Gateways Discussion Lists

What is a Discussion List?

A discussion list is a means of easily communicating with a group of people having an interest in the topic of the list via email. You may also hear discussion lists referred to as "list serves".

Emailing the list is called "posting". When you post to a list, your email is sent to each person that subscribes to the list. However, instead of having to know every subscriber's email address, all you have to do is send your email to the list address. If someone wants to reply to your post, they simply reply to your email and the entire list gets the reply as well - not just one person.

How do I subscribe to (or unsubscribe from) a list?

If you see a list you are interested in subscribing to or want to unsubscribe from a list you are on, go to the subscription page. You will be asked to fill out and submit a short form online and will receive a confirmation email if the action was successful.

What is Netiquette?

Netiquette is network etiquette - do's and don'ts of communicating online. The do's and don'ts range from things like avoid using ALL CAPS in electronic communications (it appears that you are shouting) to remembering that in things such as email, meanings and intentions can be easily misinterpreted as we cannot hear the tone of voice or see the body language of the person on the other side. If you'd like to learn more about netiquette and using it when communicating on discussion lists, a search on any popular search engine will yield many results.

Why does every list end with -L?

This is just a convention that most people use when naming discussion lists.

Who can answer my questions?

If you're not familiar with discussion lists, check with your co-workers! There are many discussion lists available for early childhood professionals and chances are someone in your office is familiar with them. In additions, check out the Tips and Tricks link for information on managing the email you get from a list and information on posting to a list. You can also contact the webmaster at any time.