These various list processor programs all work in pretty much the same way. Once subscribed, they will receive conference postings via electronic mail. They respond to the conference, or initiate their own postings, also by electronic mail. Conference postings are sent to the conference itself. These topics will not be covered in this simple introduction.
Some conferences focus on academic subjects and others on hobbies or special interests.
Some conferences are public and others are private. Some conferences are open and others are moderated. Some conferences generate at most a few postings per week while others generate dozens of postings each day. A number of these catalogs exist, some focusing on specific subject areas. Many of these catalogs are stored on the Penn State Internet Information disk.