Glossary of Terms

A

Auto Responder – A computer program that automatically responds with a pre-written message to anyone who sends an email message to a particular email address or uses an online feedback form.

B

Bounce – An Email message that is returned as undeliverable.

Bounce Server – An optional dedicated LISTSERV server used exclusively to process bounced email.

C

Cookie – A block of data that a Web server stores on a client system. When a user returns to the same Web site, the browser sends a copy of the cookie back to the server. Cookies are used to identify users, to instruct the server to send a customized version of the requested Web page, to submit account information for the user, and for other administrative purposes.

D

E

Editor – A person or email address that is allowed to send messages directly to the list without moderation. If the editor keyword is not defined, the primary editor is the first list owner address.

F

Flame – An abusive or personally insulting email message or newsgroup posting, or to send an abusive or personally insulting email message or newsgroup posting.

G

H

Header – The arrangement of keywords and their associated values that make up the configuration of a LISTSERV list. The values of the keywords defined in the header determine the behavior of the list.

I

J

K

L

LISTSERV – The email list management software application distributed by L-Soft that allows users to create and maintain email lists on their corporate network or on the Internet. Newsletters, moderated, and un-moderated discussion groups and direct marketing campaigns are all supported. List sizes can range from a few participants in a discussion group to several million in a newsletter.

M

Maintainer – The technical person in charge of the LISTSERV application on a particular server. The LISTSERV Maintainer has the right to create new lists on the server. Sometimes referred to as Postmaster or Site Administrator.

Moderator – A person who can accept or reject messages received by the list subscribers to post to the email list. It is also possible for the moderator to perform several tasks such as editing and deleting messages. There can be one or more moderators on a list. Moderators can share the task of moderation in a “round-robin” manner, with each moderator taking a turn, or all moderators can moderate all messages.

N

Notebook – A searchable archive containing all past posts to the list. A list owner may edit and delete notebook logs, only the list and/or the LISTSERV Maintainer may create a notebook log for a list.

O

Owner – The person formally in charge of the operation of a specific list. The list owner is usually knowledgeable in the field covered by the list. There can be more than one list owner for a list. The responsibility of the list owner is limited to the list itself, and does not include the computer running the list, its mail system, network lines, and other hardware specifics.

P

Peered List – A list that is split (or "peered") in order to share the mail load among two or more LISTSERV servers. Peering also makes it possible to have list archives located in more than one place. For example, a list might be peered between a European host and a North American host, making it possible for subscribers on each continent to retrieve archives from the nearer host.

Poster – A person or address that sends a message to a list.

Postmaster – The LISTSERV Maintainer; the technical person in charge of the LISTSERV application on a particular server. The postmaster has the right to create new lists on the server.

Q

R

RFC – These documents, called Request For Comments, explain the rules that email and other software products must follow in order to work cooperatively with each other on the Internet.

S

Spam – The unwanted, unsolicited junk email sent to a large number of recipients. Also known as unsolicited commercial email.

Spoofing – Pretending to be someone else by deliberately giving false information. Spoofing is the deliberate inducement of a user or resource to take an incorrect action. For example, signing a person up to a list without their knowledge and permission.

Subscriber – A person who has requested and has been granted permission to join a particular mailing list.

T

Topics – Subdivision of the list’s messages into more precise categories. Subscribers can then pick which topics they want to receive messages from as a way to cut down the overall number of messages they receive. For example, a discussion list about restoring antique cars may have topics on the different makes or car, different year models, and/or shows for antique car owners to attend. A subscriber to this list may only be interested in Ford Model-T cars and therefore would elect to subscribe to only those topics, so as not to receive mail from any other topics.

U

V

W

X

Y

Z