Real Mailing Lists

Useful as the above techniques are, they suffice only for simple uses, and are not adequate for anything that we would call an actual "mailing list." A proper mailing list requires mailing list software, which runs on the server and handles mailing list tasks automatically. Recipients must be able to join and leave the list at will, and there must be a way to prevent unauthorized users from posting to the list.

The most popular mailing list packages are Majordomo and Listserv. Lyris is another good one. All of these can automatically handle the ongoing business of adding new members, and removing those who wish to leave. Once you learn to use the more advanced features, you can do quite a lot of sophisticated and very useful things. If you're serious about having a mailing list, be sure someone on your team takes the time to learn your mailing list software thoroughly. All these products are very complex, and the value of your mailing list can be vastly increased if you use the advanced features correctly.

There are basically two kinds of mailing lists: announcement lists and discussion lists. An announcement list is set up so that only the list owner can send messages to the list. It's appropriate for things like sending out press releases, new product announcements, or announcements of new content on your Web site. Announcement lists are pretty simple, and require little maintenance. You simply send out a message whenever you please. Since the mailing list software is set up so that it isn't possible for anyone other than yourself to send to the list, the potential for problems is small.

A discussion list is one which allows anyone to send messages to the list. It is appropriate when you want to encourage an open, ongoing discussion on a particular topic. A discussion mailing list is conceptually the same thing as a Usenet Newsgroup, but in a way it's more convenient, because the user doesn't have to download the messages - they show up in your mailbox, to be read or discarded as you please.

Like anything that's open to the public, a discussion list requires a good bit of ongoing maintenance. The best and most useful lists are those that have a good list administrator, who makes sure that things keep running smoothly, and that the "signal-to-noise ratio" stays favorable.

Alias Smith and Jones
Email-based Public Relations, or Mailing Lists for Web Sites
The Life Cycle of a Discussion List