A place to communicate with other members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton

UUPrinceton • Join Here

Some Questions and Answers

• What is a listserv?
• What is the purpose? Why would we want a listserv?
• Are there disadvantages to joining the listserv?
• What if I have trouble joining?

What is a listserv?

A listserv is a special kind of E-mail mailing list. Members can send letters to the list which will be automatically sent to all other members. Users can choose to receive each letter separately or only to receive a daily collection of current letters.

Those who feel they are getting too much E-mail can choose not to receive any letters, but can read the entire list on the web site at their convenience.

Members can join at any time and can remove themselves from the list easily.

What is the purpose?
Why would we want a listserv?

The use of our congregation's mass mailings has to be limited. If there were too many mass mailings, many of us would ask to be removed from the list which could quickly become a bother.

At present, the policy that is being developed for the board by the communications committee limits the mass mailings to areas of importance to the congregation as a whole. Some of these are determined by the ministers, the president, the search committee, and the pledge committee. They may include urgent notices, such as memorials or funerals for which there was insufficient time for routine announcements to spread the word. They may include such important reminders as congregational meetings. They may include announcement of significant updates on the web site (currently this includes posting of Skylights online).

But there are many other items that members and our leaders wish to share. Letters announcing meetings, concerts, dinner discussion topics, Women's Alliance meetings, social concerns activities, and many more could be broadcast without waiting for the next issue of Skylights or Happenings!

The listservs such as this are used by organizations to discuss and debate issues of common concern.

This listserv is not to be used for partisan political activities. At this time this is not so much a Federal or IRS rule--inasmuch as this is a volunteer activity not run by the congregation nor either sanctioned nor supervised by the board of trustees--as it is a matter of courtesy to our fellow members.

Similarly, this list is not to be used to conduct personal business.

Announcements of concerts, performances or activities that are presumed to be of interest to members of the congregation will be accepted, especially if they involve members of the congregation.

Are there disadvantages to
joining the listserv?

There certainly can be. Some are described below, along with strong advice to help keep them at a minimum.

You will increase your E-mail

1. With peer pressure on those in the congregation who are sending us too many letters and with courtesy towards our fellow members, this can be limited.
2. Individuals can choose to receive only the daily summaries of letters, rather than every single letter.
3. One can choose to receive no E-mail, and read the list online only when it is convenient
4. One can always quit.

Some persons say they have experienced increase in SPAM, unsolicited E-mail and advertising after joining a listserv. Others of us who monitor this closely do not share that experience.

1. This list is not open to the public nor does it appear on any search engines--so the only people who can post have to be invited by us. Abusers can easily be removed.
2. The names and E-mail addresses are confidential. Anyone on the list can see them, but not outsiders.
3. WHEN YOU JOIN, there are a couple of suggestions:
   • You do not need to give all the information that Yahoo! requests.
   • Do not tell them that you like golf, or boating, or photography--
     that is an invitation to SPAM.
   • You will quickly find out what information they require give nothing more

There is advertising on the web site and intermingled with our E-mail

1. This is annoying.
2. Our web host does not support listservs.
3. While we look for an alternative hosting service, this is the best we can do.

What if I have trouble joining

Please send an email to our Office Administrator or phone at 609-924-1604 x10.