mailing list site.
Answer all the questions above. That is, decide exactly how the list will be configured. Otherwise, you'll have to make it up on the fly.
Go to the mailing list Web site and follow the instructions to create the list. We won't give you more detailed instructions here, since each Web site has its own series of steps, and they change then every month or two. If you are using your organization's or ISP's list server program, ask them what you have to do to create the list.
Subscribe yourself. Make sure that you yourself are on the new list by subscribing to it. If you used a mailing list Web site, follow the instructions on the list to subscribe. If the Web site is any good, you'll have to send a confirmation message to confirm that you want to be on the list (to prevent mailbombing).
Send a test message. Address the message to the list address (that is, the list name followed by @ and the name of the mailing list site). Since you are a list subscriber, you should receive the message by e-mail.
Look at the list configuration. If you used a list server like LISTSERV, ListProc, Majordomo, or Lyris, send the command to request the configuration of your list. If you used a mailing list Web site, go to your list's home page and follow the directions for displaying the list's configuration settings. Since you are the list manager, you should be able to both see and set the list configuration. Make sure that everything looks right, and contact technical support for the mailing list Web site if something looks wrong.
Publicize the existence of the list to its intended audience. Click here for details.

Congratulations! You're a list manager!

Your List Manager Address

As list manager, you have a special address by which people can reach you regarding problems with the list. Rather than using your regular e-mail address in the welcome message and info file (FAQ), you should use this list manager address. Later, if someone else takes over management of this list, the list manager address can forward to their address rather than yours, and you won't get annoying inquiries for years afterward.

With most list servers, your list manager address is listname-request@hostname. For example, if you manage the chickens-L list at listproc@gurus.com, your list manager address is chickens-L-request@gurus.com. When you create your list, the list server or Web site should tell you what your list manager address is.

Copyright 1999-2000 Margaret Levine Young, one of the Internet Gurus.
To test your e-mail, write to test@gurus.com. For questions or comments about this site, write to listgurus@gurus.com.
http://lists.gurus.com/creating.html page last changed on January 14, 2000.