STERC List Serve
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Easy Sign-Up Form for the STERC-L
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Un-Subscribe Form for the STERC-L
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The National Metal Finishing Resource Center is resuming
operation of the list serve (STERC-L) after technical issues caused a temporary suspension. STERC-L is
free and open for use by anyone interested in
metal finishing. Many individuals currently subscribed to the STERC-L are experts in metal finishing and environmental
issues.
Note: If you were previously a member of STERC-L, you have to sign up again.
What is a List Serve?
A list serve (Figure 1) is basically an e-mail message management
system. It functions by receiving and distributing e-mail messages
to a list of user names. A list serve is managed by a list owner,
who is the person or organization with formal responsibility for
the operation of the list -- a kind of referee, if you want. The
list owner defines the list's charter and policy, i.e. what the
list is about and what are the general rules all subscribers must
accept in order to be allowed to join the list. The list owner
is also responsible for all administrative matters and for answering
questions from the list subscribers.
People join a list serve by sending an e-mail message to the list
owner. Once they are a part of the list, they receive e-mail messages
that are sent to the list serve by other users. Users can respond
to each other's messages, and the messages
are "threaded" to organize interactive discussions.
A user can start a new thread at any time by sending a message
to the list serve. Depending on the speed of the processor and
number of subscribers, messages are usually delivered to the entire
mailing list within 1 to 20 minutes. The types of messages that
are commonly posted include questions or requests for assistance,
breaking news, comments, announcements of upcoming events, etc.
There exist more than 40,000 list serves on the Internet. Most
list serves are made up of 10 to 2,000 people. The number of messages
exchanged in a list serve depends entirely on its users. Some
are very active and a user may receive 20 or more messages per
day. Others may be limited to only a few messages a day. There
are subtle differences between how list serves are operated. Some,
like the STERC list serve, are open
so that anyone is free to join and leave at anytime. Other list
serves are operated by a closed subscription and users are selectively
added by the list serve administrator. Also, list serves may be
operated on a moderated or unmoderated basis. With a moderated
list serve, messages submitted to the list serve are filtered
by the administrator who decides to broadcast the message to the
list or reject it. With unmoderated lists, like the STERC's, all
messages are unfiltered and automatically broadcast.
Why are List Serves Popular?
List serves are a very time efficient means of monitoring and
engaging in discussions with a group of people that have shared
interests. Unlike conventional on-line conferencing and chatting,
list serves make use of e-mail, which is automatically distributed
to each user. Participants do not have to log onto a web site
to partake in the action -- they simply
have to check their e-mail. Then they can examine their mail by
subject and sender and decide exactly which messages to read.
To reply to a message, the user simply clicks on the "reply"
button of their browser, types in a message and sends it to the
list serve. That message is distributed to everyone on the mailing
list.
List serves are especially helpful for exchanging information
among users that have varied types of expertise and interests
in a similar subject area. For example, a large number of people
are interested in metal finishing, although their specific field
of expertise may be electroplating, painting, waste treatment,
laboratory analytical techniques, or regulations. By working together
through list serve discussion threads, a diverse group can tackle
most questions that users may submit.
Most list serves have the capability of saving posted messages
into archives that can be searched by the users. Over time, the
archives become a valuable resource.
STERC-List
STERC-List is an unmoderated list serve that is open to anyone
interested in participating in metal finishing discussions. There
is no long-term commitment; you are free to subscribe or unsubscribe
at any time. Postings in this list serve shall be limited to metal
finishing topics. Postings of a pure commercial advertising nature
(referred to as SPAM on the Internet) are not permitted. However,
companies are welcome to offer names of commercial products and
services when they are relevant to the discussions. The STERC
reserves the right to remove any names from STERC-List that do
not follow the "No SPAM" rule.
Subscribing to STERC-LIST
To subscribe to the list, send an e-mail message to stserv@sterc.org
with one line in the body of the letter:
subscribe STERC-L
Unsubscribing to STERC-LIST
To unsubscribe to the list, send an e-mail message to stserv@sterc.org
with one line in the body of the letter:
unsubscribe STERC-L
When unsubscribing, be certain to enter your name exactly as you
entered it when you subscribed, otherwise, you remain on the mailing
list. For example, if you use Jim when unsubscribing after subscribing
with James, it doesn't work.
Posting to STERC-LIST
If you have a message (comments, questions, etc.) that you wish
to distribute to all members of the list, send it as e-mail to
STERC-L@sterc.org (see example, Figure 3).
When you do post a message, keep several principles in mind if
you want the best return on your effort.
- Keep your posts brief and to-the-point. Put considerable thought
into your message; if you send an articulate and well-thought
out query, it's far more likely that you will receive articulate,
well-thought out replies.
- Write a clear subject line in as few words as possible.
- It is good etiquette to identify yourself and company or organization.
Final Caveat
List serves can be a valuable information resource. However, as
with any information you receive from various sources, you need
to be wary of any advice or facts you locate on a list serve.
Just because someone subscribes to a list about metal finishing
doesn't mean they're an expert in the subject.