What is a Mailing List?

For the purpose of this explanation, "mailing list" refers to Internet, Usenet or World Wide Web-based electronic mailing lists.

A mailing list is simply a method of electronic mail transfer where email is distributed to a set list of recipients from a central point. Other terms you might hear to describe a mailing list are: distribution list, reflector, broadcast list and more recently, opt-in list. A mailing list is not dependent on frequency - it may have hundreds of messages sent each day or have as few as one mailing per month (or less). Many lists offer a digest format in addition to the regular distribution, which is a bundling of many messages into one, distributed at a pre-set interval, often once a day. This is a useful feature for high volume lists.

There are two types of lists: discussion and announcement. Discussion lists are interactive and allow exchange between list members. Announcement lists are one-way only, used to distribute news, information, humour, top-ten lists, essays, merchandise price lists (or whatever topic represents the purpose for which the list was created).

What is the FTMTECH-L Discussion List?

This list is hosted on a Lyris List Manager mailing list manager, provided by Genealogy.com and administered by its technical support department. As guests on this server, a level of decorum will be enforced on this list. Please keep discussion civil and constructive, and take heated discussions and non-constructive comments off the list. Failure to do so will result in the subscribers' posting privileges being revoked by the list administrator for a "cooling off period."

To send a message to the listowner, use the address:
FTMTECH-L-owner@lyris.genealogy.com.

Please feel free to contact the listowner with questions regarding the FTMTECH-L Discussion List or if you experience any problems with the server.

Just so that you have all the commands neatly contained in one place, here is just about everything you will need to know. Note that the list is running on a Lyris List Manager; this is a very new (and VERY NICE!) server, so be aware that the commands might be different from those that you are used to using on other list managers. (For more information on Lyris List Manager, see http://www.lyris.com/.)

1. First of all, almost everything that you might need to do on the server is most easily and effectively performed via its web interface at http://lyris.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=ftmtech-l.

2. In case you do not have Web access, here are some key commands; in all cases, the default server address is lyris@lyris.genealogy.com. Other addresses are shown where appropriate. Note: Commands may be placed in either the subject line or in the body of the message:

SUBSCRIBING:
subscribe FTMTECH-L your_name
join FTMTECH-L your_name
alternate address: join-FTMTECH-L@lyris.genealogy.com

UNSUBSCRIBING:
unsubscribe FTMTECH-L
leave FTMTECH-L
alternate address: leave-FTMTECH-L@lyris.genealogy.com

SETTING MEMBERSHIP TO DIGEST MODE:
set FTMTECH-L digest

SETTING MEMBERSHIP TO INDEX MODE:
set FTMTECH-L index

SETTING MEMBERSHIP TO DISCUSSION MODE:
set FTMTECH-L mail

TEMPORARILY SUSPENDING MAIL FROM THE LIST:
set FTMTECH-L nomail

RESUMING MAIL FROM THE LIST: (command depends on your preferred mode)
set FTMTECH-L mail
set FTMTECH-L digest
set FTMTECH-L index

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
set FTMTECH-L ack
(sends you a confirmation message when your posts are distributed)
set FTMTECH-L noack
(no confirmation message when posts are distributed)

RECEIVING COPIES OF YOUR OWN POSTS:
set FTMTECH-L repro
(receive copies of your own posts)
set FTMTECH-L norepro
(do not receive copies of your own posts)

CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD:
set FTMTECH-L oldpw=oldpassword pw=newpassword
(where "oldpassword" is your existing password and "newpassword" is the new password you wish to set)

DETERMINING YOUR MEMBERSHIP SETTINGS:
query FTMTECH-L

RETRIEVING THE CURRENT VERSION OF THIS DOCUMENT:
get FTMTECH-L hello

MORE INFORMATION ON LYRIS LIST MANAGER'S COMMANDS:
http://www.lyris.com/help/

POSTING TO THE LIST: You must be a subscriber to post messages. Sending mail to this address will distribute it to all the members of the mailing list:
FTMTECH-L@lyris.genealogy.com

3. CHANGING YOUR SETTINGS/ADDRESS VIA THE WEB INTERFACE: To do this, go to http://lyris.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=ftmtech-l. You'll need to enter your e-mail address and password and click "Click here to enter FTMTECH-L" to continue. Then click the link to change "Your Settings."

(If you've forgotten your password, you can type in your e-mail address in the field at the bottom of the page and click "Get password" to request Lyris List Manager to e-mail your password to you.)

At the following page, you can read messages, post a message, adjust your settings, or unsubscribe. From the settings page you can change your status (MAIL, DIGEST, INDEX, or NOMAIL), choose whether or not to see your own messages, or choose whether or not you want to receive a separate acknowledgment via e-mail when one of your messages is posted to the list. You can also change your e-mail address if you need to. When you change your settings, make sure you click the "Save" button at the bottom of the page.

4. ARCHIVES: The FTMTECH-L archives are available on the Web, at the following URL:
http://lyris.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=ftmtech-l

5. BOUNCED MAIL: One of the key features of Lyris List Manager is its ability to handle mail bounces transparently to the list owner; as such, bounced mail will be handled primarily by the Lyris List Manager.

6. EMPTY SUBJECT/BODY: Messages with *either* blank Subject: lines or blank Body: sections will be rejected by the server (you will receive a "rejection notice" when this happens).

7. POSTS/REPLIES FROM DIGEST USERS: You *must* change the Subject: line when replying to a digest; all posts with "Re: ftmtech-l digest" in the Subject: line will be rejected by the server (you will receive a "rejection letter" when this happens).

8. ATTACHMENTS/MESSAGES IN HTML: To prevent the spreading of viruses, the server will reject any message that contains an attachment. Also, the server will reject messages composed in HTML. In both cases you will receive a "rejection notice" with additional information.

9. FILTERING FTMTECH-L MESSAGES: You may find it easier to separate the incoming mail from the FTMTECH-L list from the rest of you incoming mail. Most email clients have the option to create filters or rules to do this. You may want to consider creating a folder (called something like FTMTECH-L) and then create a filter that checks the "To:" line of every incoming message for "FTMTECH-L@lyris.genealogy.com" (don't use the quotation marks when setting up the filter) and then moves the message to the FTMTECH-L folder you set up.

10. PROBLEMS: If you have ANY problems related to the FTMTECH-L Discussion List, *please* do not post them to the list. The listowner is at your disposal for this very purpose; please avail yourself of the resource:

To send a message to the listowner, use the address FTMTECH-L-owner@lyris.genealogy.com.

If you have any questions about the list or the Lyris List Manager, feel free to contact me. (NOTE: Please be sure to state in your message which list you are referring/subscribed to. Thanks!)

Tips on composing messages for FTMTECH-L

1. List readers are not clairvoyant, the only details they have to work on are those you supply. Try to include the following:
   1. Computer
      1. Amount of free hard drive space
      2. Amount of memory
   2. Family Tree Maker
      1. Version
      2. Upgrades, if any
   3. Your Family File
      1. File size (bytes)
      2. Number of individuals
         Find out both pieces of information in Family Tree Maker by choosing About Family Tree Maker from the Help menu.
   4. What were you doing when the problem occurred?
   5. What error messages, etc. were given? (Press the Details button if you see one for accurate and complete error messages).
   6. What have you done to try to fix the problem?
   7. What happens when the error occurs?
      Does the computer freeze or the program close, etc.
2. Keep the message on topic. If you have points to make that are not related to the problem, send them in a separate message.
   If you have more then one problem and the others are not related to the main problem, write them in a separate message. For example; sending a Family Group Sheet as an attachment to e-mail and accessing Genealogy Library are not related. If you put them in one message a reader may respond to one and forget the other. Don't ask for help and include all your complaints.
3. Try to make the subject fit the problem.
   If you subscribe in the digest mode, make the subject of yoiur reply that same as the subject of the message you are replying to. Replying to a digest and leaving the subject as "Digest number such and such" tells nothing about the real subject of your message. Once a subject is established it usually should not be changed, doing so will break the thread.
4. Don't address your message to a specific person if you are asking for an answer from anyone who reads it.
5. Read your message before you post it and try to see it from the readers point.

Help on some shorthand terms you may see

C = Ctrl or Control
A = Alt or Alternate
S = Shift

Thus "CAS + Left Arrow" means to press Ctrl + Alt + Shift and the key(s) that follow the plus sign, in this example the Left Arrow key at the bottom of most keyboards.