• Campus E-mail Lists Parameters

Campus E-mail Lists Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I subscribe to a list?
• How do I unsubscribe from a list?
• How do I post a message to a list?
• Why was my message rejected?
• What are the rules of e-mail list etiquette?
• How do I create a new Sympa email distribution list?

How do I subscribe to a list?

Send an e-mail message to sympa@lists.webster.edu. In the subject of the message, type:

subscribe name-of-list Firstname Lastname

Replace "name-of-list" with the name of the list to which you want to subscribe. For example, to subscribe to the "stl-discussion" list, you would type:

subscribe stl-discussion John Doe

Note: Some lists, such as stl-announcements, will not allow you to self-subscribe; you must be added by the list manager.

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How do I unsubscribe from a list?

Using the email address you want removed from a list, send an e-mail message to sympa@lists.webster.edu. In the subject of the message, type:

Replace "name-of-list" with the name of the list from which you want to unsubscribe. For example, to opt out of the "stl-discussion" list, you would type:

Note: Some lists, such as stl-announcements, will not allow you to unsubscribe; membership in this list is required.

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How do I post a message to a list?

Send an e-mail message to name-of-list@lists.webster.edu. For example, to post to the St. Louis Area Announcement list, send a message to stl-announcements@lists.webster.edu. Be sure to type a brief but descriptive subject heading for your message.

Note: Not all lists allow you post messages; some are used for announcements only.

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Why was my message rejected?

The Office of Public Affairs moderates messages sent to the announcement lists to ensure all postings are consistent with the guidelines stated in the Campus E-mail List Policy. To be approved and distributed, each message must meet the following requirements. It must:

• Be from an email address in the Webster domain (@webster.edu)
• Have a subject; the subject line cannot be blank
• Relate to a suitable topic, per list policy

Any message that does not meet these requirements will be rejected.

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What are the rules of e-mail list etiquette?

Please Do:

• Review the E-mail List Policy.
• Be aware of the purpose of each list. Post only announcements to the campus announcements list. If you want to raise an issue for discussion or respond to an announcement, post your message to the discussion list.
• For the stl-announcements and stl-discussion lists, you may only post messages from your webster.edu e-mail account.

Please Don't:

• Post a message to a campus list (which is for the St. Louis area only) AND the webster-world list; people in the St. Louis area will receive two copies.
• Spam or use the list to promote or sell commercial services or products.
• Use all upper case letters when writing a message to the list. This is thought of as SHOUTING!
• Send meaningless messages, such as, "I agree!" with no content.
• Flame. This is an emotionally charged posting that is often directed at someone. Most lists do not tolerate flaming at all. If you have a conflict with an individual on the list, send them a private e-mail message instead of using the listserv to air the grievance publicly.
• Be critical of people's queries posted to the list. Many people are new to listserv messages and are just learning. Send someone a private message to make a gentle suggestion concerning their question, if you think it is warranted.

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How do I create a new Sympa Email Distribution List?

You can request that a managed email distribution list be created for frequently contacted groups that includes 30 or more recipients. Simply fill out the request form and email the completed form to listmaster@webster.edu. You may also visit the Distribution List page for more information.