Often, links to journal articles and helpful Web sites are posted. Some mailing lists are open to anyone with an interest to join. Some lists have an individual who must manually add subscribers, after providing proof of membership in an organization. Limiting access allows members the privacy to discuss issues that may not be appropriate for all audiences. Moderated lists have a list owner or moderator who personally reviews every message submitted to the list and posts only those messages that are on the topic.
Many lists have a list owner or administrator but remain un-moderated.
Largely populated lists can produce dozens of messages per day and require many hours of manual posting for the list owner. Netiquette Lurking - When a new member subscribes to a mailing list, lurking is the first activity to undertake. Lurking is the act of reading the mailing list emails without posting any communication. It does not have a negative connotation in this setting. Personal insults, profanity and rude behavior may get you tossed off the mailing list.