"Now I know what a listserv is and I'm ready to sign up! Are there any guidelines I should follow when participating in a listserv?"

Yes! With the technologies of email and listservs comes a new group of courtesies and rules called "netiquette." Here are 13 things to remember when participating in a listserv discussion.

Email Netiquette for Listservs

1. Remember that email is not confidential or private and it leaves a record. Don't put anything in an email message that you wouldn't want the world to know.
      
2. Add your valuable insights, experience and opinions to the listserv discussion. But keep your comments short and relevant. Never send messages that only say "I agree," or "Atta girl." This adds maddening amounts of mail for you and your busy colleagues to wade through. If you send "I agree" messages regularly, other listserv members are likely to just delete all mail from you without reading it.
      
3. If you want to respond to an individual, don't use the reply button. Listserv replies go to everyone who belongs to the listserv. It doesn't matter if you click "Reply to Sender" or "Reply to All." Either way your reply goes to everyone, because the message came through the listserv, not directly from the individual who wrote it. To reply to an individual, you must create a new email message to that person only.
      
4. Listserv email does not require an acknowledgment or a thank you.
      
5. Double-check each message before you hit the "send" button to make sure you are sending it where you mean for it to go.
      
6. Include a "signature block" on all listserv communications, with at least your name, email address and phone number. Your signature block establishes your credibility and allows members of the listserv to contact you individually.
      
7. Most listservs prohibit members from sending attachments, to prevent the spread of viruses and to manage file size. If you want to make a document available to listserv members, announce it in a message and ask individuals to contact you directly. It's fine to include links to web pages in email messages.
       
8. Use the subject line wisely: for concise descriptions of content, for actions that need to be taken, and to add to a particular discussion. Many listserv administrators will put an automatic subject prefix to indicate the message is from the listserv. This makes it easier for members to identify listserv messages and to automatically sort them into folders.
       
9. Be civil. Resist the urge to "flame" someone. Flaming is a hurtful or malicious personal attack. Don't fight fire with fire. If you get flamed, ignore it. If you have a problem with an individual member of the listserv, work it out with the individual or the listserv administrator. Don't send complaints to the entire listserv.
      
10. Typing in all capital letters is considered shouting.
       
11. Humor is fine, just remember it can sometimes be misinterpreted.
       
12. Many people use vernacular email shorthand, such as BTW (by the way), and "emoticons" or "smileys." For example:
    :-) looks like a sideways smile and means you are happy or satisfied
    ;-) looks like a wink and indicates you are kidding
    :-( means you are sad or unsatisfied.
    For dictionaries of email shorthand, do a web search for emoticons.
       
13. If you go on vacation and use an automatic reply to let people know you are out of the office, inform the list administrator or temporarily "unsubscribe" from the listserv before you leave. Otherwise the entire listserv will get your "On the Road" message every time anyone sends a message to the listserv.