Every new subscriber to ICOM-L receives a detailed text
explaining how to customize their own LISTSERV settings --
whether or not you receive copies of your own postings, how to
postpone the receipt of messages when you are away from your
mailbox, how to cancel your membership, etc.

That message starts with an exhortation not to discard it, as
every member of a distribution list will sooner or later need to
send some sort command to the list server.

Despite this, I regularly receive messages requesting
explanations of *exactly* the things that the introductory
message covers. How ever much I might like to answer each such
communication individually, I simply cannot. Indeed, the entire
rationale behind maintaining an automated list server is to
provide a self-service basis for maintaining subscriptions
without requiring continuous manual assistance. (Most site
managers are kept busy enough manually mantaining their list
servers.)

In an attempt to reduce the confusion, a brief pointer towards
help will from now on be appended to each message distributed to
the list. The present message is a test of this and I will
adjust whatever is necessary if it doesn't work as intended.

Also, if you wish to discuss a matter that has nothing to do
directly with ICOM's own organizational activities, however
interesting it might be to ICOM members, please do not expect it
to be distributed via ICOM-L. (The one general acception is
notification of regional or institutional disaster.)

Several other lists are maintained for topics of broader interest
to the museum community. One convenient alternative would be to
address any such communication to [log in to unmask]

The message automatically sent to the contributor of a message to
ICOM-L has been modified to indicate the list's mandated target
more clearly.

Cary Karp <[log in to unmask]>
ICOM-L Listowner


Change ICOM-L subscription options and search the archives at:
   http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html