Using Electronic Mailing Lists

Electronic mailing lists allow groups of people to more easily exchange information using email. Email sent to a mailing list address is automatically forwarded to all members of the list. The person sending the message does not need to know the email addresses of all of the list members, only the address of the list itself. As people join and leave the list, their email addresses are automatically added and deleted from the list's set of forwarding addresses.

If you have been asked to join a mailing list, here are some things you will need to know to get started.

• Software Requirements
• Subscribing
• Unsubscribing
• Replying 

Software Requirements

The only software that a mailing list requires on the part of list members is email software, such as Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Web Access, or Entourage.

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Subscribing

To subscribe to a list called list_name:

1. Send an email message to majordomo@lesley.edu from the email account you wish to subscribe. Leave the subject line blank. Place the following command in the body of the message: subscribe list_name

Nothing else should appear in the body of the message. Make sure you do not include any signature lines or other text in the message body. After you send the message, the Majordomo list server software will send you a confirmation email.

2. Reply to the confirmation email.  Instructions are provided in the confirmation message.

If you did not receive a confirmation email, check to make sure the return address for your email program is set for the email address you wish to subscribe to the list.

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Unsubscribing

To unsubscribe from a list called list_name:

1. Send an email message to majordomo@mail.lesley.edu from the email account you wish to unsubscribe. Leave the subject blank. Place the following command in the body of the message: unsubscribe list_name

Nothing else should appear in the body of the message. Make sure you do not include any signature lines or other text in the message body.

If you are not unsubscribed, make sure that your email program is set for the email address you wish to unsubscribe from the list.

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Replying

A reply to a message from a list is exactly the same as a reply to any other email message. The only difference about replying to a list message is that your reply will go to everyone who is a member of the list and not just a single recipient.

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