JEK@NIHCU (James Kiefer) (02/08/90)
ON THE MECHANICS OF SIGNING OFF AND SENDING OTHER MESSAGES:
It appears that some listmembers are confused about the proper
address to send certain kinds of messages to, both signing off the
list and other messages.
***** ***** *****
Messages intended to be read by listmembers (humans) should be sent
to CHRISTIA@FINHUTC.
Messages intended to be read by the listserver (a computer) should
be sent to LISTSERV@FINHUTC.
Thus, for example, you subscribe to the list by sending the message
SUB CHRISTIA to LISTSERV@FINHUTC.
You cancel your subscription by sending the message SIGNOFF CHRISTIA
to LISTSERV@FINHUTC.
You obtain an index to the Archives (every posting since last
August) by sending the message INDEX CHRISTIA to LISTSERV@FINHUTC.
You then ask for a given posting (say the thousandth) by sending the
message GET CHRISTIA 89-01000 to LISTSERV@FINHUTC.
(NOTE: you need not be a CHRISTIA subscriber to send for the index
or the individual postings. Therefore, If you are signing off
because you feel that the postings contain too much chaff and not
enough wheat, you can still access some of the wheat by getting the
index once a month and looking for promising titles.)
(NOTE: If you think your postings are wheat, help consumers to find
them in the index by choosing your Subject line carefully. Include
your name or initials, which will not otherwise appear, and some
indication of what your post is about.)
You obtain an index to the Library (a separate collection of
postings) by sending the message INDEX CHRISTIA to LISTSERV@UCF1VM.
In all the above messages, do not include extra material, such as
your name or ID. The computer will obtain these from the BITNET
machinery.
***** ***** *****
Now about messages intended to be read by humans.
SAMPLE: I have had a beautiful experience that I want to share with
all of you.
(Send to CHRISTIA@FINHUTC.)
SAMPLE: James, your postings are long-winded, boring, and
irrelevant.
(Send this off-list, privately, to me personally <JEK@NIHCU>.
Rebuking an erring brother is something that should be done in
private. He is more likely to listen, the list is less likely to be
drawn into a quarrel, and you are less likely to be guilty of
violating Matthew 18:15ff.)
SAMPLE: James, in your last posting, you called Jesse the son of
Boaz. This was a mistake. The Bible plainly calls him the son of
Obed, who was the son of Boaz (Ruth 4:18-22).
(Send this to to CHRISTIA@FINHUTC. Otherwise the whole list
might end up confused about the genealogy of Jesse. They must be set
straight!)
SAMPLE: James, you are a toad!
(Send this to LISTSERV@FINHUTC. The computer will be unable to
read it, I will never see it and so my feelings will not be hurt,
you will feel better for having gotten it off your chest, and
everybody wins.)
Yours,
James Kiefer