A mailing list is a way to share information via electronic mail with many people, usually on a specific topic or for a specific purpose.
People choose to be part of a mailing list by subscribing to the list.
The single, central e-mail address for the list is also referred to as a mail reflector. Because mailing lists have their origins in the academic community, many mailing lists address academic and research oriented topics. However, many mailing lists exist for non-academic topics as well. Managing a mailing list can be a lot of work - for example, keeping track of all the messages that are received and sent, and keeping track of who subscribes to the list and who quits. Frequently, software is used that automates the management of these mailing list functions.