E-MAIL Discussion Groups

Here are some hints on how to make friends, not enemies, when sending messages to the LINCS listserv. They will help keep the group user-friendly for everyone.

Think before your press "REPLY". Remember that when you press "reply" to a listserv message, you are sending your message to the entire listserv, not just to the author. To reply just to the author, address your email to the individual's personal e-mail address.

Use descriptive titles in the subject line.

Be brief. As you know, legislative information and communication staff uphold busy schedules and may not have time to read your version of War and Peace. Also, the computer police like small emails because they take up less space.

Include your name and your e-mail address. This will enable someone to respond directly to you, instead of the entire listserv.

When responding to a posting, summarize the message to which you are responding in the first part of your message.

Please be considerate of others. For example: do not SHOUT (e.g. using ALL CAPS) at people; do not post message correcting someone else's slepping or grammer; be careful with humor and sarcasm as e-mail is easily misinterpreted. In short, remember the golden rule.

Proofread your message. Once a message is sent, it can't be retrived. So, make sure you proofread it before pressing "send".

Be patient. There is a learning curve for people who have not used a mailing list before. If you want to post a response to an error, send them a message using their personal e-mail address. Do not post your response to their error to the entire listserv.

Most importantly...never forget that you are communicating with human beings, not computers.