Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions for List Members
This question is covered on our Joining a List page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).
This question is covered on our Leaving a List page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).
This question is covered on our Posting page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).
This question is covered on our Posting & Replying page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).
How do I find out what lists I'm on?
This question is covered on our Which Lists page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).
Why don't my messages get posted to the list?
There are three likely reasons. Some lists only let administrators post to the list, and you are probably not an administrator. Some lists only let subscribers post to the list, so check to see if you're subscribed (see our Which Lists page for help). Some lists allow the administrators to approve or reject messages before they are posted to the list. You can contact the list administrator for more information (see our Contact an Administrator page).
I haven't gotten any messages from a particular list in a while. How do I find out if something is wrong?
Follow the instructions on our Checking Your List Settings page. If you get the "Sorry, but no one with your name or email address is listed as a member" message, you aren't a list member. Either you left the list, or you were removed by a list administrator. If the membership status message says that your membership "held," there may have been problems delivering mail to your address. In either case, your best bet is to end an email message addressed to owner-listname@cornell.edu where listname is the name of the list you are writing about. For example: owner-cit-alert-L@cornell.edu (The name of all e-lists at Cornell end with a hyphen and the letter "L". Don't forget to include these!)
How do I change my email address?
Join the list (in the usual way) from your new address. Then leave the list (in the usual way) from your old address. (If you cannot send mail from your old address, contact the list's administrators and ask to have your old address removed. Be sure you're clear about which address to keep and which to remove!)
What's the deal with plain text?
Good question! E-list management software needs to receive commands in a plain text format (no HTML code, no colors or font changes, etc.). For the full story, please visit our Plain Text page.
How do I contact the list administrator?
Send an email message addressed to owner-listname@cornell.edu where listname is the name of the list you are writing about. For example: owner-cit-alert-L@cornell.edu (The name of all e-lists at Cornell end with a hyphen and the letter "L". Don't forget to include these!)
Is a particular list hosted by CIT?
If a list has a basic email address ending in "-L@cornell.edu" it is hosted by Cornell Information Technologies (CIT). See our Which Lists are CIT-hosted page for a more complete explanation. You can also check by using the Search Cornell page, typing in the name of the list in question. If the search doesn't find the list, it isn't hosted by CIT.
How can I find a list of all the e-lists hosted by CIT?
The short answer is, you can't. Making this information publicly available would expose our e-list service to increased spam and abuse. If you are interested in a particular topic, contact the department most likely to host a list on that topic, or ask someone who is in that field.