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This FAQ (frequently asked questions) is offered to help prospective subscribers discover what NewsLib is and how navigate the list. If you have further questions, contact the listowner, Barbara Semonche at her e-mail address: semonch@gibbs.oit.unc.edu.
WHO SUBSCRIBES TO NEWSLIB? This list for news research is set up to provide an electronic place where news librarians, cybrarians, online researchers, media archivists, mass media bibliographers, reporters and journalism educators can "meet" and discuss topics relevant to our professions. This list was started in September 1993. IS THIS LIST MODERATED? At this point we are not screening or selecting participants. We are, however, actively seeking participation from those professionals (national, international and from cyberspace) actively involved in news research whether in print, broadcast or electronic. NewsLib is an "open" forum, available to all interested subscribers. NewsLib is not a moderated forum. It is a "self-moderated" list. You are responsibile for what you post. It is a list focused on using computers to research, compile and distribute information in print or electronic format. WHO OWNS THIS LIST? NewsLib belongs to you, the users/subscribers. Please feel free to participate. It is only through active use that a "virtual community" will evolve. As with all forms of communication, fairness, accuracy, brevity and courtesy are valued. Strickly speaking, however, there needs to be a designated "listowner" to manage the routine procedures of the list. Barbara Semonche is the designated listowner. Her addresses, phone and fax numbers are listed below. HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLIB? Address an e-mail to: listserv@gibbs.oit.unc.edu type this request in the message area: SUBSCRIBE NewsLib yourfirst lastname and send the message. Shortly you will receive in your e-mail box a computer-generated message welcoming you to the list. HOW DO I POST TO THE LIST? Address an e-mail to the list: NewsLib@gibbs.oit.unc.edu Fill in the subject line appropriately. Type the desired message. Sign the message. And then send it. It will be mailed to over 500 subscribers on the list. You will not get a copy of the message you send unless you type your e-mail address in the cc part of the e-mail header. If you wish to change the default settings for receiving copies of the messages you send, do the following: address an e-mail to: listserv@gibbs.oit.unc.edu (omit the subject line) type this request in the message area: Set NewsLib mail ack and send the message. You will changed the acknowledgement default setting to send you a copy of each one of the messages you send to NewsLib. HOW DO I UNSUBSCRIBE FROM NEWSLIB? Address an e-mail to: listserv@gibbs.oit.unc.edu (no subject line) type this request in the message area: SIGNOFF NewsLib and send the message. Shortly you will receive a computer-generated message acknowledging your signoff from NewsLib. HOW CAN I POSTPONE MESSAGES FROM THE LIST? Address an e-mail to: listserv@gibbs.oit.unc.edu (no Subject: line) type this request in the message area: SET NewsLib mail postpone and send the message. When you wish to commence mail again, simply address an e-mail to the listserv and type: Set NewsLib mail ACK and then send it. Mail from the list should resume. HOW CAN I GET A DIGEST OF NEWSLIB'S MESSAGES? A "digest" is a file compilation of messages sent to a list. Some subscribers prefer to get digest of a list's messages rather than the messages themselves. To enable the digest function: Address an e-mail to: listserv@gibbs.oit.unc.edu type this request in the message area: SET NewsLib mail digest and send the message. HOW CAN I GET ARCHIVED MESSAGES? All messages to NewsLib will be saved or "archived" by date (yy/mm/dd). Getting archived messages takes several steps, so be patient. Not yet does the list have WAIS access, but perhaps in time it will. First address an e-mail to: listserv@gibbs.oit.unc.edu type this request in the message area: INDEX NewsLib send the message. Shortly you will receive in your e-mail box a list of the archived messages by date. You will recognize the day-to-day messages. They will also be "bundled" by month (e.g., 9412 refers to all the December 1994 messages.) Examine the list. It goes all the way back to Sept. 1993 when the list was started. Select the date(s) of interest to you. Note the "string" of characters and numbers. To get the archived messaged do the following: Address an e-mail to: listserv@gibbs.oit.unc.edu type this command (for example, to get all the Dec. 1994 messages) GET NewsLib NewsLib.9412 and send the message. Note the double use of NewsLib and the spacing and punctuation. Shortly the requested e-mail messages will be sent to your e-mail box. Be prepared; they are likely to result in a large file. To request other archived messages, address an e-mail to the same listserv and use the command to reflect the change in the desired dates, e.g., GET NewsLib NewsLib.941216 in order to get the messages for Dec. 16, 1994. You will note that good subject lines are significant help in retrieving relevant messages. But messages to the list server should not have "Subject:" lines. If your mailer insists on a subject line put in a single character (like "A"). The list server is paranoid about mail loops and there are many words it thinks indicate a possible mail loop. After reading this welcome message, please take time to contact me directly at the addresses listed below if you have further questions. Again, welcome to the list. Barbara P. Semonche List Owner, NewsLib, NCSLA UNC-CH School of Journalism & Mass Communication Library Howell Hall, CB# 3365 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365 USA (Office phone: 919/962-1204) (Internet: semonch@gibbs.oit.unc.edu)
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This page was created by Barbara P. Semonche and Brian Raitz. It was last updated on August 17, 1995. If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact Barbara
here.