Owning and managing a mailing list can be a rewarding yet time-consuming responsibility, with the level of commitment varying based on the type of list you create and how actively you manage it. Continue reading to learn more about the time commitment and skills involved in owning a mailing list.
What is the time commitment involved in owning a list?
Depending on the type of mailing list you want to create, your involvement in managing the list will either be minimal or considerable.
- A list used strictly for the distribution of information from you to the list's subscribers requires very little management.
- A moderated mailing list requires you to read and approve each mailing that is sent to the list. If your moderated list is very active, your time investment could be considerable.
What skills will I need?
Lists can be managed via the Web or e-mail. Most new list owners prefer to use the Web interface.
The primary responsibility of each list owner is to subscribe users to their list or inform users how to subscribe themselves. In addition, the list owner may perform other maintenance tasks like removing subscriptions, correcting subscriber names or changing how the list functions. None of these operations is very complex and can be accomplished easily through the Web.
The list owner, by default, will receive error notices when mail that is sent to the list fails. The most common error notice is one that lists subscriber(s) whose address(es) cannot be reached. The LITS Help Desk can help you interpret error messages.
Becoming a list owner
- Decide on a list name. Keep your list name short yet descriptive (about 8 - 10 characters). Optionally, you can add "-L" to the name in order to differentiate it from an e-mail account that bears a similar name. However, it is acceptable to use the same name for the e-mail account and the Listserv list.
- Decide how you want the list to function. As you complete the request form (see link below), you will be asked to choose between 3 types of lists. Samples of each type are available during the request process. If none of the samples suit your needs, you should start with one of them and modify it as necessary.
- Once the request is submitted, an auto-reply is sent confirming the request was received. Once the list shell has been created, you will get a follow-up e-mail when the list is created and ready for subscribers.
Documentation to assist you in the management of your list and its subscribers can be found in the Quick Start Guide for List Owners.
Requesting a new list
You can reach out to the Help Desk to request a new list and get more information on list creation.