Introduction to LGOL Mailing Lists

Welcome to the Local Government Online (LGOL) Mailing Lists.  Below you will find a overview of how the lists operates that is a great introduction for new subscribers and a resource for reminding current subscribers of the potential functionality.

The content of your posts to the lists is your responsibility and they will not be edited or moderated by LGOL.  LGOL, however, reserves the right to take action if unlawful or unacceptable material is published, including removing the offending material from further publication.

1) Basic information about the LGOL Mailing Lists
2) How to send messages to the Lists
3) General List Rules
4) Unsubscribing from Lists
5) (Re)subscribing to Lists
6) Going on holiday
7) Switching ISPs and/or email address
8) Changing to digest mode
9) The LGOL Mailing Lists search engine
10) Retrieving messages from the archives

1. BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE LIST

This is a discussion area for New Zealand local government personnel and other approved subscribers who have an interest, and a contribution to make, in relation to issues of the day, particularly those with a “best practice” theme. LGOL has over 70 of these Lists related to a broad cross section of local government issues and professional groups.  There is no cost to users to joing a lists, as they are funded from annual subscriptions paid by each of the 85 councils.

Subscribers are initially subscribed in "mail mode", which means that each message posted to the list will be sent on to you as a separate email. The directions on how to change to digest mode (where messages sent to your List are collected together and posted to you weekly) are given below.

Sometimes we are asked how to handle the large numbers of emails generated by some Lists and discussions. In response we draw attention to options available in your email browser (MS Outlook is an example) that allow you to filter emails in a way that may not be as intrusive. These options may be used to sort mail into separate folders (the most common approach) and/or remove the alert, discard emails from the more prolific chatters - either totally or to a 'chat' folder for review when convenient.

In subscribing to a List it is to be understood that the subscriber acknowledges that the LGOL Mailing Lists and "What's New" Ezine may include advertisements that are relevant to the local government sector. Please click for more information on the Advertising Service.

2. SENDING MESSAGES TO THE LIST

You can only send messages to the list from the email address that you subscribed with.

To send a new message to the list, send it to [Name of List]@listserv.localgovt.co.nz with an appropriate subject

PLEASE NOTE: For most lists both "reply" and "reply all" will send an e-mail to the ENTIRE list.

The exceptions are WHATSNEW that does not permit replies and the COUNCILLORS list, which is configured to ‘Reply to Sender’.

3. GENERAL LIST RULES

The list is not moderated. Any message sent to it is automatically sent out to everyone on the list. Whilst I in no way want to stifle free discussion, all list owners reserve the right to step in if a flame war erupts (people being rude to each other on list). Please remember that the purpose of this list is for discussions related to local government issues.

Please keep your messages short and to the point. An excessively long message will not be read properly, and will only annoy some subscribers.

Carefully consider whether to respond to the List (by selecting Reply or Reply All), or by way of a personal message. This is an issue that from time to time raises the ire of subscribers who are being inundated with emails and react strongly to what seems to them to be “rubbish”. I respond to these incidents by pointing out the “efficiency” of the Delete button and point out that there is a balance to be achieved. While some subscribers may not be interested in a particular topic, others do have an interest and sometimes wish to sit aside and see the topic discussed. Be smart with replies. For example, where someone is conducting a survey, and we see lots of this, the initiator should call for personal (off-List) responses (and facilitate this by including a reply email address in the closing section of their email) and offer to collate responses for ultimate circulation to the List.

If you have a personal message (non relevant reply to question) for the sender, please send it off-list to their own email address. Please do not use the List for general off-topic chatting.

Out of the Office auto replies – consult with your network administrator and see if there is a way for these responses to not be relayed to the LGOL Mailing List/s you belong to.

Please give each of your List emails a subject heading. This will assist archives searches.

Signatures on all messages are encouraged and appreciated.

1. Please do not set the Read Receipt for the despatch of List emails. Do the arithmetic and you will find that a Read Receipt request will generate another full mailing every time a subscriberelects to actuate the receipt. This could amount to thousands of emails clogging up the List Server for days, sometimes weeks.
2. Please do not attach large documents to List emails. Some councils have set limits which will not accommodate large documents. A better idea is to create access to the document by way of a Web link.

4. UNSUBSCRIBING FROM THE LIST

To unsubscribe from any of the LGOL Mailing Lists, send an email to listserv@listserv.localgovt.co.nz Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the message, enter: SIGNOFF [Name of List].

Please note that the address for unsubscribing is NOT the same as that used for posting messages on the list.

Please remember to unsubscribe when moving on to another employer. If that employer is a council, or qualifying organization for LGOL Discussions membership, you will have to unsubscribe from the old, and re-subscribe with your new email address.

5. (RE)SUBSCRIBING TO THE LIST

Our server will automatically unsubscribe any address which fails four times. This is described as being bounced, or bumped off the list. If this happens, or you suspect that you may have been unsubscribed, then you should subscribe yourself again. This will not do any harm if you are still subscribed.

To subscribe to the list send a message to:

listserv@listserv.localgovt.co.nz containing (in the body of the message) the command SUBSCRIBE [NAME OF LIST] and no additional text. Leave the subject line blank or, if your mail reader does not allow you to do so, enter just the word SUBSCRIBE here as well.

Please note that the address for subscribing is NOT the same as that used for posting messages on the List.

6. GOING ON HOLIDAY

If you are going to be away for a while and will not be able to download mail, then you are advised to UNSUBSCRIBE from the list before you go, and SUBSCRIBE again when you return. In many cases “Out of Office” replies are posted to the List, and a succession of these can be quite annoying to other Listers.

On your return you can retrieve messages you have missed from the archives or search for topics of interest. See sections 9 and 10 below.

7. CHANGING ISP OR YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

When your council/organisation switches to a new ISP or changes email addresses please, if possible, UNSUBSCRIBE using your old address before starting to use the new one. Then SUBSCRIBE using your new address. If you no longer have access to your old email address then email techdirector@localgovt.co.nz and I shall unsubscribe it for you.

8. CHANGING TO DIGEST MODE

If you would like to change the way you receive postings:

a. To receive the daily digest rather than receive each message immediately after it is posted, send a message to: listserv@listserv.localgovt.co.nz . Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the message, enter: SET [NAME OF LIST] DIGEST.

b. To receive each message as it is posted to the list, send a message to: listserv@listserv.localgovt.co.nz . Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the message, enter: SET [NAME OF LIST] MAIL

9. THE LGOL MAILING LIST SEARCH ENGINE

The messages sent to the LGOL Mailing Lists are held on an archive database, which can be searched using an interactive search engine.

To access the search engine please go to: http://listserv.localgovt.co.nz/scripts/wa.exe thence drill through Archive Search in the left-hand column.

This is where you will find subject headings useful.

10. RETRIEVING MESSAGES FROM THE ARCHIVES

To access Archives and discussion threads first go to:

http://listserv.localgovt.co.nz/scripts/wa.exe /Help/Obtaining a login account and password.

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Messages for the List go to [Name of List]@listserv.localgovt.co.nz

Commands for LGOL Mailing Lists go to: listserv@listserv.localgovt.co.nz