academics + email lists

[tobias v <tobias@xxxxxxxxx>]

-- why is it that academics have the most
difficult time with understanding simple
things such as email lists? I just joined
my department's listserv here at McGill,
and the intro uses such complicated
metaphorical explanations of the process
that it makes D+G on rhizomatic distribution
sound much more simple:

"To send  a message to  all the people  currently subscribed to  the list,
just send mail  to AHCSNET@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx This is  called "sending mail
to the  list," because  you send  mail to a  single address  and LISTSERV
makes  copies  for all  the  people  who  have subscribed.  This  address
(AHCSNET@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)  is also  called the  "list address."  You must
never try to send any command to that address, as it would be distributed
to all the people  who have subscribed. All commands must  be sent to the
"LISTSERV  address," LISTSERV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  It is  very important  to
understand  the difference  between the  two, but  fortunately it  is not
complicated. The LISTSERV address is like  a FAX number that connects you
to  a machine,  whereas the  list  address is  like a  normal voice  line
connecting you to a person. If you make a mistake and dial the FAX number
when you wanted to talk to someone on the phone, you will quickly realize
that you  used the wrong  number and call again.  No harm will  have been
done. If on the other hand  you accidentally make your FAX call someone's
voice  line,  the  person  receiving the  call  will  be  inconvenienced,
especially if your FAX then re-dials  every 5 minutes. The fact that most
people will eventually connect the FAX machine to the voice line to allow
the FAX  to go through  and make  the calls stop  does not mean  that you
should continue to send FAXes to  the voice number. People would just get
mad at you.  It works pretty much  the same way with  mailing lists, with
the difference  that you are calling  hundreds or thousands of  people at
the same  time, and consequently  you can expect a  lot of people  to get
upset if you consistently send commands to the list address."

tobias c. van Veen -----------
http://www.shrumtribe.com
http://www.targetcircuitry.com
------------- tobias@xxxxxxxxx
---McGill Communications------

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