Mailing list FAQ

Mailing List FAQ & Rules

We provide Tech Support in a forum long tested and exceptionally effective, mailing lists. We offer PCBUILD for PC hardware problems and PCSOFT for PC software problems.

The NOSPIN Group mailing list FAQ

What is a mailing list?

What is Moderation?

Who owns the mailing lists?

Who has the final determination about how the mailing lists function?

How does a Listserv Mailing list Function?

If I add my Email address to a mailing list will I receive a lot of junk mail?

Why are your mailing lists moderated?

How many messages a day will I receive from the mailing lists?

What if I do not want to receive that many Emails a day?

What is Digest Mode?

How do I set my subscription to Digest?

Where do I read the Archives of the mailing list?

Where do I send a message to be posted?

Do you have more information on Listserv commands?

What is a mailing list?

Simply stated a mailing list is a data base of Email addresses. When you subscribe to a mailing list, you are adding your address to the list.

When a message is sent to the mailing list, it is sent to everyone on the list. Subscribers can then in turn reply to the message by sending an Email to the list and once again it is sent to everyone on the list.

This is an over simplification and many other factors are involved. For our purposes, we will explain how The NOSPIN Group mailing lists function, what you can expect if you subscribe and why this method of Tech Support is superior to others.

Who has the final determination about how the mailing lists function?

The list owners have the final say about everything that occurs to and with the mailing lists.

What is Moderation?

Moderation is the process that insures you will only receive quality messages from our mailing lists. Each message sent to our mailing lists are redirected to a Moderator. The Moderator reads the Email and either approves it for posting or rejects it with a note to the sender explaining the problem, with directions how to cure the problem.

Who owns the mailing lists?

PCBUILD and PCSOFT mailing lists are the sole property of the List Owners, Bob Wright and Drew Dunn. They have the final decision as to who may be subscribed and use the mailing lists.

Using our mailing lists is a privilege and not a right. The List Owners reserve the right to terminate service to anyone at any time for any reason... including no reason.

(Frequently Asked Questions)

If I add my Email address to a mailing list will I receive a lot of junk mail?	Only the List Owners, Bob Wright & Drew Dunn have access to the actual mailing list's email addresses in whole. Your Email address will never be sold or given to anyone for any reason.
Why are your mailing lists moderated?	Moderating allows The NOSPIN Group to insure that only messages free of advertisements, On Topic and properly formatted are posted to the list. This insures only clean and quality messages are sent from the list to you. In August of 1998, a poll of our subscribers found that 72% of them want the mailing lists Moderated.
How many messages a day will I receive from the mailing lists?	PCBUILD & PCSOFT mailing lists generate between 20 to 100 email messages a day. Our other lists generate far fewer. You can set your subscription to Digest Mode to receive only one message a day.
What if I do not want to receive that many Emails a day?	You have two options: 1) You can set your subscription to Digest. In Digest you will receive only one Email a day with all that days messages. 2) You can read the archives of the mailing lists without subscribing.
What is Digest mode?	If you set your subscription to Digest Mode, you will receive only one Email a day from the list. This single Email will contain an itemized and indexed copy of all the messages for that day. The Digest is compiled by the server at Midnight EST and sent out. Computerlady Newsletter can be set to Digest, but that is not necessary as it only generates one Email a week, the newsletter.
How do I set my subscription to Digest?	You can do this by re-subscribing using one the Online subscribe options and setting it to Digest. You can also send an email to: listserv@icors.org and in the body of the message type: SET PCBUILD DIGEST - or- SET PCSOFT DIGEST (depending on the mailing list). Leave the subject line blank. The list will read your email address from the email and adjust your list options
Where do I read the Archives of the mailing list?	The archives for each mailing list date back to Feb 1998. You can read them using our web based interface. PCBUILD http://listserv.icors.org/archives/pcbuild.html PCSOFT http://listserv.icors.org/archives/pcsoft.html
Where do I send a message to be posted?	You simply type an Email and send it to the address for the mailing list. PCBUILD = pcbuild@icors.org PCSOFT = pcsoft@icors.org

Mailing List Rules

These are the guidelines our moderators use when reviewing messages for approval. These guidelines are subject to change at any time, upon agreement of a majority of the Moderators.

The Big Four: these are grounds for rejection AND for recommending subscription termination.

No Flaming
No Spamming
No Crossposting
No File Attachments, that includes VCARDS

Simple rejections for the following:

No Full Name (first and last)
If the message is completely unreadable in plain text (but it may include formatting)
Irrelevant or OFF TOPIC (i.e., Thank you's, Me Too, wrong list, etc.)
Not written in English
Encrypted (PGP in a signature is permissible)
Bad taste (swearing, crude language -- stuff you wouldn't want your grandmother to read.) If it is really bad, then it qualifies for subscription termination.

Everything else gets a warning. Unless, of course, there is some sort of serious repeat offender, in which case the Moderators discuss it.

Remember that decisions about message approvals is left to the individual Moderator and the Moderator has the last word. The List Owners will always support the decisions of the Moderators. It is recommended when contacting a Moderator about a message rejection or issue you use the following guidelines:

Use friendly comments only
Be sober when writing the message
Make your case based on the quality of your post and not the sexual orientation or heritage of the Moderator
Never ask a List Owner to overrule the Moderator, you may have your subscription terminated.

Please use your full name.
All information submitted is held
in the strictest confidence and
never used for any other
purpose, except to send you
the Newsletter. This is a free service.

You subscribe to the list

You can do this by e-mail or use our web based subscriptions

The mailing list has its own e-mail address.
The list contains the e-mail addresses of all the subscribers.
Only the List Owners have access to these addresses.

When someone sends an e-mail message to the mailing list, it is then remailed by the list to each subscriber.
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Each subscriber will receive a copy of the message or question.

A subscriber to the mailing list can then write a reply or answer to the message received and send it back to the list.
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Then the process starts again. The mailing list will mail the answer or reply out to all the subscribers.

In this manner, as a subscriber to a mailing list, your messages are read by all subscribers. This insures that at least someone will have an answer to your question. Most times you will see many different solutions.
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The mailing list's essence is a cycle of subscribers helping one and other. A give & take forum that arrives in your e-mail.

Email commands for the mailing lists [Click Here]