E-lists
What is an e-list?
An e-list is a way to communicate with a number of people through a single email address. Whenever someone sends a message to an e-list address, that message goes out to everyone subscribed to the list. (What are some other kinds of group communication tools?)
Participation in e-lists hosted by CIT is free; there are no subscription fees for list owners or list members. Anyone who has access to email can take advantage of the service. CIT's e-list service uses a product called Lyris ListManager.
Two notes of clarification:
- E-lists are a convenient and, usually, quick method of communicating with a group, but if you require a guaranteed "right away" delivery, you should not rely solely on e-lists. As with all email, delivery occasionally can be delayed.
- Messages that originate outside Cornell, when sent to CIT-hosted e-lists, will undergo the same virus and spam checking as other email traffic. It is possible that the format or content of your message may trigger the spam filter.
Who can create and use CIT's e-lists?
CIT-hosted e-lists, established by faculty, staff, students, and alumni, focus on supporting recognized university activities, including instruction, research, administration, and student groups. There are, for example lists centered around:
- academic departments
- students enrolled in specific courses
- buildings (or floors of buildings)
- councils, boards, advisory groups
- student organizations
- alumni groups
- administrative groups
- clubs
- ... and many more.
Although these e-lists are "owned" by members of the Cornell community, list members do not necessarily need to be affiliated with Cornell (it all depends on the purpose of the specific list).
What "flavors" of lists are there?
To support the various uses of lists (samples of which are shown above), list settings can be altered to meet many of your needs. Here are some of the most common settings. (See our Configuring Your List page for specific information.)
Joining an E-list (with similar options for leaving an e-list)
- Anyone can join
- Anyone can ask to join, but an administrator must approve
- Only the administrators can add members
Posting Messages
- Anyone can post to the e-list
- Anyone can submit a post but it must be approved before it will be sent to the e-list
- Only subscribers (and administrators) can post to the e-list
- Only administrators can post to the e-list
Review of Messages
- Submitted messages are posted immediately to the e-list
- Messages are reviewed by administrators, who can approve or reject the message
Default "Reply-To" Address
- Replies to posts are directed to the e-list
- Replies to posts are directed to the person who submitted the message being replied to
- Replies to posts are directed to another address specified by the e-list's administrators