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