This article contains information about Basic process, Commands, and Examples for new list owners list management and how to send messages to their list.
Managing Your List
List Management Commands (not the messages to subscribers):
*Please note that sending commands to the Listserv for managing your list are not the same as sending messages to the subscribers of your list. You can use a simple plain text email application like Pine in Linux or Unix or if you are using Microsoft Windows or Mac OS with Outlook, you must go to the top menu bar, select the Format Text tab, and change to the "Plain Text" setting for command emails.
Sending a command email to listserv@listserv.cc.ucf.edu for your list while the Outlook Format Text tab is set to HTML or Rich Text will populate your list with useless subscriber syntax lines that will fail when sending messages to your list. This oversight of not changing to Plain Text format will all require you to perform line by line cleanup to remove the erroneous entries.
3 Most Common commands for managing a Listserv list.
*This example is using a list named COMALL. Replace COMALL with the name of your list. Again, commands to Listserv for managing a list are not the same as sending a message to your list(s). You manage your list with commands sent to Listserv@listserv.cc.ucf.edu and you send messages to your subscribers at YOURLISTNAME@listserv.cc.ucf.edu .
I. Your three primary command lines: ADD,DEL& REVIEW.
Multiple commands can be in the same e-mail to: listserv@listserv.cc.ucf.edu , but each command must be on a separate line.
1. REVIEW the list of subscribers. Listserv will send you a reply with the output of the subscribers to the list(s):
review [listname] *Don’t include the brackets!
2. ADD (verbose or quiet):
add [listname] [subscriber e-mail address] [firstname] [lastname] *Don’t include the brackets!
Or quiet add [listname] [subscriber e-mail address] [firstname] [lastname] *Don’t include the brackets!
3. DELETE (verbose or quiet): *Do NOT include first & last name after email with DEL command or it will fail!
del [listname] [subscriber e-mail address] *Best to do a Review command 1st and then Cut & Paste info.
quiet del [listname] [e-mail address] *Don’t include the brackets!
II. Example of: ADD, DEL, & REVIEW of Subscribers Listserv commands in one message to do multiple tasks.
*Note, you must set the Outlook Format Text tab to Plain Text or you will add bad lines, regret it, and will have to clean up the bad entries since Listserv will ignore them.)
Example of Format:
To: listserv@listserv.cc.ucf.edu
Subject: *Leave Subject: line EMPTY For Commands to Listserv server.
add COMALL rob.traub@ucf.edu Rob Traub
quiet add COMALL rob.traub@gmail.com Rob Traub
review COMALL
Send! *Make sure you removed everything after the last command line; no signature blocks.
Screenshot of Actual Listserv command email:
Screen Capture of ADD Subscriber process for a list named PHYSICSCOLLOQUIUM:
III. Caveats:
1. With Outlook 2010 - 2016, before sending a command, go to the “Format Text” tab and change to “Plain Text”. “HTML” and “Rich Text” will add characters to the command and also double enter the subscriber’s e-mail address and cause the entries to be useless and ignored by listserv. Will require even more time to remove bad entries!
2. The list name for commands should be the name of the list and not the complete address of your list.
Example: add COMALL rob.traub@ucf.edu Robert Traub
3. Verbose vs. quiet, if you just do ADD or DEL, the subscriber will get a confirmation e-mail. Start the command with QUIET and they will not get an e-mail.
Example: quiet add COMALL rob.traub@ucf.edu Robert Traub
4. There is one space required between each argument.
5. You can hit return after each line and do multiple ADD and DEL all in one e-mail to the list.
6. Send commands to: listserv@listserv.cc.ucf.edu and do not enter a subject. Also make sure nothing else is in the body of the message like signature block, etc.
7. When you have the list built, you would then send mass messages to your list e-mail address: COMALL@listserv.cc.ucf.edu .
8. Only the commands to Listserv (ADD, DEL, REVIEW) need to be in Plain Text. Messages to your list can be HTML, Rich Text, or Plain Text.
9. Lastly, if you are an Owner of a list, please add yourself to the list so you will receive a copy of the messages.
This covers most of the things you need to know for managing you list’s subscribers and sending messages to your list via email.
Thanks,
Rob