11/09/98 ONLINE ORIGINAL: SETTING UP YOUR OWN 'A' LIST

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SETTING UP YOUR OWN 'A' LIST

It's not just splashy Web sites attracting small businesses to cyberspace. It's the Internet's lower-tech offerings, too. Among the most useful are E-mail distribution lists (also known as listserves), which do the basic task of sorting and shuttling E-mail to groups of people who share a common interest.
While the existing array of mail-list topics is massive -- covering everything from Appalachia to euthanasia -- the available subjects might not always fit your needs. You may find lists on, say, international marketing, but not ones on marketing in the Middle East.
The solution: Create your own listserve. Generally, it won't take much time or money. But it will require some planning. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you begin to "get listed."
Starting your own list means you've technically become a "list owner" -- the person in charge of the operation and content of a mail list. As list owner, you're responsible for approving subscribers, moderating the E-mail to remove advertisements and offensive messages, and making the mail system work. If you have only a few subscribers in your mail list -- say, less than 20 -- you can create a simple mail list using your standard E-mail package. Most can be programmed to accept incoming E-mail from specific members of your group and then forward it to everyone else.
ADMINISTRIVIA. This method quickly becomes unwieldy as you attract more members, which is why there is automated software to help you maintain mail lists. For a real mail list, you'll need to decide if you want to administer it yourself on your own computer, or pay an organization -- a mail list, or Internet service provider -- to do this for you.
To administer a mail list on your own computers, an approach that requires some technical expertise, you'll need a direct connection to the Internet, and you'll have to purchase or license mail-list software. Popular packages include L-Soft's LISTSERV, Great Circle Associate's Majordomo, and Mustang Software's Mustang Web Essentials ListCaster. For a list of mail-list software and related links, check out Vivian Neou's Lists of Lists
(http://www.catalog.com/vivian/mailing-list-software.html)

Mail-list software automates the administration of mailing lists by delivering E-mail, accepting and processing applications, and archiving messages for future reference. Most packages let users browse Web sites that feature archives of older messages and search for messages by date, keyword, or originator. They also let users change their E-mail delivery options.
To get started, you'll need to download mail software from a vendor's Web site and install it on your system (most vendors offer demo versions). The software installations will ask you a series of questions for defining your domain, E-mail address, list owners, security, how subscribers may post, whether to include moderation (or share it with others), and whether your list is public or private. You'll probably find you need to establish a "static IP address," which gives you a permanent E-mail box for receiving and sending incoming mail. Fees for a static IP address are generally $40 per month through your ISP.
NO-FUTZ SERVICE. Lots of Internet service providers will administer and host your mail list for a fee, typically tied to the number of subscribers. This approach lets you concentrate on managing the mail list, instead of futzing with the technical snafus. In general, expect to spend $10 to $20 per month for a mail list that reaches 200 names. Service costs will also depend on how fast you want E-mail delivered to subscribers. The shorter the turn-around times, the more you'll pay. For a list of ISPs that feature list-management services, you can refer to another section of Vivian Neou's List of Lists (www.catalog.com/vivian/mailing-list-providers.html).
If you establish a public site, you'll want others to know about it. One of the best ways to publicize your site is to get it listed on one of the mail-list search engines, such as Liszt.com, Catalog.com, and LSoft.com.
Don't forget other low-cost options. Many educational institutions offer services for their students and faculty who want to create lists. And if your mail list is for a nonprofit cause, you may be able to find a service that will host it for free. Talk may indeed be cheap, but if your listserve works, it'll be the most valuable bargain you'll get on the Net.
By Wayne Kawamoto in LaVerne, Calif.

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