MLS and Majordomo

An Introduction to the Mailing List Service (MLS) and Majordomo

A mailing list is a collection of mail addresses joined together 
under one mailing name called the 'mail alias'.   Any messages 
sent to mail alias will be copied and sent individually to each 
member of the list.

Mailing lists are in extensive use on the Internet.  If you are
looking to create a list for a small group of friends or like-
minded people, this is the place to look for information about 
starting your own list.  If you are looking to create a big list 
on a common topic, you might check first to see if one already 
exists.  Refer to the section below on Mailing List Indexes for 
more information.

You can create and manage your own mailing list.  Please refer to 
"MLS Rates" for rate information and application instructions, as 
well as the other topics relating to mailing list and majordomo 
information. 

All mailing lists are set up using the Majordomo program, which 
offers automated mailing list management.  Majordomo is executed
via electronic mail message requests.  Unless a mailing list 
administrator designates otherwise, all email sent to a list will 
automatically be resent to all members of that list.

To establish your own mailing list, you must first select a name 
for it.  You can use anything you like, although we recommend you 
use something descriptive.  The mailing list name must be a unique 
name on The World, ie, it can not be the same as any user login nor 
the same as an existing mailing alias.  If the name of your list 
conflicts with an existing name, we will inform you and you can 
select another one.  Mailing list aliases can be as long as you 
like so take a moment to think carefully about what it should be. 
If you need assistance selecting a name, our staff is ready to help.  
Here are some examples from our local mailing list collection:

	storytellers
	musicals
	netthink

List names are not limited to a certain number of characters, but 
it may be wise to be as conservative as you can.  For example, the 
Sinead O'Connor list, "jump-in-the-river", ended up being aliased 
to 'jitr'.  Remember that your members are going to both see and  
type the list name frequently, so you may want to chose one that
is unique, but not complicated or over long.

If you have any questions about mailing lists, please send email
to "staff".

Please note that we will process your mailing list request as 
soon as possible.  Typically it can take from two to five days 
before you are notified that your list is ready for use.



Some Hints for Successful Mailing List Administration

- As a mailing list administrator, you are responsible for errors 
generated by your list and are expected to resolve problems in a 
quick and effective manner.  Therefore it would be helpful for you 
to learn how to read the header of a 'bounce' message (failed mail).  
You'll need to be able to identify if the bounce was caused by a 
temporary problem or something requiring you to take action.  These 
messages may appear cryptic but if you read them carefully you will 
find an 'english' explanation of the error. When in doubt, ask 'staff' 
for advice.  

- If you want to keep an archive of your mailing list's messages, you 
may need additional disk space.  See 'World Rates' under the 'World
Info' topic for information on disk quotas rates.  You might also 
find a member on a 'free' account somewhere, like a university 
student, who can archive your list for you at no cost.  The archive 
does not have to be on the same site as the mailing 
list.

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