NIH LISTSERV Facility\
List Owner's Guide

March 2002

(Modified on February, 24, 2006)

Division of Network Systems and Telecommunications\
NIH Center for Information Technology\
10401 Fernwood Rd., Suite 3\
National Institutes of Health\
Bethesda, MD 20892-9110

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

[**Introduction 1**](#introduction)

[What is LISTSERV? 1](#what-is-listserv)

[Who May Use LISTSERV? 1](#who-may-use-listserv)

[Who's Who on LISTSERV? 1](#whos-who-on-listserv)

[About This Document 2](#about-this-document)

[For Further Information 2](#for-further-information)

[Becoming a List Owner 3](#becoming-a-list-owner)

[Setting Up a New List 3](#setting-up-a-new-list)

[Filling Out the Online Application Form
3](#filling-out-the-online-application-form)

[You've Created a List. Now What? 9](#youve-created-a-list.-now-what)

[Sending Mail (Posting) to Your List
9](#sending-mail-posting-to-your-list)

[Advertising Your List 9](#advertising-your-list)

[When to Ask for Help From the LISTSERV Administrators
10](#when-to-ask-for-help-from-the-listserv-administrators)

[The List Management Web Interface
11](#the-list-management-web-interface)

[The NIH LISTSERV Home Page 11](#the-nih-listserv-home-page)

[Accessing the List Management Interface
11](#accessing-the-list-management-interface)

[Login and Passwords 12](#login-and-passwords)

[Managing Subscribers 15](#managing-subscribers)

[Changing Your List Settings (Modifying the List Header)
17](#changing-your-list-settings-modifying-the-list-header)

[Layout 25](#layout)

[Template Management 26](#template-management)

[Bulk Operations 27](#bulk-operations)

[Sending Commands 29](#sending-commands)

[Mail-Merge 30](#__RefHeading___Toc128550296)

[Other List Owner Functions 31](#other-list-owner-functions)

[Instructions for List Owners 31](#instructions-for-list-owners)

[Create a LISTSERV List 32](#create-a-listserv-list)

[Create a LISTSERV Password 32](#create-a-listserv-password)

[Delete a List 32](#delete-a-list)

[What Lists Do I Own? 34](#what-lists-do-i-own)

[Change a Subscriber Address 35](#change-a-subscriber-address)

[Rename a List 36](#rename-a-list)

[Extract Addresses from the Exchange Global Address List
38](#extract-addresses-from-the-exchange-global-address-list)

[Administering Your List Using Commands
43](#administering-your-list-using-commands)

[Sending Commands to LISTSERV 43](#sending-commands-to-listserv)

[The Importance of Your E‑mail "From:" Address
43](#the-importance-of-your-email-from-address)

[How to E‑mail a Command to LISTSERV
43](#how-to-email-a-command-to-listserv)

[The QUIET Prefix 43](#the-quiet-prefix)

[Command Conventions 44](#command-conventions)

[General Commands 44](#general-commands)

[Archive Commands 46](#archive-commands)

[FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) 49](#faq-frequently-asked-questions)

# Introduction

## What is LISTSERV?

LISTSERV is an electronic mailing list management tool that enables
people with common interests to correspond via e‑mail. LISTSERV lists
are available at computer sites around the world. The National
Institutes of Health (NIH) LISTSERV facility is run by the NIH Center
for Information Technology (CIT). The NIH LISTSERV facility is currently
running LISTSERV version 1.8d.

With LISTSERV, people who are interested in a specific topic can
subscribe to a list that deals with that topic. Once subscribed, they
can easily converse, via e‑mail, with others who share that interest, or
receive announcements about it. Whenever mail is sent to a list,
LISTSERV automatically distributes copies to all list subscribers. The
sender does not need to know the names and network addresses of all the
subscribers, since that information is maintained by LISTSERV.

LISTSERV was written by Eric Thomas and is the sole property of L-Soft
International, Inc.

## Who May Use LISTSERV?

Anyone with e‑mail or World Wide Web access to the Internet may use
LISTSERV. (At NIH, this includes anyone with a connection to NIHnet,
e‑mail software, and/or a Web browser.) Any employee of the Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) may create and "own" a list on the
NIH LISTSERV Facility. Use of the NIH LISTSERV Facility is restricted to
official government business only.

## Who's Who on LISTSERV?

LISTSERV users fall into three categories:

-   [list owners]{.underline} responsible for the management of
    individual lists

-   [subscribers]{.underline} users who subscribe to a list and receive
    list mail

-   [postmasters]{.underline} responsible for the operation and
    maintenance of LISTSERV

[List owners]{.underline} include any user who creates a list on the NIH
LISTSERV Facility, or who takes over management of an existing list.
List owners are responsible for lists that they "own"; each LISTSERV
list must have at least one owner.

List owners have special privileges that give them a great deal of
control over their lists. They can:

-   add and delete subscribers

-   stop and start mail

-   suspend and resume list subscriptions

-   review mail before it is posted

-   determine who can join the list

-   add and delete additional owners

-   determine who can find out about the list

-   determine who can post to the list

-   set up list archives and decide who can see them

    For further details on how to become a list owner, see "Setting Up a
    New List," p. [3](#setting-up-a-new-list).

    [Subscribers]{.underline} can join or leave a list (\"subscribe\"
    and \"unsubscribe\"); view list archives; post to a list; query and
    change their personal subscriber options; and change their names and
    addresses as recorded by LISTSERV.

    [Postmasters]{.underline} have list owner authority for all lists on
    their LISTSERV server. In addition, they can stop and restart
    LISTSERV and maintain critical control files.

## About This Document {#about-this-document .unnumbered}

This document contains the information necessary to create, maintain,
and manage lists utilizing the NIH LISTSERV facility. Copies of this and
other LISTSERV documentation may be viewed online or downloaded from the
NIH LISTSERV Home Page at the following URL:

[https://list.nih.gov](https://list.nih.gov/)

Click on **For List Owners**, then click **Instructions for List
Owners**, then select the desired document.

Copies may also be obtained from the CIT Technical Assistance and
Support Center (TASC) at 301‑594‑6248.

## For Further Information {#for-further-information .unnumbered}

For further information concerning LISTSERV at NIH, please consult the
NIH LISTSERV Home Page at the following URL:

[https://list.nih.gov](http://list.nih.gov/)

If you are a list owner and are experiencing problems with your list,
you may send e‑mail to the NIH LISTSERV Administrators at the following
address:

**listmaster@list.nih.gov**

If you are still experiencing difficulty, please contact TASC at
301‑594-6248 and ask for LISTSERV support.

# Becoming a List Owner

Any HHS employee (or registered NIH Computer Facility user) can set up a
new list and become a list owner. List owners are responsible for
managing lists that they "own." Each LISTSERV list must have at least
one owner who is willing to be responsible for the list. Lists with no
owners (or owners who cannot be reached) may be terminated.

## Setting Up a New List

The easiest way to set up a new list on the NIH LISTSERV facility is to
complete the online application form. Point your browser at the LISTSERV
Home Page at [https://list.nih.gov](http://list.nih.gov/), then click
**Create a LISTSERV List**.

If you have questions about the application form or about the creation
of a list in general, please contact TASC at 301‑594-6248, or e‑mail the
NIH LISTSERV Administrators at <listmaster@list.nih.gov>.

## Filling Out the Online Application Form

### List Name 

The recommended format of the list name is 6-15 alphanumeric characters
of your choosing (hyphens are OK). (It is customary, but not required,
to add \"-L\" to the end of the name to indicate that it is a mailing
list.)

This name will be checked for uniqueness against all existing NIH list
names.

### List Description 

***Short description***. Please supply a ONE-line description of the
list, which can be up to 45 characters in length. This one-line
description, along with the list name, is shown on the \"list of lists\"
that appears on the LISTSERV website. It is also supplied by LISTSERV
whenever a user issues a LIST command to LISTSERV to find out what lists
are available. We recommend you include your agency title in your
description, if appropriate.

***Long description***. Please supply a more complete description of the
list. When a user issues a REVIEW command for your list, LISTSERV sends
this description, along with other basic information about the list. We
recommend you include your agency title in your description, if
appropriate.

### List Owner Information 

***Name, Address, ICD (or Agency, if not NIH), Phone, Fax***

(self-explanatory)

***Full e‑mail address***

If you plan on administering your list via e‑mail, your owner address
for the list must exactly match the \"From:\" address that appears on
your outgoing e‑mail, or LISTSERV will not recognize you as the owner
once the list is set up. In most cases, your \"From:\" address is the
same as your ACTUAL e‑mail address, e.g., **jonesp@odrockm1.od.nih.gov**
(NOT **Paul_Jones@nih.gov**).

POSSIBLE EXCEPTIONS: if you use e‑mail software such as Eudora mail,
which allows you to specify your \"From:\" address, AND you have
specified your NIH directory alias as your \"From:\" address, you can
use it as an owner address.

If you plan on administering your list via the NIH LISTSERV List
Management Web Interface, you may use any valid e‑mail address as your
owner address. You will need to set up a LISTSERV password for that
address (see "Login and Passwords," p. [12](#login-and-passwords), for
details on setting up a password on the Web interface).

***If not an HHS employee, please provide CIT Account/Initials or Helix
UserID:***

If you did not enter an NIH or other HHS e‑mail address above, your
application will not be accepted without either a Wylbur
account/initials or a Helix account.

***Please enter name and e‑mail addresses for additional list owners, if
desired:***

(self-explanatory)

***Receive owner mail (e.g., error messages, subscriber inquiries and
requests)?***

-   *YES*

-   *NO*

    Receiving owner mail is mandatory for the primary list owner, but
    optional for any additional list owners. Check yes or no for each
    additional owner.

### List Settings

Every list has settings that control the automatic "behavior" of the
list. For example, your list settings determine whether list archives
are kept, or who can subscribe to the list. Your responses to the
following questions will determine the initial settings for your list.
Nearly all settings can be changed by the owner after the list is
created by modifying the list header (see "Changing Your List Settings
(Modifying the List Header),"
p. [17](#changing-your-list-settings-modifying-the-list-header)). For a
more complete list of possible settings, see "List Control Keywords,"
p. [18](#list-control-keywords).

***Will this list be used for announcements or discussions?***

-   *DISCUSSION LIST*

-   *ANNOUNCEMENTS ONLY (one-way communication)*

    Your response to this question determines who gets the response when
    a subscriber hits the \"reply\" button while reading list mail.
    Selecting DISCUSSION LIST will generally cause replies to go to the
    entire list. This setting is good for back and forth discussion
    among list subscribers. The ANNOUNCEMENTS ONLY setting is best for
    essentially one-way communication, i.e., for posting announcements
    to a group of subscribers. If a subscriber chooses to reply to a
    message, the reply will generally go to the original sender of the
    message only.

    ***Please define the \"service area\" for your list (this determines
    the area from which subscription requests will be accepted).***

-   *NIH ONLY - list for internal NIH use only*

-   *HHS ONLY - list for internal HHS use only*

-   *GLOBAL - list not limited to NIH or HHS*

    This question defines the service area from which subscription
    requests will be accepted by LISTSERV. Select NIH ONLY if your list
    will be for internal NIH use; only subscription requests from NIH
    e‑mail addresses will be accepted by LISTSERV (NIH addresses are
    those that end in NIH.GOV, NCIFCRF.GOV, or CBER.FDA.GOV.). If you
    select NIH ONLY, you also have the option of limiting other settings
    to NIH ONLY, such as how widely the list will be visible, or who can
    view the list of subscribers (see following questions).

    Select HHS ONLY if your list will be for internal HHS use; only
    subscription requests from HHS agency e‑mail addresses will be
    accepted by LISTSERV (HHS addresses include all NIH addresses, as
    well as addresses ending in: DHHS.GOV; AHCPR.GOV; CDC.GOV; FDA.GOV;
    HCFA.GOV; HRSA.GOV; IHS.GOV; and SAMHSA.GOV). If you select HHS
    ONLY, you also have the option of limiting other settings to HHS
    ONLY, such as how widely the list will be visible, or who can view
    the list of subscribers (see following questions).

    If you anticipate having subscribers from outside the NIH and HHS
    service areas, select GLOBAL.

    ***How do you wish to handle subscription requests?***

-   *CLOSED - owner must add and delete all subscribers; user
    subscription requests are rejected*

-   *BY OWNER - user subscription requests are sent to owner for
    approval*

-   *OPEN - anyone may submit a subscription request*

    This question defines how user requests to subscribe to the list are
    handled by LISTSERV. If subscription is CLOSED, only the owner may
    add or delete subscribers; all user subscription requests are
    rejected by LISTSERV. If subscription is BY OWNER, subscription
    requests from within the list\'s service area are forwarded to the
    list owner for approval. If subscription is OPEN, anyone in the
    list\'s service area may subscribe.

    ***Who should be able to see your list of subscribers?***

-   *OWNER - only list owner may view subscriber list*

-   *PRIVATE - only list subscribers may view subscriber list*

-   *SERVICE AREA - anyone in the \"service area\" of your mailing list
    may view subscriber list*

    This question determines who may view the list of subscribers (the
    output of the REVIEW command). If set to OWNER, only the list owner
    will be able to view the subscriber list. PRIVATE limits viewing to
    list subscribers only. SERVICE AREA limits viewing to the service
    area you selected above.

    NOTE: If you selected GLOBAL as your service area, we recommend that
    you select PRIVATE or OWNER in this question in order to protect
    your subscriber list from spammers and other \"nasties.\"

    ***How widely do you want your list to be visible (i.e., does it
    appear on LISTSERV\'s \"list of lists\")?***

-   *CONFIDENTIAL - list is essentially hidden; does not appear on
    \"list of lists\"*

-   *SERVICE AREA - list is visible to anyone in the \"service area\" of
    your mailing list; does appear on \"list of lists\"*

The response to this question determines whether, and how widely,
LISTSERV publishes your list name and description. Depending on this
setting, LISTSERV may or may not include your list on a composite \"list
of lists\" available to users on the Web or by command; if you selected
GLOBAL as your service area, the \"list of lists\" may be further
publicized to various search sites on the Internet. Selecting
CONFIDENTIAL will completely hide your list from the world. Selecting
SERVICE AREA will cause your list to be visible within the SERVICE AREA
you selected above.

***Who should be able to post (send mail) to the list:***

-   *OWNER - only the list owner may post to the list*

-   *EDITOR - puts list under control of an editor who reviews all mail
    before it is posted*

-   *PRIVATE - only list subscribers may post to the list*

-   *SERVICE AREA - anyone in the \"service area\" of your mailing list
    may post to the list*

    Your response to this question defines who is allowed to send mail
    to your list.

    Selecting SERVICE AREA allows anyone within the service area you
    selected above to post.

    Selecting PRIVATE allows any list subscriber to post. NOTE, however,
    that with the PRIVATE setting, a subscriber may only post from the
    address at which he or she is subscribed to the list. For example,
    if Joe is subscribed as **Joe.User@nih.gov**, he will not be able to
    post to the list from another email account such as
    **JoeU@aol.com**.

    Selecting EDITOR puts your list under control of an editor. This
    means that all list mail will be forwarded to the EDITOR for
    approval before it is posted to the list. Selecting OWNER means that
    only the owner of the list may post.

    ***Do you wish to keep list archives (stored copies of all list
    postings)?***

-   *Yes*

-   *No*

    If you select \"yes\" for this question, LISTSERV will keep a copy
    of every posting sent to your list. These copies can be retrieved
    and viewed upon request.

    NOTE: If you select \"no\" (i.e., choose not to create list
    archives), your list will not appear on the NIH website at all. This
    means that users will have to use emailed commands to join or leave
    the list.

    ***How often should we archive your list postings?***

-   *WEEKLY - archive file stored weekly*

-   *MONTHLY - archive file stored monthly*

-   *YEARLY - archive file stored yearly*

    This question will only appear if you previously indicated that you
    wish for list archives to be kept.

    When LISTSERV creates list archives, it saves all list postings into
    files. Your answer to this question determines how often the files
    are saved and thus, indirectly, the size of the saved files.
    LISTSERV groups all postings during the interval you specify
    together into a single concatenated file and stores the file by
    date. Your choices are WEEKLY, MONTHLY, or YEARLY. The busier your
    list, the shorter the interval you should choose.

    ***How long should we retain archive files for your list?***

    List archives are normally kept for 12 months. They can be retained
    for a longer or shorter period of time by entering the number of
    months in the field provided. If you want to retain all of your
    files indefinitely then enter "none" (without the quotes) in the
    field.

    ***Who should be able to access the list archives?***

-   *OWNER - only list owner may access archives*

-   *PRIVATE - only list subscribers may access archives*

-   *SERVICE AREA - only users in your service area may access archives*

    This question will only appear if you previously indicated that you
    wish for list archives to be kept.

    This setting lets you specify who is allowed to read your list
    archives. A good rule of thumb is to limit this to the same group
    that was allowed to read the original messages when they were posted
    to the list. Your choices are OWNER (only the list owner may view),
    PRIVATE (only list subscribers may view), or SERVICE AREA
    (individuals may view within the service area you selected
    previously).

    ***Please designate one or more editors. All editors specified will
    be able to post directly to the list. The list owner can post to the
    list by default, even if not designated as an editor.***

    ***E‑mail address(es) of editor(s):***

    This question will only appear if you previously indicated that you
    wanted your list to be edited. You must specify at least one editor
    here. Fill in the editor\'s **FULL** e‑mail address (see the WARNING
    under \"List Owner Information,\" above, concerning NIH directory
    aliases). Any designated editor may post directly to the list
    (provided, of course, that he/she posts from the designated editor
    address).

    ***How do you want LISTSERV to distribute postings to the editor(s)
    for approval?***

-   *FIRST EDITOR ONLY - first editor approves all postings*

-   *SHARED EDITING - all editors take turns approving postings*

-   *ALL - all postings sent to all editors for approval*

    You have several choices regarding how LISTSERV distributes postings
    to the list editors for approval. If you select FIRST EDITOR ONLY,
    LISTSERV will send all postings for approval to the first editor on
    the list. If you select SHARED EDITING, LISTSERV will take turns
    distributing postings to each of the editors for approval. If you
    select ALL, LISTSERV will send each posting to all of the editors.
    (LISTSERV has built-in detection mechanisms to prevent duplicate
    postings.)

***Do you wish to enable \"hands-off\" bounce processing for your
list?***

-   *YES*

-   *NO*

\"Hands-off\" bounce processing enables LISTSERV to automatically
process virtually all delivery error notices (commonly called
\"bounces\"). It utilizes LISTSERV\'s new passive probe feature, which
monitors each subscriber address for responsiveness over a specified
interval. Bad addresses are automatically deleted by LISTSERV and no
intervention is needed by the list owner.

"Hands-off" bounce processing is extremely convenient, especially for
large or busy lists. However, if your list has a specific, critical list
of subscribers---such as the members of an important committee---this
feature is not recommended.

**IMPORTANT NOTICE TO LIST OWNERS**

Since your list will be running on government-owned equipment, it must
constitute a valid use of Federal funds. Once your list has been
created, you will be responsible for its content. Although it is
unlikely that users of your list would misuse Federal resources
associated with its functioning, it is important that you remain aware
of how it is being used. The NIH LISTSERV Administrator is available to
provide guidance if you encounter any \"awkward\" situations during your
role as list owner.

Pressing the submit button indicates that you understand this notice.

### Submitting the Form

When you've filled out the entire application form, press the submit
button at the very bottom to send it to the LISTSERV Administrators for
processing. You should see a new page in your browser which contains the
NIH LISTSERV logo and the following message:

**Thank you!**

**Your application for a new list has been successfully submitted to the
LISTSERV Administrator. List setup generally requires approximately one
business day or less. You will be notified via e‑mail when your list is
operational.**

If you do not see this acknowledgement page, chances are the form wasn't
submitted properly. Within one business day of completing the
application, you and your co-owners, if any, should receive e‑mailed
notification that your list has been set up. If you do not receive such
notification within 2 days after submitting your request, or if you
require other assistance, please contact TASC at 301‑594-6248, or send
e‑mail to <listmaster@list.nih.gov>.

## You've Created a List. Now What?

-   Create a LISTSERV password, if you don't already have one. See
    "Login and Passwords,\" p. [12](#login-and-passwords).

-   Add subscribers to your list. You can do this one at a time (see
    "Managing Subscribers," p. [15](#managing-subscribers)), or add
    multiple users at once (see "Bulk Operations,"
    p. [27](#bulk-operations)). Or, you can publicize your list and wait
    for users to subscribe themselves.

-   Once you have subscribers, you can send mail to your list.

## Sending Mail (Posting) to Your List

> From your email software, address an email message to
> *listname*\@list.nih.gov (substitute the name of the list for
> ***\"listname\"*** in the address). In the body of the email, type the
> message to be posted. For example, if you were sending a message to
> the \"TLC-L\" list at NIH LISTSERV facility, you would send your mail
> to:

tlc-l@list.nih.gov

> Mail sent to the list is received by LISTSERV and distributed to all
> list subscribers (unless they have set the NOMAIL option for that
> list).

Sending mail to a list should not be confused with sending commands to
LISTSERV, which is described in "Sending Commands to LISTSERV,"
p. [43](#sending-commands-to-listserv).

## Advertising Your List

Since NIH LISTSERV does not participate in Listserv Backbone, all NIH
public Listserv lists will be only advertised on NIH LISTSERV web site.
However, this issue is highly dependent on how NIH Listserv policy is
operated.

If list owners would like their list(s) be advertised on the NIH Global
Address List, the list's should have Confidential= No. Otherwise, the
list will not be advertised on NIH GAL even though list's owners have
set Confidential= Service.

For a newly created List, the process to advertise that list on the GAL
could take more than 3 business days. It depends on the availability of
NIH CES administrators.

The NEW-LIST project that was introduced to list's owners on the
previous document is now obsolete.

## When to Ask for Help From the LISTSERV Administrators

LISTSERV is designed to be "self-service," and list owners are expected
to perform routine list maintenance, such as adding and deleting users
or modifying the list header, on their own. As always, the LISTSERV
Administrators are available to assist if you run into trouble. However,
some circumstances *require* the intervention of the LISTSERV
Administrators:

-   The original owner has left, and you have been assigned to take over
    the list. There are no co-owners, and LISTSERV does not recognize
    you as an owner.

-   You wish to start or stop archiving of your list (Notebook keyword).

-   Your e‑mail address has changed, and you didn't add your new e‑mail
    address to the header before the change occurred (you may be able to
    circumvent this problem---see "My e-mail address has changed, and
    now I can\'t access the list management page. ,"
    p. [54](#address_change)).

-   You have a new list, and LISTSERV does not recognize you as the
    owner.

-   You wish to terminate an existing list.

-   You cannot figure out how to fix a problem after consulting the
    LISTSERV documentation.

    To obtain assistance from the LISTSERV Administrators, please send
    e‑mail explaining the problem to <listmaster@list.nih.gov>.

# The List Management Web Interface

## The NIH LISTSERV Home Page

The easiest way to interact directly with LISTSERV is via LISTSERV's
World Wide Web interface. The Web "gateway" to LISTSERV is the NIH
LISTSERV Home Page (Figure 1). The address is:

[https://list.nih.gov](http://list.nih.gov/)

***Figure 1: The NIH LISTSERV Home Page***

![](media/image1.png){width="4.591666666666667in" height="3.44375in"}

## Accessing the List Management Interface

The portion of the website specifically designed for, and restricted to,
list owners is called the List Management Interface. To access the List
Management Interface, click **MANAGE** from the LISTSERV Home Page. You
will be required to log in before you can proceed (Figure 2). Fill in
your e‑mail address and LISTSERV password, if you have one, then click
the **Login** button. If you don't have a LISTSERV password, or if you
have forgotten your password, follow the instructions in the next
section to create one.

**Figure 2: LISTSERV Login Screen**

![](media/image2.png){width="4.425in" height="3.3125in"}

## Login and Passwords

To log in, you'll need a LISTSERV password. If you're already on the
LISTSERV Login Screen (Figure 2), click on the **[CREATE A LISTSERV
PASSWORD]{.underline}** link. If you're on the LISTSERV Home Page, click
**For List Owners**, then click **Create a LISTSERV Password**.

The "Create a LISTSERV Password" screen appears (Figure 3).

***Figure 3: Create a LISTSERV Password Screen***

![](media/image3.png){width="4.341666666666667in" height="3.25in"}

Fill in your e‑mail address, and type in a password of your choosing.
(LISTSERV asks you to type it twice to protect against misspellings.)
Then click the **Create Password** button. LISTSERV acknowledges the
request onscreen and sends a request for confirmation via e‑mail.
**NOTE:** **before LISTSERV actually accepts your password, you must
confirm the request** (see next section).

When you use the web interface, LISTSERV "knows" you by the e‑mail
address with which you log in. Generally, your login address should be
the same as your subscriber or owner address for the list you wish to
access. If you commonly use more than one e‑mail address, you may wish
to create a password for each address. (You may use the same password
for multiple addresses, if you wish.)

### Confirming a Request for Confirmation

To confirm the request for confirmation, open your e‑mail software. If
you have more than one e‑mail address, choose the one you used to create
your LISTSERV password. You should find a request for confirmation from
LISTSERV (Figure 4) in your e‑mail Inbox within moments.

There are two ways to confirm your subscription: by e‑mail reply, or by
web hyperlink.

**To confirm by e‑mail reply:** Press the reply button in your e‑mail
and type the word **OK** in the body of the reply, and DELETE EVERYTHING
ELSE. Leave the subject intact, and send the message.

**To confirm by web hyperlink:** Find the text near the top of the
request for confirmation that reads, **"To confirm the execution of your
command, simply point your browser to the following URL:"**, followed by
a web link. Click on the link to confirm the command. This should bring
up your browser window, and you should see an acknowledgement that your
new password has been accepted.

**Figure 4: E‑mail Request for Confirmation**

![](media/image4.jpeg){width="4.75in" height="3.5875in"}

After confirming your password, click the **BACK** button in your
browser, if necessary, to return to the LISTSERV Login Screen. You
should now be able to log in using your new password. At this point, you
should see the List Management Main Page (Figure 5).

**Figure 5: The List Management Main Page**

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="4.675in" height="3.54375in"}

## Managing Subscribers

### Accessing the Account Management Screen

From the List Management Main Page, select the desired list, then click
the **Subscribers** button. The **Account Management** screen appears
(Figure 6).

**Figure 6. The Account Management Screen**

![](media/image6.jpeg){width="4.6in" height="3.45625in"}

### Adding Subscribers

To add a subscriber to the list, scroll down the Account Management page
to the section entitled "Add a new user to the list." In the "**Name or
address:**" field, type the e‑mail address and name of the user you wish
to add, in one of the following formats:

**henry@somewhere.com Henry Brown**

**Henry Brown \<henry@somewhere.com\>**

**henry@somewhere.com (Henry Brown)**

If you wish for the user to receive notification that he/she has been
added to the list, click the radio button labeled **Send welcome
message**. If you do not wish for the user to be notified, click the
radio button labeled **Do not notify the user in any way**.

Click the **Add to *listname ***button to add the user to the list. The
Account Management page reappears, along with an acknowledgment message
that the user has been added.

Note: LISTSERV has a shortcut for adding multiple users. See "Bulk
Operations," p. [27](#bulk-operations).

#### Subscribing a List to Another List

LISTSERV allows you to include a list address as a subscriber on another
list, known as the host list. This is useful, for example, if you have a
subcommittee that should always receive mail from its parent committee,
but not vice-versa. You add a list as a subscriber exactly as you would
an individual, using the address of the list, e.g.,
**nsb-l@list.nih.gov**, followed by a descriptive name such as "NSB
E‑mail List." All postings sent to the host list are automatically
forwarded to the subscribed list. **NOTE:** When adding a list as a
subscriber, be sure to click the radio button labeled **Do not notify
the user in any way**. Otherwise, LISTSERV will send notification to
everyone on the subscribed list.

NOTE: for a more sophisticated method of using one list to disseminate
mail to another, see LISTSERV's "Super-list" feature. For details, see
the ***List Owner's Manual for LISTSERV*** from L‑Soft:

#### <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8d/owner/owner.html#2.13.11>

#### Adding a Fax Address as a Subscriber

LISTSERV allows you to include a fax gateway address as a subscriber on
a list. Mail from the list is sent to an e‑mail-to-fax gateway, called
the NIH Central Fax Service, , which converts the e‑mail to a fax. This
feature is especially useful for subscribers who do not use e‑mail, are
not network connected, or simply prefer to receive information by fax.

Adding a fax subscription is the same as adding a regular subscription,
except that instead of the user's e‑mail address, you type the user's
fax gateway address. The format for a fax gateway address is:

***name*%*faxnumber*\@FAX.NIH.GOV**

Examples:

**Jane_User%9-202-863-4001@fax.nih.gov\
Robert_Porter%2-4359@fax.nih.gov**

Format the fax number (the part between the % and the @ signs) as though
you were dialing it from an NIH campus telephone or fax machine. **NOTE:
Spaces and parenthesesnot allowed. Hyphens are optional.**

As the list owner, you will receive an acknowledgement message from the
fax gateway each time a fax message is sent to a list subscriber. Due to
a quirk of the system, this acknowledgement message may appear to be an
error message; however, it generally is not. Read the bottom part of the
message to make sure the fax went through. If it did, simply delete the
acknowledgement. If it did not, you may wish to re-send the message or
(if the problem persists) delete the subscriber from your list. If your
list has many fax subscribers, you may wish to set up a rule in your
e‑mail software to delete these messages automatically, or to send them
to a separate folder.

For more information on the NIH Central Fax Service, please point your
web browser to http://www.mail.nih.gov/, and select \"Central Fax
Service\" from the User Section in the left margin.

### Examining or Modifying a Subscription

To examine or modify an existing subscription, go to the the "Examine or
delete a subscription" section at the top of the the Account Management
page. Type all or part of the subscriber's name or e‑mail address in the
"**Name or address:**" field, then click the **Search in *listname***
button. If only one subscription matches your search criteria, LISTSERV
displays all of the information for that subscriber. If more than one
subscription matches the search criteria you typed, you will see a list
of subscribers with the title "Select a subscriber." Click on the
desired subscriber name to select it, then click the **Examine** button.
LISTSERV displays all of the information for that subscriber.

From this screen you can modify the subscriber's name or e‑mail address,
or change any of the subscriber's options. For example, you can
temporarily turn off mail for the subscriber, set topics, or block the
subscriber from posting to the list. For further information, click on
any of the highlighted terms and read the online help.

When you have made the desired changes, click on the **Update** button.

### Deleting a Subscription

To delete a subscriber from your list, go to the the "Examine or delete
a subscription" section at the top of the the Account Management page.
Type all or part of the subscriber's name or e‑mail address in the
"**Name or address:**" field, then click the **Search in *listname***
button. One or more subscriptions matching your search criteria should
appear. Select the one you wish to delete, then click the **Delete**
button.

NOTE: LISTSERV has a shortcut for deleting multiple users. See "Bulk
Operations," p. [27](#bulk-operations).

## Changing Your List Settings (Modifying the List Header)

### List Settings

#### What Are List Settings?

Every list has settings that control the automatic "behavior" of the
list. For example, your list settings determine whether list archives
are kept, or who can subscribe to a list. You specify your initial list
settings when you fill out the online LISTSERV list application form.

#### 

#### The List Header

List settings are recorded in a special file called the list header. The
list header is a file kept by LISTSERV that contains all the information
LISTSERV knows about your list \-- i.e., your list settings, owner and
editor information, and list description. (LISTSERV also stores your
subscriber information in the same file, although it's not considered
part of the list header.) The list header is created by the LISTSERV
Administrator when the list is set up. Once the list is created, the
list owner can change the list settings at any time by modifying the
list header.

Below is an example of a list header for a fictitious list called MIG-L.

**Sample List Header**

Microscopy Interest Group\
\
Confidential= No\
Review= Private\
Subscription= By Owner\
Notify= Yes\
Send= Public\
Reply-to= List,Respect\
Default-Options= Repro\
Ack= Yes\
Errors-to= Owners\
Validate= Yes,Confirm\
Confirm-Delay= 96\
Notebook= Yes,/anonymous_ftp/d2/listserv/mig-l,Monthly,Public\
Notebook-Header= Full\
\
Owner= smith@helix.nih.gov (Steven Smith, PhD)\
\
The Microscopy Interest Group is concerned with all aspects\
of use of the microscope for biomedical research.

### List Control Keywords

List settings are specified in the list header using List Control
Keywords. Each keyword has a set of possible values. When you apply for
a new list, values for a basic group of List Control Keywords are set
for you "behind the scenes" based on your responses to the questions on
the application form. These basic keyword values are defined in the list
header. In the example above, the List Control Keywords are the terms
followed by an equals sign (=). The keyword value is the information to
the right of the equals sign.

You will need to understand something about List Control Keywords in
order to modify the list header or troubleshoot your list. The following
section explains the most common keywords.

For details, see the ***List Owner's Manual for LISTSERV*** from L‑Soft:

<http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8d/owner/appendb.html>

#### [The Most Common List Control Keywords](http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8d/owner/appendb.html)

**SERVICE keyword:** defines a \"service area\" outside of which
subscription and other requests are not accepted. Possible values:

**Local** NIH only\
**domain1,domain2...** specified domain(s) only

If you selected the NIH ONLY service area for your list on the
application, this keyword was set to LOCAL. On the NIH LISTSERV
facility, LOCAL is predefined as NIH only (e‑mail addresses ending in
NIH.GOV, NCIFCRF.GOV, or CBER.FDA.GOV).

The SERVICE keyword may also be set equal to a specific domain or set of
domains. The asterisk (**\***) may be used as a wildcard character in
specifying a domain. For example, the following SERVICE value would be
used to create an NCI-only list:

**SERVICE= \*@nci.nih.gov, \*@ncifcrf.gov**

The NIH LISTSERV Facility now has a predefined HHS service area (all NIH
addresses, plus e‑mail addresses ending in: DHHS.GOV; AHCPR.GOV;
CDC.GOV; FDA.GOV; HCFA.GOV; HRSA.GOV; IHS.GOV; and SAMHSA.GOV). The HHS
service area is defined in a file that is maintained on the NIH LISTSERV
machine. To define a list as HHS ONLY, it is only necessary to point to,
or \"include,\" the file name in the list header. This is done by adding
the following line to the list header:

**\* .ik hhs**

If the SERVICE keyword does not appear at all, and there is no
\"include\" line, then subscription and other requests may be submitted
from anywhere on the Internet. (Subscription requests may be further
controlled by the SUBSCRIPTION keyword \-- see below.)

**\
REVIEW keyword:** determines who may view subscriber information.
Possible values:

**Owner** only list owner may view

**Private** only list subscribers may view

**Service** only users within the defined service area may view\
(valid only if a service area is defined)

**Public** anyone may view (***NOT recommended* \*\***)

This keyword determines who may view the list of subscribers (the output
of the REVIEW command). If set to OWNER, only the list owner will be
able to view the subscriber list. PRIVATE limits viewing to list
subscribers only. SERVICE limits viewing to the defined service area
(valid only if a service area is defined). PUBLIC means that anyone on
the Internet may view (and copy) your list of subscribers.

**\*\*NOTE:** We recommend against setting REVIEW= PUBLIC in order to
protect your list from spammers who may wish to \"mine\" your subscriber
list for addresses.

**SUBSCRIPTION keyword:** determines how subscription requests are
handled by LISTSERV. Possible values:

**Closed** only the owner may add/delete subscribers; subscription
requests are ignored

**By Owner** anyone may send a subscription request; subscription
requests are forwarded to owner for approval

**Open,Confirm** anyone may subscribe; subscriber receives a
confirmation message requiring a response before the subscription
becomes effective

This keyword defines how user requests to subscribe to the list are
handled by LISTSERV. If subscription is CLOSED, only the owner may add
or delete subscribers; all user subscription requests are rejected by
LISTSERV. If subscription is BY OWNER, subscription requests from within
the list\'s service area are forwarded to the list owner for approval.
If subscription is OPEN, anyone in the list\'s service area may
subscribe.

**SEND Keyword:** determines who may send mail (\"post\") mail to the
list. Possible values:

**Owner** only the list owner may post to the list

**Editor** puts list under control of an editor (see\
EDITOR keyword)

**Private** only list subscribers may post to the list

**Service** only users within the defined service area may post to the
list\
(valid only if a service area is defined)

**Public** anyone may post to the list

This keyword defines who is allowed to post to your list. Selecting
OWNER means that only the owner of the list may post. Selecting EDITOR
puts your list under control of an editor. This means that all list mail
will be forwarded to the editor for approval before it is posted to the
list. Selecting PRIVATE allows any list subscriber to post. Selecting
SERVICE allows anyone within your service area to post (valid only if a
service area is defined). Selecting PUBLIC means anyone on the Internet
may post to your list. (NOTE: this may include spammers.)

**\
EDITOR keyword:** defines a list editor to whom all mail will be sent
for approval before being posted to the list.

If you selected EDITOR as the value of the SEND keyword, above, you must
specify at least one editor here. Fill in the editor's full e‑mail
address.

**WARNING!!!** In most cases, your NIH directory alias (i.e., an address
ending in \@nih.gov) WILL NOT WORK as an editor address. Your editor
address for the list must exactly match the \"From:\" address that
appears on your outgoing e‑mail, or LISTSERV will not recognize you as
the editor once the list is set up. In most cases, your \"From:\"
address is the same as your ACTUAL e‑mail address, e.g.,
jonesp@odrockm1.od.nih.gov (NOT Paul_Jones@nih.gov). POSSIBLE
EXCEPTIONS: if you use e‑mail software such as Eudora mail, which allows
you to specify your \"From:\" address, AND you have specified your NIH
directory alias as your \"From:\" address, you can use it as an editor
address.

**REPLY-TO keyword:** sets a default value for the "Reply-To:" field in
the header of list mail. Possible values:

**Sender,Respect** replies to postings are addressed to sender

**List,Respect** replies to postings are addressed to entire list

This keyword determines who gets the response when a subscriber hits the
"reply" button while reading list mail. In most cases, setting this
keyword to List,Respect causes replies to be propagated to the whole
list (useful for discussion lists), while setting it to Sender,Respect
directs replies to to the original sender of the message only (useful
for announcement lists). Variations in the reader's e‑mail software may
cause exceptions by ignoring the Reply-to: header generated by LISTSERV.
In such cases, you, as list owner, have no control over where the reply
is sent.

**\
CONFIDENTIAL keyword:** determines whether the list appears in the "List
of Lists" (a list of all known lists, which LISTSERV supplies when a
user sends the LISTs command). Possible values:

**Yes** list is hidden from List of Lists

**Service** appears on List of Lists visible within defined service
area\
(valid only if a service area is defined)

**No** appears on global List of Lists

The response to this question determines whether, and how widely,
LISTSERV publishes your list name and description. Depending on this
setting, LISTSERV may or may not include your list on a composite \"list
of lists\" available to users by command. A value of YES completely
hides your list from the world. A value of SERVICE (valid only if a
service area is defined) causes your list to be visible within the
specified service area. NOTE: a value of NO makes your list visible on
LISTSERV\'s global \"list of lists\", which in turn may be further
publicized to various search sites on the Internet.

**NOTEBOOK keyword:** determines whether list archives are kept, how
often they are stored, and who may view them. One value must be selected
from each section. Possible values:

**Yes** archives are kept\
**No** archives are not kept

**Weekly** archive file stored weekly\
**Monthly** archive file stored monthly\
**Yearly** archive file stored yearly

**Owner** only the list owner may view archived files\
**Private** only list subscribers may view archived files\
**Service** only users within the defined service area\
may view archived files (valid only if a service area is defined)\
**Public** anyone may view archived files

A value of \"yes\" for this keyword will cause LISTSERV to keep a copy
of every posting sent to your list. These copies can be retrieved and
viewed upon request. (NOTE: If you choose \"no\"\--i.e., you choose not
to keep list archives\--your list will not appear on the NIH website at
all. This means that users will have to use emailed commands to join or
leave the list.)

The second value lets you specify how often the archive files are saved.
LISTSERV groups all postings during the interval you specify together
into a single concatenated file and stores the file by date. Thus,
indirectly, the size of the saved files is also determined by this
value. Your choices are WEEKLY, MONTHLY, YEARLY, or SEPARATE. The busier
your list, the shorter the interval you should choose (mostly to keep
the archive file size manageable).

The third value lets you control who is allowed to read your list
archives. A good rule of thumb is to limit this to the same group that
was allowed to read the original messages when they were posted to the
list. Your choices are OWNER (only the list owner may view), PRIVATE
(only list subscribers may view), SERVICE (only individuals within the
defined service area may view), or PUBLIC (anyone may view). NOTE that
if your archives are PUBLIC, they will appear on the public LISTSERV
Archive website and may be easily read by anyone Internet-wide.

### Editing the List Header 

From the List Management page, select the desired list, then click the
**Configuration** button. The **Edit List Header** screen appears
(Figure 7).

**Figure 7. The Edit List Header Screen**

![](media/image7.jpeg){width="4.2in" height="3.15in"}

To edit the list header, simply modify the text in the window, either by
typing over or deleting existing text, or by inserting additional text;
then click the **Update** button. You should see a message acknowledging
that the header has been updated. (If you've made a syntax error, you
will see an error message. For assistance, copy the error message if
possible, and e‑mail it to **listmaster@list.nih.gov**.) For specific
instructions concerning common changes you may wish to make, see the
next section.

### Making Your List an Edited List

When more careful control over list content is needed, the list can be
***edited***. On an edited list, all mail posted to the list is sent for
review to an individual designated as the list editor. Only postings
approved by the editor are circulated to the list. This feature is
particularly useful for announcement lists, electronic journals,
newsletters, and moderated discussions.

An edited list can be set up by using two list keywords:

**Send= Editor,Hold,Confirm\
Editor= editor_address@host**

More than one editor can be designated. However, mail sent to the list
is automatically forwarded to the first person listed in the
"**Editor=** " keyword list. Only the editors (not the list owners) are
allowed to mail directly to the list subscribers. Any editor can send to
the list, but only the first listed editor will receive postings for
review.

The **Hold** keyword is optional. With the **Hold** keyword, LISTSERV
holds incoming postings and sends a copy to the editor asking for
approval. The editor need only reply "OK" to LISTSERV for the message to
be posted. If the message is not approved after a specified time,
LISTSERV deletes it automatically. Subscribers see approved mail exactly
as originally posted. Without the **Hold** keyword, LISTSERV delivers
all list mail to the editor, who then has the option of forwarding it to
the list. List subscribers see the mail as a forwarded message from the
list owner.

When the optional **Confirm** keyword is used, messages posted directly
by the editor(s) (i.e., not forwarded for approval by LISTSERV) are
confirmed using the OK confirmation mechanism (see \"Confirming a
Request for Confirmation,"
p. [13](#confirming-a-request-for-confirmation)).

### Changing Owner Addresses for Your List

To change an owner address, modify the appropriate **"Owner="** line. It
will look something like this:

**Owner= smithj@mail.nih.gov (Jane Smith)**

To add additional owners, or an additional listing for an existing owner
(e.g., for an owner who uses more than one e‑mail address on a regular
basis), add an additional line or lines in the same format. (To avoid
receiving duplicate owner mail, use the **Quiet:** definition. See
"Turning Off Owner Mail," below.)

**Owner= jws@cu.nih.gov (Jane Smith)**

To delete an owner address, simply remove the owner definition line from
the list header. NOTE: You must have at least one non-quiet Owner
defined in the header, or LISTSERV will reject the change.

### Changing Editor Addresses for Your List

The process of modifying or adding an editor address is similar to that
for modifying an owner address, except that you modify/add the
appropriate **"Editor= "** line(s).

### Turning Off Owner Mail

In some cases it may be desirable to turn off owner e‑mail to a
particular owner address. Owner e‑mail usually consists of bounced list
messages, announcements of importance to list owners, and other warnings
and reports. At least one owner must receive owner mail, in order to
monitor list problems, etc. To turn off owner mail to one or more owner
addresses, insert a header line containing the **Quiet** prefix:

**Owner= smithj@mail.nih.gov (Jane Smith)\
Owner= Quiet:\
Owner= sxj@cu.nih.gov (Jane Smith)**

Owner addresses following the **Owner= Quiet:** keyword will not receive
owner mail, but will have owner privileges. There should only be one
**Owner= Quiet:** line in the header.

Use this keyword to eliminate duplicate mailings to list owners who have
more than one owner address for a single list.

### Turning On \"Hands-Off\" Bounce Processing

"Hands-off bounce processing" is a setting that allows LISTSERV to
monitor and eliminate bad subscriber addresses without owner
intervention. It utilizes a feature called passive monitoring, a new
setting available for the **Autodelete** keyword. To turn on "hands-off"
bounce processing, change the \"Auto-Delete\" keyword in the list header
to read:\
\
**Auto-Delete= Yes,Full-Auto,Probe(30)\
\
**This setting suppresses bounce messages the list owners. Instead, the
list owners receive a single daily error monitoring report showing which
addresses LISTSERV is monitoring for possible deletion.

This setting suppresses bounce messages to the list owners. Instead, the
list owners receive a single daily error monitoring report showing which
addresses LISTSERV is monitoring for possible deletion.

For further details on the probe feature, please consult the ***List
Owner's Manual for LISTSERV*** from L‑Soft:

[**[http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8d/owner/owner.html#4.9.2]{.underline}**](http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8d/owner/owner.html#4.9.2)

### Changing Where Replies Are Sent

A popular change involves modifying the Reply-to= keyword so that
replies to list postings are automatically addressed to the sender of
the post rather than to the entire list. If the entire list is seeing
replies to postings (sometimes inappropriately), here's what the keyword
line probably looks like:

**Reply-to= List,Respect**

Modify the line as follows:

**Reply-to= Sender,Respect**

Be aware that due to variations in e‑mail software, the settings of the
Reply-to keyword are not always honored.

### NIH-Only Lists

If a list is only of interest to members of the NIH user community
(e‑mail addresses ending in NIH.GOV, NCIFCRF.GOV, or CBER.FDA.GOV), the
following keywords should be set:

-   Service= Local

-   Review= Service\
    (or Review= anything other than Public)

-   Send= Service\
    (or Send= anything other than Public)

-   Confidential= Service

-   Notebook= Yes,pathname,*interval,*Service\
    (or Notebook= Yes,pathname,*interval,*Private)

### HHS-Only Lists

If a list is only of interest to members of the HHS user community (NIH
e‑mail addresses, plus e‑mail addresses ending in: DHHS.GOV; AHCPR.GOV;
CDC.GOV; FDA.GOV; HCFA.GOV; HRSA.GOV; IHS.GOV; and SAMHSA.GOV), the
following keywords should be set:

-   .ik hhs

-   Review= Service\
    (or Review= anything other than Public)

-   Send= Service\
    (or Send= anything other than Public)

-   Confidential= Service

-   Notebook= Yes,pathname,*interval,*Service\
    (or Notebook= Yes, pathname,*interval,*Private)

The ".ik hhs" designation points to a file on the LISTSERV machine which
contains the HHS service definition. If you choose to make your list an
HHS-only list, be sure to delete any line in your header that begins
with "Service=".

## Layout

The Layout screen contains a questionnaire that allows you to customize
the appearance of the WWW archive interface for your list(s). You will
be asked simple questions, such as whether to use a text or graphical
interface for your archives, which icons you want to include in the
toolbar, etc. It is recommended that, before answering the questions,
you start a new browser window and access the archives for your list
(the layout page gives you a hyperlink to assist you in doing so). After
changing the layout, you can simply reload the second browser window to
see your new layout.

Click the **Layout** button on the List Management Web interface to
access the Layout Screen (Figure 8). You will see a form with multiple
questions. Answer one or more questions (you need only answer the ones
that apply to the changes you wish to make), then click the **Update
now!** button. If for some reason you are dissatisfied with the changes,
click on the **Reset to site defaults** button at the bottom of the
questionnaire to revert to the default settings.

**Figure 8. The Layout Screen**

![](media/image8.jpeg){width="4.25in" height="3.18125in"}

**Note:** if you are familiar with HTML, you can also use the WWW
Template Editor to provide your own HTML code for the various pages of
the interface. However, if you do so, you will no longer be able to
customize the page in question using this questionnaire, i.e., using the
Layout screen.

## Template Management

The mail and web template editor lets you customize the default
templates for your list. **Editing any of your list templates is
completely optional, as LISTSERV provides a full set of default
messages.**

LISTSERV groups the templates into two categories:

-   mail templates -- files containing the "boilerplate" text for the
    administrative messages sent by LISTSERV in response to most
    commands; and

-   WWW templates -- files containing the HTML for your list's web
    pages.

Click **Templates** from the List Management Screen to access the
Template Management Screen (Figure 9). LISTSERV brings up the Mail
Template Screen first by default. To switch to the WWW templates screen,
click the **Switch to WWW templates** button underneath the drop box.
(Similarly, to switch back to the mail templates, click the **Switch to
Mail templates** button from the WWW templates screen.)

**Figure 9. The Template Management Screen**

![](media/image9.png){width="4.433333333333334in" height="3.31875in"}

### Mail Templates

Using this screen, you can easily create a welcome message or a bottom
or top banner for your list. A welcome message is one that is sent
automatically whenever someone joins your list (it is sent in addition
to LISTSERV's default message to new subscribers). A banner is a
"boilerplate" message that is appended to the top or bottom of every
message posted to your list. By default, these messages are blank, so to
create one, simply select the desired form, click the **Edit** button,
and type the desired text. When finished, click **Update**.

The other mail templates contain varying combinations of text and codes.
If you feel a compelling need to modify one of these templates, please
be careful not to alter the codes. We strongly recommend that you
consult the L-Soft ***List Owner's Manual*** and read the chapter on
modifying the default mail templates before attempting any
modifications.

### WWW Templates

This screen allows you to customize the web pages for your list.
However:

**WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU USE THE LAYOUT SCREEN TO MAKE CHANGES
IN YOUR LIST'S WEB PAGES. DO NOT EDIT THE WWW TEMPLATES UNLESS YOU HAVE
A PROGRAMMING BACKGROUND AND ARE EXTREMELY FAMILIAR WITH HTML.**

## Bulk Operations

This screen allows you to add large numbers of subscribers to your list,
or delete large numbers of subscribers from your list, based on a source
file that you specify, called the **Input file**. LISTSERV refers to
addresses in the Input file as "imported addresses." From the List
Management interface, click **Bulk op.** to access the Bulk Operations
screen (Figure 10).

**Figure 10. The Bulk Operations Screen**

![](media/image10.jpeg){width="4.25in" height="3.1875in"}

### Available Functions

-   **Add** the imported addresses to the list; do not remove any
    subscribers

-   **Remove all subscribers** from the list, then **add** the imported
    addresses (to remove all subscribers, select this option and omit
    the input file)

-   **Remove** the imported addresses from the list; do not add any
    subscribers

-   **Remove** the imported addresses from **all lists** (that you own)

### The Input File

The input file must be a *plain text* file (not a word processor
document or spreadsheet) and must contain one address per line,
optionally followed with a space (or TAB) and the subscriber\'s name.

The subscribers being added or deleted will not be notified.

These functions require a browser supporting the \"file upload\"
extension (RFC1867). Current versions of Netscape and Internet Explorer
both support this operation, but you should try other browsers carefully
on a test list.

**NOTE FOR MAC USERS:** You may encounter difficulties with bulk
operations if you create your input file on a Macintosh computer.
Macintosh text editors do not provide line breaks at the end of each
line, causing LISTSERV to process the file as one long entry. Mac
SimpleText is known to cause this problem and should not be used to
create an input file. The following have been tested and found to work:

-   **MS Word** - save the file as MS-DOS text or MS-DOS text with line
    breaks;

-   **BBEdit Lite** - save the file using the \"Line Breaks = DOS\"
    feature;

-   **Corel WordPerfect** - save the file using the Text Export option,
    then select PC Text\--Delete Soft Returns in the dialog box.

## Sending Commands

Many list management operations may be performed simply by sending a
command to LISTSERV. Despite the convenience of LISTSERV's web
interface, occasionally you may need or prefer to send a command to
LISTSERV.

Included for the convenience of list owners, the General Command screen
allows you to send a command to LISTSERV without having to exit the List
Management Interface in your browser. Click the **Commands** button from
the List Management Web page to access the General Command screen
(Figure 11). To send a command, type it in the **Command:** field, then
click the **Submit** button. LISTSERV responds to the command on the web
page, usually within seconds.

**Figure 11. The General Command Screen**

![](media/image11.png){width="4.216666666666667in" height="3.15625in"}

You can also e‑mail commands directly to LISTSERV. For further
information on e‑mailing commands to LISTSERV, please see "Sending
Commands," p. [29](#sending-commands).

### Commands You May Wish to Use

Most list owner functions can be accomplished most easily using the List
Management Web Interface. However, on occasion, you may wish to use the
following commands, which allow you to accomplish a couple of functions
that the Web Interface doesn't readily accommodate.

**HOLD command.** This command causes all list mail to be held. Use it
any time you suspect a mail loop, i.e., your list is suddenly being
inundated with mail. Use the **FREE** command to free a held list.

**QUERY command.** The query command may be used to query subscription
options for one or more subscribers on your list(s). The query command
allows use of wildcard characters, allowing you to request information
about groups of users, or find a user on more than one list, etc.

**REVIEW command.** While the web interface allows you to display your
subscriber list, it does not provide a way to print it, save it, easily
count how many subscribers you have, or view more than a handful of
subscribers at a time. If you wish to do any of these things, you must
use the REVIEW command. If you intend to print or save the subscriber
list, you *must* use an e‑mailed REVIEW command rather than the web
command interface.

**SET command.** The SET command is used to modify the subscription
options for one or more users. The Accounts Management interface does
this very well on a user-by-user basis. However, to set options
simultaneously for a single user across multiple lists, or for multiple
users on a single list, the SET command, which allows for wildcard
characters, may be more convenient.

**ARCHIVE commands: INDEX, GET, SEARCH,** and **GETPOST.** List archives
for which access is restricted to the list owner cannot be viewed via
the web interface. The only way for the list owner to access the archive
files is via commands.

For more information on these selected commands, see "Administering Your
List Using Commands," p. [43](#administering-your-list-using-commands).
For comprehensive information on these and other LISTSERV commands,
please consult the ***List Owner's Manual for LISTSERV*** from L‑Soft:

<http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8d/owner/appenda.html>

## Mail-Merge

The mail-merge feature is not implemented on the NIH LISTSERV Facility.

# Other List Owner Functions

A number of other functions, especially designed for List Owners, are
available via the LISTSERV Home Page. To access them, click **For List
Owners** from the LISTSERV Home Page. The following modified Home Page
appears (Figure 12). Note that a drop-down list is now visible under
**For List Owners**. Each of the items on the drop-down list is a
clickable link connecting you to a List Owner feature or utility. Each
item is detailed in the following sections.

**Figure 12. Functions for List Owners**

![](media/image12.png){width="4.441666666666666in" height="3.33125in"}

## Instructions for List Owners

To access instructions for LISTSERV List Owners, click **Instructions
for List Owners** on the drop-down list. The Instructions for List
Owners page appears (Figure 13).

**Figure 13. Instructions for List Owners**

![](media/image13.png){width="4.558333333333334in" height="3.41875in"}

The first section, entitled "The Basics," contains links to the NIH
LISTSERV List Owner's Guide, which is written specifically for NIH
LISTSERV List Owners. You can browse the Guide online, or download a
copy for printing. (NOTE: If you want a printed copy, please print out
one of the downloaded versions, so that your copy is properly formatted
with page numbers, cross-references, etc. The online version will not
print as well.)

The second section, entitled "The Works," provides links to the List
Owner's Manual written by L-Soft, the owners of the LISTSERV technology.
It is very thorough and, of course, authoritative. In fact, it is a
tome. Most List Owners will never need to access this information;
however, it's there if you wish to consult it.

The last item on the page is the NIH LISTSERV List Owner FAQ (Frequently
Asked Questions Document). Hopefully, this is fairly self-explanatory.

## Create a LISTSERV List

This option is detailed above. See Setting Up a New List,
p. [3](#setting-up-a-new-list).

## Create a LISTSERV Password

This option is detailed above. See Login and Passwords,
p. [12](#login-and-passwords).

## Delete a List

Use this feature to request removal of a list from the NIH LISTSERV
Facility. (NOTE: this form cannot be used to remove subscribers from a
list.)

To access the feature, click **Delete a List** on the drop-down list.
The Delete a List page appears (Figures 14a and 14b).

**Figure 14a. Delete a List**

![](media/image14.png){width="4.433333333333334in" height="3.325in"}

Fill out the online form as follows:

***Your Name***

Please fill in your full name.

***Your Email Address (should match list owner address)***

Fill in your email address here. If you own the list, and you know your
owner address, use that. Otherwise, please provide your preferred email
address so that we can reach you.

***Your Phone Number***

Please provide area code and full number if outside of NIH.

***Owner Name (if different)***

If you are not the list owner, please provide the list owner's name, if
you know it.

***Owner Email Address (if different) (should match list owner
address)***

If you are not the list owner, and you know the list owner's email
address, please provide it.

**Figure 14b. Delete a List (cont'd)**

![](media/image15.png){width="4.45in" height="3.35in"}

***\
Exact Name of List(s) to Be Deleted***

Please provide the name(s) of any LISTSERV lists you wish to delete.

***If you are not the list owner, please explain who you are, and why
you are\
making the request (e.g., the list owner is no longer employed at
NIH).***

Normally, the List Owner should make this request. We will accept a
request from someone else, provided a reasonable explanation is given
here, e.g., if the List Owner is no longer at NIH.

***Submit Button***

When you have finished filling out the form, click the SUBMIT button to
submit the request. You will see an onscreen message acknowledging that
your request has been submitted.

**NOTE:** for your protection, we require emailed confirmation of your
request. After you have submitted the request, please bring up your
email software and look for a message from the NIH LISTSERV
Administrators. To confirm the request, reply to the message, type OK in
the message body, and send it. Once we receive the emailed confirmation,
your request should be processed within one business day. We will notify
you by email when we have deleted your list(s).

## What Lists Do I Own?

This utility lets you find out what lists you own under a given address.

To access the feature, click **What Lists Do I Own?** on the drop-down
list. The "What Lists Do I Own?" page appears (Figure 15).

Press the SUBMIT button, and then log in using the owner address you
want to check for. The names of lists whose owner address matches your
login address will be displayed. You can use this utility to check any
address for which you have a LISTSERV password.

If you previously saved your LISTSERV login as a cookie in your browser,
you will bypass the login step. In such a case, you will need to turn
off the cookie feature in your web browser if you wish to check
addresses other than the one saved in the cookie. Please contact TASC at
301-594-6248 (TDD 301-496-8294) for assistance with turning off browser
cookies.

***Figure 15. What Lists Do I Own?***

![](media/image16.png){width="4.760416666666667in"
height="3.5729166666666665in"}

## Change a Subscriber Address

Use this feature to change a subscriber's email address on a list that
you own, or on all lists that you own. (NOTE: this form cannot be used
to change an owner or editor address. To change an owner or editor
address, you must modify the list header (see "Changing Owner Addresses
for Your List," p. [23](#changing-owner-addresses-for-your-list)).

To access the feature, click **Change a Subscriber Address** on the
drop-down list. The Change a Subscriber Address page appears (Figure
16).

Fill out the form as follows:

***List Name (to make a global change, type \* in the listname field)***

Type in the name of a list that you own, on which you'd like to change
the subscriber's address. If you want to change the subscriber's address
simultaneously on all lists that you own, type a star (**\***) instead
of a list name.

***Old Email Address***

Type the subscriber's old email address in this field.

***New Email Address***

Type the subscriber's new email address in this field.

***Submit Button***

Click the SUBMIT button to submit the request. A second screen, with a
link for you to click, will appear. Click the link to process the
change. A login screen will appear. Log in using your owner address and
LISTSERV password.

**NOTE:** Your owner address for the list(s) must exactly match the
login address you use, or you will not be able to make the change.

**Figure 16. Change a Subscriber Address**

![](media/image17.png){width="4.758333333333334in" height="3.56875in"}

##  Rename a List

Use this feature to request that a list be renamed.

To access the feature, click **Rename a List** on the drop-down list.
The Rename a List page appears (Figures 16a and 16b).

**Figure 17a. Rename a List**

![](media/image18.png){width="4.8in" height="3.8125in"}

Fill out the form as follows:

***Your Name***

Type your full name in this field.

***Your Email Address***

Type your email address in this field. This address should match your
owner address (the one you use to manage your list).

***Your Phone Number***

Please provide a phone number where you can be reached.

***Exact Name of List to Be Renamed***

Please provide the current list name.

**Figure 17b. Rename a List (cont'd)**

![](media/image19.png){width="5.008333333333334in" height="3.75in"}

***New Name for List***

Please provide the new name you wish to give your list.

***If you are not the list owner, please explain who you are, and why
you are making the request***

If you are the list owner, you need not fill out this field. If you are
not the list owner, this information will help us ensure that the
request is legitimate. For example, the employee may have left your
organization, and you are the new list owner.

***Submit Button***

Click the SUBMIT button to submit the request. An acknowledgement screen
will appear. You will also receive an emailed request for confirmation.
You must reply to this request beforethe list can be renamed. To
confirm, reply to the email message, type "OK" in the body of the email
message, and send it back.

## Extract Addresses from the Exchange Global Address List

The LISTSERV Global Address List (GAL) Utility allows users to extract
names and email addresses from the NIH Exchange Global Address list. The
extracted information is automatically formatted for addition to
LISTSERV via the list management web interface.

The GAL Utility is ideal for transferring subscribers from an email
distribution list on the NIH MS Exchange System to a LISTSERV list. All
of the addresses can be extracted in a single operation, saved as a
file, then added to a LISTSERV list using LISTSERV\'s bulk operations
feature. The LISTSERV GAL Utility can also extract individual addresses.
The information can be saved to the user\'s clipboard, then copied and
pasted onto the LISTSERV Account Management page.

The GAL Utility must be downloaded and installed on the user's PC.

Click **Extract Addresses from the Exchange Global Address List** to
access the main page for the GAL Utility (Figures 18a and 18b).

**Figure 18a. Extract Addresses from the Exchange Global Address List**

![](media/image20.png){width="4.033333333333333in" height="3.0375in"}

***\
Figure 18b. Extract Addresses from the Exchange Global Address List
(cont'd)***

![](media/image21.png){width="4.033333333333333in" height="3.06875in"}

### System Requirements

-   A PC running Windows 9x, 2000, or NT operating system

-   MS Outlook 98 or 2000

-   An NIH Exchange System account

PLEASE NOTE: The GAL Utility does not run on MacIntosh or Unix
computers. You will not be able to use it without an Outlook client and
an NIH Exchange account.

### Installation instructions

To use the GAL Utility, you must install it on your machine.

Turn off MS Outlook if it is running. Then click the **Download
Installation File** link. The installation file will be automatically
downloaded to your machine. The installation file is a self-extracting
archive. When the download has finished, double-click on on the file
icon, and the utility will install itself. The utility will
automatically be installed as a plug-in to MS Outlook.

### Instructions for Use

To begin, click the **ListServ** button on the Outlook toolbar, or
select **LISTSERV Utility** from the Outlook **Tools** menu. The
"LISTSERV Address Book Utility" window appears (Figure 19).

**Figure 19. The "LISTSERV Address Book Utility" Window**

![](media/image22.png){width="3.8201388888888888in"
height="2.847916666666667in"}

Click the **Create List** button, or tab until the button is
highlighted, then press enter. The GAL \"Select Names\" window (also
called the Address Book) opens (Figure 20).

**Figure 20. The GAL "Select Names" Window**

![](media/image23.png){width="3.740972222222222in"
height="2.967361111111111in"}

To select names or distribution lists from the GAL, type a name in the
"Type Name or Select from List" field, or highlight the name in the left
window pane. When you have highlighted the name(s) or distribution
list(s) you want, click the **Names** button, or tab to it and press
**ENTER**. When finished, click the **OK** button, or tab to it and
press **ENTER**. After you press the OK button, the address book will
close, and the names you selected will be transferred to the "LISTSERV
Address Book Utility" window.

**Figure 21. "The LISTSERV Address Book Utility" Window**

![](media/image24.png){width="3.7625in" height="3.24375in"}

Figure 21 shows how the "LISTSERV Address Book Utility" window looks
after you press the **OK** button. Note that both names and email
addresses are visible. If you selected a distribution list, the names of
all of the list recipients should be visible.

To copy and paste an individual name and address into the LISTSERV
Account Management page, press the **Copy to Clipboard** button, or tab
to it and press ENTER. Bring up your browser, log onto the Account
Management page for your list, paste the name and address into the "Name
& Address" field under "Add a New User to the List," and click the
button to add the user to the list.

To save multiple addresses in a file for use with LISTSERV's **BULK
ADD** feature, choose **Save List**. Figure 22 shows how the information
looks when saved to a file. The file is ready to import to your LISTSERV
list using LISTSERV's **BULK ADD** feature (see Bulk Operations,
p. [27](#bulk-operations).

**Figure 22. Saving to a File**

![](media/image25.png){width="4.147916666666666in"
height="1.945138888888889in"}

###  For Further Assistance

For assistance obtaining an Outlook client and/or an NIH Exchange
account, please consult your local computer support personnel.

For help with installation and use of the GAL Utility, please contact
the NIH LISTSERV Administrators at <listmaster@list.nih.gov>.

# Administering Your List Using Commands

## Sending Commands to LISTSERV

Most list management operations may be more easily, and safely,
accomplished using the LISTSERV List Management Web interface. For this
reason, list owners are encouraged to use the web interface to manage
their lists.

However, it is useful to know that the list management functions you can
do using the List Management Web interface can also be accomplished by
sending commands to LISTSERV. In fact, before the Web interface was
available, the only way to communicate with LISTSERV was via e‑mailed
commands. If you prefer, you may still use e‑mailed commands to interact
with the NIH LISTSERV facility.

You can also transmit commands to LISTSERV by typing them into the
Command Screen on the List Management Web Interface. See "Sending
Commands," p. [29](#sending-commands).

This section contains a very limited set of LISTSERV commands. It is not
intended to be comprehensive. For comprehensive information on these and
other LISTSERV commands, please consult the ***List Owner's Manual for
LISTSERV*** from L‑Soft:

<http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8d/owner/appenda.html>

## The Importance of Your E‑mail "From:" Address

When you communicate with LISTSERV via e‑mail, e.g., to add a subscriber
to a list, or to confirm a command, LISTSERV identifies you by the
address that appears on the "From:" line in your e‑mail message. This
address, which we call your e‑mail "From:" address, is generally set by
your e‑mail administrator (although some e‑mail software, such as Eudora
Mail, allows you to choose your "From:" address).

**NOTE:** Your "From:" address must exactly match the owner address
defined in your list header, or LISTSERV will not recognize you as a
list owner. If this problem occurs, use the Web interface to modify your
list header and include your e‑mail "From:" address as a second owner
address. (You may wish to make the second address a "quiet" owner to
avoid receiving two copies of administrative mail.)

## How to E‑mail a Command to LISTSERV

To e‑mail a LISTSERV command, type it in the body of an e‑mail message
and send it to [listserv@list.nih.gov](mailto:LISTSERV@LIST.NIH.GOV).
Leave the subject line blank. If your e‑mail software appends a
signature to your e‑mail messages, turn this feature off before sending
commands to LISTSERV.

## The QUIET Prefix

**QUIET *command-text***

This special prefix suppresses notification mail for the specified
command. For example, a "QUIET ADD" command would prevent notification
from being sent to the person being added to the list. Note that this
does not disable future mail to the user, or any future ADD
notifications. In addition, it will not suppress severe error messages,
which are usually sent via mail.

## Command Conventions

Commands are listed in alphabetical order. The minimum acceptable
abbreviation appears in capital letters (e.g., DELete). Square brackets
**\[ \]** are used to indicate optional keywords. A vertical bar **\|**
indicates a choice. *Italics* show that a value is to be filled in,
e.g., *listname*. Commands that support the QUIET prefix are marked
**(‡).**

## General Commands

**CHANGE (‡) *listname*\|\* *user@oldhost*\|pattern
*user@newhost*\|pattern**

Allows the list owner to change user addresses with a single command
(this previously required two commands, ADD and DELETE). If the wildcard
character (\*) is used in place of the list name, the change will be
made in all lists owned by the sender. Use of the wildcard character in
the address allows all addresses fitting a particular pattern to be
changed to a new pattern. For example, if the oldhost.nih.gov server
were being renamed to newhost.nih.gov, you might use the following
CHANGE command:

**Quiet change mylist \*@oldhost.nih.gov \*@newhost.nih.gov**

**FREE *listname* \[PW=*password*\]**

*Release a held list*

FREE negates a previous HOLD command and releases mail files that may
have been previously placed in HOLD status (see HOLD command, below).

LISTSERV will automatically HOLD a list that exceeds the list's "daily
threshold" \-- i.e., the maximum number of postings allowed per day (an
additional safeguard against mail loops \-- see HOLD command, below). At
NIH, the default maximum is 50. Use the FREE command to release the
hold. (The value for the Daily-Threshold keyword may be modified.

**HOLD *listname* \[PW=*password*\]**

*Hold a list, preventing new postings from being processed until a FREE
command is sent*

Causes LISTSERV to hold all mail sent to the list after sending an
appropriate message to the sender. This effectively suspends all
postings to the specified list without purging the files and without
affecting any other lists (postmasters have access to a similar command
that suspends mailing activity for ALL lists). Useful when a list is
suddenly flooded with mail and a mail loop is suspected.

If you suspect a loop, issue the hold command, then send e‑mail to
**listmaster@list.nih.gov**. Once you and the LISTSERV Administrators
have stopped the loop or determined that there is none, you can issue
the FREE command to release the hold on the list. Mail that was held
will be released to the list at that time. To review (and possibly
delete) backlogged mail after a list has been held, modify the header
and designate a temporary editor for the list, *before* you issue the
FREE command. This will cause the backlogged mail to be sent to the
editor for review before it is posted. For instructions on making your
existing list an edited list, see \"Making Your List an Edited List,\"
p [23](#making-your-list-an-edited-list).

**Query *listname* FOR *user@host***

*Query subscription options for one or more users*

List owners are authorized to query the distribution options of list
subscribers by appending "**FOR user@host**" to the command text.
Wildcards may be used to designate multiple users \-- e.g., **FOR
\*@\*niaid.nih.gov** will query distribution options for all list
subscribers whose address ends in **niaid.nih.gov**. No password is
required on this command, and no notification is sent to the target
user.

**REView *listname* \[(*options*\]**

*Get information about a list*

Options restricted to list owners:

NOHEADER causes LISTSERV to omit the list header from the\
output of the command

BY NAME sorts the subscriber list by name\
BY HOST sorts the subscriber list by host name

When sent by the list owner, the command returns a copy of the list
header and the subscriber list. NOTE: This command is the only way to
get a full copy of your subscriber list to print or save in a file.

**SET(‡) *listname \[options\]* FOR *user@host* \[PW=*password*\]**

*Alter subscription options for the list, or for one or more users*

Options restricted to list owners:

POST/NOPOST enable/prevent user from posting to list (useful for
screening out postings from troublesome subscribers)

REVIEW/NOREVIEW postings from the specified user go to list owner or
editor for review/postings from user receive no special review. (The
REVIEW option can be useful for screening out postings from troublesome
subscribers.)

Other options (not restricted to list owners):

MAIL/NOMAIL user receives list mail/user's list mail is suspended

DIGEST/NODIGEST user receives list mail in digest form (i.e., combined
into one or two messages per day)/user receives list mail as separate
postings

ACK/NOACK/MSGack user receives/doesn't receive. ackn. of postings

CONCEAL/NOCONCEAL user's subscription is hidden from/visible to REVIEW

REPro/NOREPro user receives/doesn't receive a copy of his/her own
postings

INDex/NOINDex user receives postings in index format (i.e., summarized
into one message per day containing a list of subjects, with info on how
to retrieve full text)/user receives list mail as separate postings

Options for mail headers of incoming postings (choose one):

FULLhdr "full" mail headers

IETFhdr Internet-style headers

SHORThdr short ([default]{.underline}) headers

DUALhdr LISTSERV copies the mail headers into the body of the e‑mail.
Useful for e‑mail software that doesn't show complete header info

SUBJecthdr "full" headers, except LISTSERV adds the name of list to the
subject line

The SET command is used to modify the subscription options for one or
more users. The optional FOR clause allows list owners to modify options
for list subscribers. Wildcards may be used to designate groups of users
with like addresses \-- e.g., **FOR \*@\*niaid.nih.gov** will set
subscription options for all list subscribers whose address ends in
**niaid.nih.gov**. Notification will be sent to the target users after
their options have been modified, unless the QUIET prefix is used. The
options of all current subscribers can be set by the following command
(using the wildcard \*@\*):

QUIET SET *listname option* FOR \*@\*

To set the default subscription options for *all* new users, you must
modify the Default-Options keyword in the list header. For details
concerning this and other list control keywords, please see the ***List
Owner's Manual for LISTSERV*** from L‑Soft:

<http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8d/owner/appendb.html>

## Archive Commands

LISTSERV allows list owners to specify that archives be kept for each
list. List archives (also known as notebook files) are stored files
containing copies of all list postings. If these files have been set up
for public use by the list owner, users may access them.

### Requesting a List of Available Archive Files

To find out what archive files are available for a specific list, use
the INDEX command. The format is:

**INDEX *listname***

The INDEX command causes a FILELIST to be sent back to the requestor,
listing the available files and their access limitations. For example,
the command "INDEX TLC-L" would get the following mail as a response:

TLC-L FILELIST for LISTSERV@LIST.NIH.GOV

\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*

TLC-L files

\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*

The GET/PUT authorization codes shown with each file entry describe who
is authorized to GET or PUT the file:

N/A = Not Applicable

OWN = List owners

PRV = Private, i.e., list members only

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

rec last - change\
filename filetype GET PUT -fm lrecl nrecs date time\
\* \-\-\-\-\-\-\-- \-\-\-\-\-\-\-- \-\-- \-\-- \-\-- \-\-\-\-- \-\-\-\--
\-\-\-- \-\-\--

TLC-L GETLOG OWN N/A . . 0 \.... \....

TLC-L WELCOME PRV OWN . . 0 \.... \....

\*

NOTEBOOK archives for the list(monthly notebook)

rec last change\
filename filetype GET PUT -fm lrecl nrecs date time Remarks\
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- \-\-\-\-\-\-\-- \-\-- \-\-- \-\-- \-\-\-\-- \-\-\-\--
\-\-\-- \-\-\-- \-\-\-\-\-\--

TLC-L LOG9507 ALL OWN V 73 23 95/07/31 22:34:32 Started

TLC-L LOG9508 ALL OWN V 78 173 95/08/24 11:43:54 Started

TLC-L LOG9509 ALL OWN V 79 384 95/09/25 12:51:13 Started

END/

Each entry in the FILELIST specifies the name of the file, its format
and size, a brief comment, and the identities of those users who can
store and retrieve, or PUT and GET, the file.

The GET command is used to request a file from a particular FILELIST. In
order to get the archive file for the month of July 1995 listed in the
above example, the following command would be issued:

**GET TLC-L LOG9507**

This would result in the archive file for the month of July 1995 being
sent to you by LISTSERV.

### Searching List Archives for Specific Terms or Topics

To search the archives of a specific list for one or more key terms, you
can use the SEARCH command:

**SEARCH *term1 \[term2 term3 etc.\]* in *listname***

For example, to search the archives for the NSBLOG list for references
to the term POWER OUTAGE, you would type:

**search power outage in nsblog**

LISTSERV will mail you back a response that will look something like
this:

\> SEARCH POWER OUTAGE IN NSBLOG

-\> 4 matches.

Item \# Date Time Recs Subject

\-\-\-\-\-- \-\-\-- \-\-\-- \-\-\-- \-\-\-\-\-\--

007482 97/03/16 14:48 60 Another power outage Sat evening

007491 97/03/18 10:52 39 B15F

007492 97/03/18 12:11 15 Power outages around campus today 4-5pm

007497 97/03/19 09:58 16 Building 31 B wing power on 3/22

To actually obtain a copy of the message, send the GETPOST command to
LISTSERV, substituting the item number(s) from LISTSERV's response to
your search (column 1):

**GETPOST *listname \#***

For example, to request the file with Subject "B15F" from the example
above, you would send the following command to LISTSERV:

**GETPOST NSBLOG 7491**

# FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

**[How can I become a list owner?]{.underline}**

> Any HHS employee can become a list owner by creating a list on our
> website. To create a list online, visit the [NIH LISTSERV Home
> Page](https://list.nih.gov/) at https://list.nih.gov, click \"For List
> Owners,\" then click \"Create a LISTSERV List.\"

**[I\'m a new list owner. How do I get started?]{.underline}**

> The first thing to do is create a LISTSERV password (see below). The
> password allows you to log onto LISTSERV\'s List Management Interface,
> from which you can administer your lists. Next, print out the [NIH
> LISTSERV List Owner\'s
> Guide](http://list.nih.gov/LISTSERV_WEB/LISTSERV_DOC/ownrsgde.doc),
> glance through it, and keep it handy for reference. When you\'re ready
> to start administering your list\--e.g., adding or deleting
> subscribers\--visit the [NIH LISTSERV Home
> Page](https://list.nih.gov/) at https://list.nih.gov and click
> \"MANAGE\" to access the List Management Interface.

**[How do I send mail to a list?]{.underline}**

> To send mail, or \"post,\" to a list, address your e-mail message to:
>
> listname@list.nih.gov
>
> where listname is the name of the list to which you\'re posting.

**[How do I create a password?]{.underline}**

> To create a LISTSERV password, visit the [NIH LISTSERV Home
> Page](https://list.nih.gov/), click \"For List Owners,\" then click
> \"Create a LISTSERV Password.\" Fill out the online form and submit
> it. LISTSERV will e-mail you a request for confirmation. Pop into your
> e-mail software, find and open the mail message from LISTSERV. Follow
> the instructions in the e-mail to confirm your password.
>
> When you create a LISTSERV password, LISTSERV asks you for an e-mail
> address. LISTSERV associates this address with the password. You can
> use any valid e-mail address when you create your LISTSERV password.
> However, make sure that the address you use exactly matches your owner
> address for your list, or LISTSERV will not let you log in to the list
> management page.

**[I\'ve forgotten my password.]{.underline}**

> No problem. Just repeat the procedure for creating a LISTSERV password
> (see previous question). This will overwrite the password you forgot.

**[How do I add a user to my list?]{.underline}**

> There are two ways:
>
> **Via e-mail.** Send e-mail to <listserv@list.nih.gov> with the
> following text in the message body:
>
> add listname user@host Firstname Lastname
>
> where where listname is the name of the list, user@host is the e-mail
> address of the user, and Firstname Lastname is the user\'s name. Be
> sure to spell the user\'s e-mail address correctly, or you\'ll be
> seeing error messages from LISTSERV.
>
> **Via the Web.** Go to the [NIH LISTSERV Home
> Page](https://list.nih.gov/) and click \"MANAGE\" to access the List
> Management Interface. Log in using your owner address and your
> LISTSERV password, select the desired list, then click the
> \"Subscribers\" button. Scroll down the page to the section marked,
> \"Add a new user to the list.\" Fill in the user\'s name and address
> in the following format:
>
> user@host Firstname Lastname
>
> where user@host is the user\'s e-mail address, and Firstname Lastname
> is the user\'s name. If you want the user to be notified, click the
> radio button labeled, \"Notify user\"; if not, click \"Do not notify
> the user in any way.\" Last, click the \"Add to \[listname\]\" button
> to add the user to the list.

**[How do I delete a user from my list?]{.underline}**

> There are two ways:
>
> **Via e-mail.** Send e-mail to <listserv@list.nih.gov> with the
> following text in the message body:
>
> delete listname userid@host
>
> where listname is the name of the list and userid@host is the e-mail
> address of the user. NOTE: do not include the user\'s name in the
> delete command, only their e-mail address.
>
> **Via the Web.** Go to the [NIH LISTSERV Home
> Page](https://list.nih.gov/) and click \"MANAGE\" to access the List
> Management Interface. Log in using your owner address and your
> LISTSERV password, select the desired list, then click the
> \"Subscribers\" button. In the top section of the page, marked,
> \"Examine or delete a subscription,\" fill in all or part of the name
> or address of the user you wish to delete, then click the \"Search in
> \[listname\]\" button. LISTSERV will search the subscriber list and,
> hopefully, find the subscription you\'re looking for. If you want the
> user to be notified, click the radio button labeled, \"Notify user\";
> if not, click \"Do not notify the user in any way.\" Click the
> \"Delete\" button to delete the user from the selected list; click the
> \"Delete from all lists\" button to delete the user from all lists
> that you own.

**[I\'m getting bounce messages for an address that is not subscribed to
my list.\
How do I fix this?]{.underline}**

> Sometimes a subscriber will set his/her subscribed address to be
> forwarded to a new address. Later, that new address becomes
> unreachable and starts generating bounced messages. This can be a
> difficult problem to resolve, because the bounced address that you see
> doesn\'t match any address on your subscriber list.
>
> Your best bet for solving the problem is to do some detective work.
> You can use the SCAN command to try to identify the subscribed
> address. If the bounced message contains the user\'s name, scan for
> part or all of it. Sometimes the userID (the part of the e-mail
> address to the left of the @ sign) remains the same from one address
> to another; you can try scanning for that. If you can identify a name
> in the userID, try scanning for that.
>
> To use the SCAN command, send e-mail to <listserv@list.nih.gov> with
> the following text in the message body:
>
> scan listname searchstring
>
> If all else fails, turn on the \"Hands-Free Bounce Processing\"
> feature for your list and let LISTSERV find and eliminate the bad
> address for you. For details on turning on this feature, please see
> <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8d/owner/owner.html#4.9.2>.

**[How can I print out my list of subscribers?]{.underline}**

> While you can view your list of subscribers on the LISTSERV List
> Management Web Interface, there is no way you can print out the whole
> thing from the Web. To print or save a copy of your subscriber list,
> use the REVIEW command. Send e-mail to <listserv@list.nih.gov> with
> the following text in the message body:
>
> review listname noheader
>
> where listname is the name of the list. LISTSERV will send you a copy
> of the list of subscribers by return e-mail. You can then save it,
> print it, etc.
>
> To have the subscriber list sorted by name, type the command as
> follows:
>
> review listname noheader by name

**[How do I delete a list?]{.underline}**

> Point your web browser at the [LISTSERV Home
> Page](http://list.nih.gov/) and click \"For List Owners,\" then click
> \"Delete a List.\" Fill in the online form and press the \"Submit\"
> button. Be sure and check your e-mail for a request for confirmation.
> You must reply to the request in order for your list to be deleted.

**[I don\'t see my list on the List of Lists.]{.underline}**

Is your list brand new? If so, it won\'t appear on the website until the
day after you create the list. However, if your list was created
properly, you should be able to see it via the List Management Interface
(see \"I\'m a new list owner,\" above).

> If your list is not new, there are a couple of possibilities. Does
> your list have archiving turned off? Lists without archives do not
> appear on the website. If you have such a list, you will have to
> administer the list using e-mailed commands. Likewise, users will have
> to subscribe, unsubscribe, and post to the list via e-mail; they will
> not have the option of doing so on the website.
>
> If list archiving is turned on, the most likely explanation is that
> the list is confidential. Confidential lists do not appear on the List
> of Lists. To access the web pages for a confidential list, click the
> \"Access unlisted lists\" link just under the alpha index on the [List
> of Lists](https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/show_list_archives). Type the
> list name in the \"List name:\" field and click the Go button.
>
> Still can\'t see your list? Check to make sure you spelled the list
> name correctly. If all else fails, contact the [LISTSERV
> Administrators](mailto:listmaster@list.nih.gov) at
> listmaster@list.nih.gov.

**[I can\'t log in to the list management page.]{.underline}**

> When using the List Management Web Interface, LISTSERV checks your
> login address against the list owner e-mail addresses in its records.
> When entering the list management area, the names of lists you \"own\"
> under the login address are displayed. You may find that some of the
> lists you own are not displayed; or, if LISTSERV finds no matches,
> that you cannot access the list management area at all.
>
> If you\'ve run into this problem, your login address doesn\'t match
> your owner address for the list. This is a common problem, especially
> at NIH, where most users have more than one valid e-mail address. Try
> logging on using another valid e-mail address (you may have to create
> a LISTSERV password for the new address). If your list has just been
> set up, your e-mail address may have been mistyped on the online
> application form, or you may have registered a forwarding address
> (such as Jane_User@nih.gov) with LISTSERV, rather than your *actual*
> e-mail address. If you have a list co-owner, he or she may be able to
> log on and ascertain your owner address. You can then log into the
> website using that address (again, you may have to create a password
> for the address).
>
> If all fails, contact the LISTSERV Administrators at
> <listmaster@list.nih.gov>.

**[I don\'t see my list on the list management page.]{.underline}**

> See the previous question.

**[How can I change where replies to list mail are sent?]{.underline}**

> To direct replies to the sender, change the REPLY-TO keyword in the
> list header to SENDER,RESPECT instead of LIST,RESPECT. To direct
> replies to the whole list, change the REPLY-TO keyword to LIST,RESPECT
> instead of SENDER,RESPECT. See Editing the List Header,
> p. [22](#editing-the-list-header), for details on how to modify the
> list header, and Changing Where Replies Are Sent, p. 
> [24](#changing-where-replies-are-sent), for specifics on changing this
> keyword in the list header.

**[How do I change an owner address for my list?]{.underline}**

> To change, add, or delete an owner address, you must modify the list
> header. For detailed instructions, please see Editing the List Header,
> p. [22](#editing-the-list-header). For further information on changing
> an owner address, see Changing Owner Addresses for Your List,
> p. [23](#changing-owner-addresses-for-your-list).
>
> If your address is the one that\'s changing, and you know what your
> new address will be, it\'s a good idea to add it as a second owner
> address in the list header before your address changes. That prevents
> you from losing access to the list when the change occurs. Once your
> old address goes away, be sure to remove it from the list header to
> avoid generating bounce messages to the LISTSERV Administrators. You
> will need to create a password for the new address.

[]{#address_change .anchor}**[My e-mail address has changed, and now I
can\'t access the list management page.]{.underline}**

> If you have a valid LISTSERV password for your old address, log in to
> the List Management page with your old address and add the new address
> to the list header (see previous question). Then create a password for
> your new address, and you should be good to go. Alternatively, if you
> have a co-owner whose address is still valid, have him or her add your
> new address to the owner definitions in the list header, then create a
> password for your new address.

**[LISTSERV sent me an error message I don\'t understand.]{.underline}**

> The quickest way to get help with an error message is to forward a
> copy to the LISTSERV Administrators at <listmaster@list.nih.gov>. Type
> a brief note of explanation at the beginning of the message.

**[I just set up a new list and sent a test message. Why didn\'t I
receive a copy?]{.underline}**

> LISTSERV doesn\'t assume that the list owner wants to receive list
> mail. To receive list mail, you must subscribe to the list.

**[I\'m a list editor, but LISTSERV won\'t let me approve any
messages.]{.underline}**

> If your editor address in the list header doesn\'t exactly match the
> \"From:\" address in your outgoing e-mail, LISTSERV won\'t
> \"recognize\" you when you try to approve a posting. You\'ll need to
> have the list owner modify the editor address in the list header so
> that it exactly matches the \"From:\" address in your outgoing e-mail.
> If you are the list owner as well as the list editor, you can make the
> change yourself.

**[My list is suddenly being flooded with mail. How do I stop
it?]{.underline}**

> If your list volume does a sudden and obvious jump\--especially if you
> see multiple copies of the same message\--you may have a mail loop.
> Putting the list on HOLD causes all list mail to be held by LISTSERV,
> giving you time to get help. To hold the list, log in to the List
> Management page using your owner address for the list, click the
> \"Command\" button, and type the following command:
>
> hold listname pw=password
>
> Fill in your list name and password, of course! Then contact the NIH
> LISTSERV Administrators at <listmaster@list.nih.gov> for assistance as
> soon as possible. When you\'re ready, restart mail to the list with
> the FREE command:
>
> free listname pw=password

**[My list is receiving \"out of office\" messages. It\'s
annoying.]{.underline}**

> \"Out of office\" messages (a.k.a. vacation messages) are automated
> replies sent in response to incoming mail, usually by a user\'s e-mail
> client software. Not only are they annoying when sent to a LISTSERV
> list, but they are also a potential cause of mail loops.
>
> \"Smart\" e-mail clients send the automated reply exactly once to each
> sender. \"Dumb\" e-mail clients, however, send out an automated reply
> to every single incoming e-mail message. If the \"dumb\" client also
> directs the reply to a LISTSERV list, or the reply bounces to the
> LISTSERV machine, a mail loop can result. This scenario is more likely
> if your list has many non-NIH subscribers, since most NIH employees
> use \"smart\" e-mail clients such as MS Outlook.
>
> To prevent this problem, educate your (non-Outlook) subscribers to
> create a rule that excludes LISTSERV lists from the automated reply.
> The subscriber may need to consult with his/her e-mail administrator,
> or with technical support for the e-mail software, to find out how.

**[The message got through to the list, but the attachments
didn\'t.]{.underline}**

> This is a problem that we see occasionally with the Microsoft Outlook
> e-mail client. For some reason\--and only for some users\--Outlook
> sends the attachments in a proprietary Microsoft format called
> MS-TNEF. This causes LISTSERV to strip off the attachments.
>
> Adding the following line to the list header prevents the attachments
> from being stripped:
>
> Language = Exchange
>
> However, this represents a trade-off. The attachments will be visible
> in the list mail but, unfortunately, they will not be readable in the
> list archives. To date, neither we nor the experts at L-Soft have
> found a perfect solution for the problem.

**[I sent an e-mail message to several LISTSERV lists at once, but I
only got one copy. I\'m subscribed to all of the lists. What
happened?]{.underline}**

> Chances are that you\'re seeing the effect of a recent change in how
> the NIH Microsoft Exchange system processes e-mail. Microsoft recently
> added a filter designed to detect and eliminate \"duplicate\"
> messages. Here\'s how it makes your messages seem to disappear:
>
> An e-mail message is posted to several lists simultaneously. Joe is
> subscribed to several of the lists, and has an NIH Exchange account.
> Since Joe is subscribed to several of the lists, LISTSERV addresses
> several copies of the message to Joe, which are received by the NIH
> Exchange server. Since all the copies originated from the same
> message, they have the same Message ID (a unique identifier that is
> assigned to the message by the originator\'s e-mail software or e-mail
> server). The Exchange server \"sees\" these as duplicate copies, and
> forwards only the first one to Joe, discarding the rest. From the
> point of the Exchange server, this eliminates unnecessary load.
> Unfortunately, if you\'re the person \"expecting\" several copies of
> the message in order to verify that it went out properly, it can be
> unnerving.
>
> This effect may be visible to recipients of list mail who use MS
> Outlook or MS Exchange e-mail clients, or an e-mail client (such as
> IMAP) that uses the NIH Exchange Hub as its mail server. Other mail
> systems may perform the same sort of duplicate elimination, although
> we are not aware of any at NIH that do. To make sure that the message
> actually reached all the lists to which it was sent, check the list
> archives.
>
> Finally, it\'s worth noting that not all mail systems assign
> message-IDs to messages they send. So some duplicate messages from
> multiple lists (i.e., those sent from mail systems that don\'t assign
> message-IDs) may still appear in Exchange.

**[We\'ve been getting some inappropriate messages lately. How can I
control what gets posted to the list?]{.underline}**

> The best way to monitor all postings to your list is to set up a list
> editor. The editor can be the list owner or any designated individual.
> To make your list an edited list, modify your list header to include
> the following keywords:
>
> Send= Editor,Hold,Confirm\
> Editor= user@host
>
> where user@host is a designated editor other than the owner. LISTSERV
> will send all postings to the editor for approval before posting them
> to the list. For detailed instructions on modifying the list header,
> please see Editing the List Header, p. [22](#editing-the-list-header).
>
> If the inappropriate postings are all coming from one individual, you
> have a couple of choices. From the List Management screen, click the
> \"Subscribers\" button to access the Account Management screen.
> Examine the subscription for the problematic user and select one of
> the following options (under miscellaneous), then click \"Update\":

-   User may not post to list

-   All postings sent to list owner for review

**[Is there a way to send secure e-mail to my list? What if I post to
the list from the LISTSERV website using a secure
connection?]{.underline}**

> E-mail is inherently insecure because it is sent as clear text over
> the network, and thus is vulnerable to hackers, although the
> likelihood of someone hacking your particular message is small. It is
> true that you can link to our website using a secure browser
> connection, and even post a message to a list from there.
> Unfortunately, however, once LISTSERV releases the message to the
> network for distribution, it is no longer secure.
>
> E-mail can be sent securely on a one-to-one basis using encryption,
> provided that both sender and recipient are set up to use encryption
> technology. Unfortunately, e-mail lists, due to their \"one-to-many\"
> nature, cannot accommodate public-key infrastructure (PKI) technology,
> which is the basis of current encryption schemes. In short, you can
> send an encrypted message to a LISTSERV list; but by the time it
> arrives, either it will be unreadable to the recipients, or it will no
> longer be secure.
>
> In terms of privacy, e-mail in general is risky, and e-mail lists add
> an additional element of risk. You may not know who is subscribed to
> the list or who is browsing the list archives, or who may browse them
> later. Further, you cannot know what the recipients of your message
> will do with it. This is true of non-list mail as well, but\'s it\'s
> more of a risk when many recipients are involved, especially if you
> don\'t know them. In short, your message could end up in the hands of
> someone you didn\'t intend to see it. Your best bet is to keep all of
> this in mind and be careful what you send.

**[I have a question you didn\'t answer here. Where can I get more
help?]{.underline}**

**You can e-mail the NIH LISTSERV Administrators at
<listmaster@list.nih.gov>.**