|
Email Groups
Do you loop? Group? List?
Listserve? No matter what you call it, email groups are a
growing presence in the land of the Internet. You probably
already belong to one - - or six. Somehow I've managed to
join eight in the last year.
So, what is an email group?
Essentially, it is a common cc list for people with a common
interest (hmm, writing comes to mind, historical research,
ranching in east Texas, people who love pomegranates). You
mail all messages for the group to one address and the software
distributes your message to all members. Most groups have
that capability, plus several options and perks that go along
with becoming a member. The software that runs these groups
is called listserve software and it can be quite sophisticated.
Once you join a group (more
on that in a moment) you can usually choose to go to a web
site to read messages, or have individual messages or digests
(a certain number/amount of messages grouped together into
one message) sent to you.
Depending on the group, you
may choose different methods of getting your messages. Some
groups don't generate that much traffic so individual messages
in your mailbox is fine. Some generate a moderate amount of
traffic so you may choose to receive a digest. The digest
has a list of the message subjects and senders listed at the
top, followed by the actual messages. You can quickly peruse
the list and decide if there is something you want to look
at. Additionally, there is only one digest to delete instead
of umpteen individual messages. For those groups that are
prolific message senders, reading messages at the web site
may be best, saving room in your mail box. You can change
these options at any time. Most services also have a NO MAIL
option so you may temporarily cease delivery of messages from
the group (good if you are going on vacation, or are up against
a deadline).
In addition to the various
options for reading messages, a group may have access on the
listserve web site to file storage space (to share files),
polling software (to solicit group opinion), database capabilities
(to keep track of information on, or of interest to, the group).
Groups may also be classified as public, meaning anyone can
join, or private, with membership by invitation or association
only.
Now that you know what this
email group thing is, how do you go about finding them? There
are lots of ways. Most of the groups I belong to I was either
invited to join (due to RWA or chapter membership, for example)
or I was told about a public group by someone who knew I would
be interested in it.
To find out about other lists
you can go to your favorite search engine (or try GOOGLE.COM,
my current favorite) and search on "Group Mail." (Note, make
sure you spell that "mail" not "male" or you may get some
sites that will, umm, surprise you!) One specific place you
can try is EGROUPS.COM. They list public groups by interest
area. Most of the lists I belong to are run out of this web
site.
To join an email group you
need to get instructions either from a web site, an invitation,
or a friend. Usually the instructions tell you to send an
email message to a specific address with a specific subject
line and nothing in the message area (others require something
specific in the message area so check the instructions carefully).
Occasionally, you will try to join and for some reason your
email won't work. There is almost always a contact person
listed with the instruction who can help you.
In the case of public lists,
you should get confirmation almost immediately and begin participating
right away. For private lists it may take a day or more for
your membership credentials to be verified. You will then
get a welcome message with further instructions on how to
send messages to the group and set any applicable options.
SAVE THIS MESSAGE! If you have problems, want to drop the
list, etc., you will find the information in the welcome message.
CAVEATS: Beware, email groups
are addictive and time consuming! Go back and read that again.
You always want to check the privacy policy before deciding
to join a group. Many groups protect your email addy to prevent
spamming (junk email), not all do. As in all things, buyer
(or subscriber) beware. Don't believe everything you hear
on-line. Consider the source and check the facts before you
spread rumors. Also, the more groups you join, the more you
will hear about. Be choosy.
In public groups you need
to be very careful posting negative opinions, rumors, thoughts,
etc. You never know when that agent or editor you are wooing
will be lurking (that's a member who doesn't post, only "listens
in," lurking in the shadows).
One last important point.
The culture of each group differs. I've belonged to some groups
(for a very short time) that I found to be very negative either
in attitude or behavior. I choose not to participate in any
list that makes me cringe and duck when I post my opinion.
On the other hand, I've belonged to several lists where lively
discussion is the modus operandi, but it is done in a civilized,
open-minded fashion. If you have the great good fortune to
find a list like this you will make wonderful friends who
challenge you to think, examine, ponder and share. What more
could you want?
NOTE: By being a member of
RWA you are automatically allowed to join one or more RWA
sponsored lists. Go to RWANATIONAL.COM, Members Only, and
use the pull-down menu at the top of the page. Choose PANlink
and RWAlink to get information on joining.
|
