Basic Listserv Maintenance Instructions

NOTE: Below is a copy of the email sent to all new listserv owners.

List Owner,

Below are instructions for posting messages to your UCSF listserv and instructions on how to manage your UCSF listserv. For all instructions, you should replace the word "listname" with the name of your specific listserv.

Sending Mail

To send a message to all the people currently subscribed to your listserv, compose your message and email it to the following address:

listname@listsrv.ucsf.edu

This is called "sending mail to the list," because you send mail to a single address and listserv makes copies and sends those copies to all the people who are subscribed to your listserv.

Managing Your Listserv

UCSF listserv mailing lists may be managed via two different methods.

Method 1: You may use the listserv's WWW interface by going to http://listsrv.ucsf.edu/cgi-bin/wa?OWNER. This will take you to the listserv management login page. If this is your first time managing a listserv via the web or if you have forgotten your previously established password, you will need to click on the "get a new LISTSERV password" link. That will take you to the "Register LISTSERV password" page. Fill in the information requested and keep in mind that this password will be used to manage all your listservs, provided that the email address you enter is the same as an owner email address in your listserv header. Once you have requested a listserv password, an email will be sent to the address you provided. Follow the instructions in the email to verify your login and password.

Once you have logged in you will be taken to the "List Management Dashboard" page. Near the top of the page you will find a pull down menu of all the listservs that have your email address listed as an owner email address. (If there is no pull down menu in the box then you are an owner of the one listserv listed and no others.) From here, simply select the listserv you want to work on and click the "Update" button on the right-hand side. The list name you selected will now appear in parentheses ( ) next to the List Management Dashboard header. Now select one of the management options. The List Management Dashboard is self-explanatory and very user-friendly.

Method 2: You may also manage your mailing list by issuing commands via email to the listserv server. Below are instructions on managing your listserv via this email method.

Reviewing Your Listserv Information via Email

If you would like to review the configuration information of your listserv and see a list of all the subscribers, the listserv owner may do the following:

        To review your list information, send an email with no subject to:
                listserv@listsrv.ucsf.edu
        The one line of the message should be:
                review listname

The file that will be sent to you can be viewed, saved or printed, but this file cannot be used to edit or update your listserv. It's meant to only provide you with the list information. For information on editing or updating your listserv's header information via email, i.e., owner, subscription type, editor, etc., go to the vendor's site at http://www.lsoft.com/resources/listserv15.0-docs.asp and select either the "LISTSERV 15.0 Introductory List Owner's Manual" link or the "LISTSERV 15.0 List Owner's Manual" link.

Uploading Your Listserv Subscribers via Email

The listserv owner may add and delete subscribers as follows:

Adding users to the list:

        To add one user, or a group of users at one time, send an email with no subject to:
                listserv@listsrv.ucsf.edu
        The message will include one line for each person to be added. The
        format for each line is:
                add listname emailaddress firstname lastname

Deleting users from the list:

        To delete one user, or a group of users at one time, send an email with no subject to:
                listserv@listsrv.ucsf.edu
        The message will include one line for each person to be deleted. The
        format for each line is:
                delete listname emailaddress

You can have both adds and deletes in the same email message if you prefer.

        Example of email message:
                add listname tomj@itsa.ucsf.edu Tom Jones
                add listname jcool@itsa.ucsf.edu Joe Cool
                delete listname jmsmith@itsa.ucsf.edu

Special Note 1

Inserting the command word "quiet" before any listserv command that you issue on behalf of a subscriber causes listserv to suppress any notification to the subscriber of the changes made. This is particularly helpful when deleting subscribers whose email accounts have expired or when adding new subscribers when you do not want them to receive a notification that they have been added.

        For example:
                quiet add listname tomj@itsa.ucsf.edu Tom Jones
                quiet delete listname jmsmith@itsa.ucsf.edu

Special Note 2

If your list is set up with an open subscription, which allows people to subscribe and unsubscribe themselves, you may let potential or current subscribers know the following subscribing and unsubscribing information.

To subscribe to an open listserv, send a one line email message from the address that you want added to the subscription list.

        Send an email with no subject to:
                listserv@listsrv.ucsf.edu
        The one line of the message is:
                subscribe listname firstname lastname
        The server will pull your email address from the FROM field of your email

To unsubscribe from an open listserv, send a one line email message from the address that you want removed from the subscription list.

       Send an email with no subject to:
                listserv@listsrv.ucsf.edu
        The one line of the message is:
                signoff listname
        The server will pull your email address from the FROM field of your email
        *NOTE: This command will only work when sent from the email address that
        you want removed from the subscription list. If the person in question
        has left the University or the email address has been turned off, only
        the owner of the listserv can remove the address from the subscription list.

Listserv Archives

If you have requested that your listserv have a notebook archive, you may review your archive in batches based on the setting in your listserv header file.

To see the list of all the notebook archives available for a listserv:

        Send an email with no subject to:
                listserv@listsrv.ucsf.edu
        The one line of the message is:
                index listname
        The listserv server will email to you a list of the available notebook archives for that listserv

To see a specific notebook archive for a listserv:

        Send an email with no subject to:
                listserv@listsrv.ucsf.edu
        The one line of the message is:
                get listname logyrmo
        where yrmo is the year and month of the archive you wish to retrieve.

For example, to retrieve the archive of your listserv for July 2002, the line of the message would be:
get listname log0207

If you have requested that your listserv have a web archive, you may review your archive via the internet by typing in the following URL:

http://listsrv.ucsf.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=listname

For More Information

For additional information on using and managing listservs, go to http://www.lsoft.com/resources/listserv15.0-docs.asp

If you have questions or problems, feel free to contact OAAIS Customer Support Services at (415) 514-4100, Option 2, or customersupport@ucsf.edu.

Regards,

Danica Azarin-Burdine
Customer Communications
OAAIS-Customer Support Services
**************************************

Please tell us what you think of our website

Email

VPN

Help

Basic Listserv Maintenance Instructions

NOTE: Below is a copy of the email sent to all new listserv owners.

Sending Mail