🚀 go-pugleaf

I have recently received quite a few messages asking me to "UN-
SUBSCRIBE" people from the listserv. This is intended to address
those and other issues. If you are using the newsgroup version of
MSSQL-L (bit.databases.mssql-l), you can ignore this FAQ.

Please only send me a message after you have read this, tried to
signoff and are still having problems.  Just so you know,
sometimes you will be unable to signoff from the list even after
you follow all steps listed here.  Most of the time, this can be
attributed to slight changes in your e-mail system that you may
not be aware of, such as a new gateway. In that case, you will
have to send e-mail to me, asking me to  remove you from the
list.  Please address these requests to "eder@dukefsb.bitnet"or
"EDER%DUKEFSB.BITNET@SYSA.ADM.DUKE.EDU" (depending on your
gateway).  To make it obvious to me, use the subject "Please
remove me from MSSQL-L".

Please  save this  message  for future  reference, especially  if 
you are  not  familiar with LISTSERV. This might look like  a
waste of disk space now, but in  6 months you will be glad you 
saved this information when you realize that you  cannot 
remember what are the lists you  are subscribed  to, or  what is 
the command to leave the list to avoid filling up  your mailbox
while you  are on  vacations. In fact, you should create  a new 
mail  folder for  subscription  confirmation messages  like this
one, and  for the "welcome messages"  from the  list owners that 
you are will occasionally receive after  subscribing to a new 
list.

To send a message to all the people currently subscribed to the
list, just send  mail  to "MSSQL-L@DUKEFSB.BITNET" or "MSSQL-
L%DUKEFSB.BITNET@SYSA.ADM.DUKE.EDU".  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  (MSSQL-L@DUKEFSB.BITNET or "MSSQL-
L%DUKEFSB.BITNET@SYSA.ADM.DUKE.EDU") 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@DUKEFSB.BITNET or
"LISTSERV%DUKEFSB.BITNET@SYSA.ADM.DUKE.EDU". 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, and  the list  address  is like  a normal 
phone line.  If you  make your  FAX call  someone's  regular
phone  number by mistake, it  will be an unpleasant  experience
for him  but  you will  probably be  excused the  first time.  If
you  do it  regularly,  however, he will probably  get upset and
send you a nasty  complaint. It is the  same with mailing  lists,
with the difference that you  are calling hundreds or  thousands
of people at  the same time, so a lot more people  get annoyed if
you  use the wrong number.

You may leave  the list at any  time by sending a "SIGNOFF 
MSSQL-L" command to  LISTSERV@DUKEFSB.BITNET or
"LISTSERV%DUKEFSB.BITNET@SYSA.ADM.DUKE.EDU". You can also tell
LISTSERV  how you want it to confirm  the receipt of messages 
you send to the list. If you do not trust the system,  send a
"SET  MSSQL-L REPRO" command and  LISTSERV will send you a  copy
of your  own messages, so that you can see  that the message was
distributed and did not  get  damaged on  the way.  After a 
while  you may  find that  this is  getting  annoying, especially
if your mail program does not tell you that the message is  from
you  when it informs you  that new mail  has arrived from
MSSQL-L.  If you  send  a "SET  MSSQL-L ACK  NOREPRO"  command,
LISTSERV  will mail  you a  short  acknowledgement instead, which 
will look different in  your mailbox directory.  With  most  
mail  programs  you  will   know  immediately  that  this   is 
an  acknowledgement you can read later.  Finally, you can turn
off acknowledgements  completely with "SET MSSQL-L NOACK
NOREPRO". 

Contributions sent to this list are  automatically archived. You
can get a list  of  the available  archive  files  by sending  an 
"INDEX  MSSQL-L" command  to  "LISTSERV@DUKEFSB.BITNET" or
"LISTSERV%DUKEFSB.BITNET@SYSA.ADM.DUKE.EDU". You  can then  order
these files  with a  "GET MSSQL-L  LOGxxxx" command, or using
LISTSERV's database search facilities. Send an "INFO  DATABASE"
command for more information on the latter.

Please note that it is presently possible for anybody to
determine that you are  signed up to  the list through the  use
of the "REVIEW"  command, which returns  the e-mail  address and
name of  all the subscribers.  If you do not  want your  name to
be visible, just issue a "SET MSSQL-L CONCEAL" command. 

More information  on LISTSERV commands can  be found in the 
LISTSERV reference  card,  which  you  can  retrieve  by  sending 
an  "INFO  REFCARD"  command  to  "LISTSERV@DUKEFSB.BITNET" or
"LISTSERV%DUKEFSB.BITNET@SYSA.ADM.DUKE.EDU".