Last month, I provided some pointers on how to start an online discussion group, or "listserver." Let’s now move onto some pointers on how to run your listserver.

• Listserver Rules: These rules establish proper listserver usage. For example, you’ll want to establish standards of etiquette (i.e., "no personal attacks") and rules on what types of messages aren’t allowed (perhaps you want to prohibit sales messages). Make sure to include any rules suggested by your legal counsel (trade associations have anti-trust/price collusion issues to consider). Put these rules in a document, and send it to everyone who subscribes to your listserver (many listserver packages will do this automatically). (Click here for a sample "welcome" message.)
• Listserver Monitoring: During listserver set up, you will need to choose between an "open" list and a "moderated" list.
• In an "open" list, any email sent to the list is automatically sent to all members of the list. In this case, the list manager should review every email posted to the listserver. Don’t be too alarmed—a skilled list manager can accomplish this (even on a very busy list) in just a few minutes a day, by quickly scanning each message. The list manager ensures that discussions stay on track and subscribers are following the rules. If a subscriber breaks a rule, the list manager should issue a warning (sent privately to the subscriber who transgressed), or if the violation was particularly bad, suspend the subscriber. Periodic reminders sent to the listserver will help ensure that all subscribers remember the rules and the consequences for breaking them.

Take great care with copyright issues. Most subscribers don’t consider copyright law when composing their messages. In the interest of sharing information, they may copy and paste material from some other web site or document and post it to the list (or include it in an attachment, if your listserver allows attachments). Make copyright rules very clear in the welcome message, and frequently remind subscribers of what’s allowed and what’s not (see the sample welcome message for an example).

• On a "moderated" list, the list manager must approve all messages before they are sent out to the group. Moderation is a lot of work for the list owner, but it ensures that only legitimate messages are posted. Most software packages allow multiple moderators, so you can split up the load.

You might also want other members of the association staff to monitor messages, so they can answer association-related questions. On one listserver I monitor, a common question is, "What are the dates for the next conference?"

• Set Subscriber Expectations: Whether open or moderated, listservers have limitations. Set realistic expectations up-front with your subscribers. A frequent complaint from subscribers is, "I get junk mail after I post a message." Remind your subscribers that a listserver is a public forum, just like a chat room or bulletin board. If they don’t want junk mail, they should not post messages to the list. (You can eliminate this problem by setting up a private list. For a private list, the list manager must personally approve every subscriber who wants to join, perhaps comparing email addresses to a membership roster. But for a large list, the administrative burden can be considerable, and limiting subscriptions will also limit the amount of information that’s shared.)

You also need to set expectations on viruses. Most listservers are simply content conduits and do not provide any sort of virus checking capability. During virus outbreaks (such as the Love Bug or Anna Kournikova episodes), subscribers could inadvertently post attachments to the list that include viruses (if your list allows attachments). Remind subscribers to update virus protection on their PCs, and include a disclaimer in your welcome message that your association assumes no liability for viruses.

If you’d like more information on managing a listserver, please email me at lbray@satx.rr.com