If you choose to use a traditional listserve, you have a number of options for how you want your list to function including announcement (e.g. one-way communications where the listserve owner sends messages to the list) versus discussion (e.g. the listserve owner allows the group to discuss and answer each other's questions) format; you can decide whether or not to require the list owner to review each post before it is submitted to the list; and, you can also limit the list to certain members or allow it to be open to the public.
It is important to note though, that the traditional listserve does have limitations. Depending on your needs GovDelivery may be more suitable to your goals.
Some important items to note:
- Mailman lists should be limited to 200-300 members total. Having more members of the list can substantially delay email delivery.
- All list administration and customization is the responsibility of the list administrator within the agency. InforME is responsible for initial list setup and for technical problems with the functioning of the list, but not for Mailman training or list customization as this functionality is provided to the moderator and administrator.
- Messages sent to a listserve must be less than 40K in file size, including any attachments.
- If you need to provide large files such as lengthy PDF documents, an email attachment to the listserve is not the appropriate method.
To request a listserve for your agency, fill out the online Request Form.
Listserve FAQ's
- I'm an administrator for a list, why can't I post a message?
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In order to post to a list you must be an unmoderated member of the list -- being an administrator does not make you a list member, it just allows you to access the administration interface.
- I'm an unmoderated member of a listserve, why can't I post?
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You can only post to the list from the email address that you've joined with. If you joined using myemail@maine.gov you won't be able to post from your home account, i.e., myemail@gmail.com.
- I'm new to discussion lists. Can you give me some general guidelines for posting messages to lists?
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The following are general guidelines that should be observed when posting messages to a mailing list:
Meaningful Subject Line
When sending messages to a mailing list, please make sure that they have a clear and descriptive entry on the "Subject:" line.
Include a Signature
Please be sure to sign your full name at the bottom of your posting and include your affiliation(s) and email address. Some subscribers may receive their email messages with the header information stripped away by their local system and therefore cannot know the author of a particular posting.
Provide Context
Every posting should begin with a clear introduction to the topic, or offer some kind of reference to the topic or a previous posting. There are often several "threads" of discussion going on simultaneously, which makes unreferenced postings confusing to readers.
A popular way of providing context is to quote verbatim from the original message. However, keep the quotations short and relevant. Quoting whole messages, signatures and all, can be inconsiderate.
Humor
Humor is appreciated but please remember that humor in email can easily be misinterpreted. One way to express emotion is to use smiley faces. For example: humorous :) , ironic ;) , or sad :( .
Censorship
Some Mailman mailing lists are "unmoderated" lists. This means that what members post goes directly to the other members. In order to keep lists uncensored, it is important that only pertinent messages are posted to the list. Members whose messages do not meet minimum expectations will be notified, and may be excluded permanently from future participation.
Personal Mail
Just as it is important to try to share public information with the whole group, private correspondence should remain just that: private. Send personal messages directly to individuals, not by way of the list.
Quality of Communication
If you find something posted on the list objectionable, you have every right to voice your objections but you should not do so in public. Please express your complaints directly to the person responsible. If enough complaints are received, it is unlikely that the offender will post those kinds of things again. You can also, of course, simply discard/delete all mail from an offending writer.
[Please note that this DOES NOT address harassment or illegal activities. Such instances should be reported by sending email to: mailman-owner@lists.maine.gov]
- Can people subscribe to my listserve via email?
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Yes, people can subscribe to your listserve by sending an email message to listname-request@lists.maine.gov (replace listname with your actual list name) with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. They will automatically be added to the listserve.