Outgoing email

Distribution Lists

What are they?

A distribution list is simply a list of email addresses that you can send to by sending to a single name. For example, one might have a distribution list for one class. Mine might be called "InstructionalDesign" and contain an email address for each member of the class. (If people send me more than one address, then I usually include them all.) When I want to send an announcement to the class, I simply put "InstructionalDesign" into the To: field and the email program fills in everyone on the list.

This list is stored entirely on my computer, so that a student replying to me will send it just to me, and not to the group (unless they click "Reply to all." I have to keep the lists up-to-date, but often the effort is worth it to be able to communicate to the entire group at once, without necessarily starting a multi-way conversation, as on a listserv.

Making one in Pegasus

Go to the Addresses menu at the top of the main window.
Choose Distribution Lists
Click the New List button.
Give it a name and click OK.
Make sure that it is highlighted in the list, and then click the Edit button.
Type or copy-and-paste the email addresses into the large box.
Fill in other information as needed.
Click Save

Making one in Outlook

Click on Contacts
Click on the small down-arrow next to the New button.
Select Distribution List
Give the list a name
Use the Select Members... button to add people from your contacts to the Distribution List.
Use the Add New... button to type in new email addresses for the Distribution List.
Click Save and Close when you are done.

Listservs

An electronic mailing list or listserv is different from a Distribution List. In this case the list of recipients is kept on a central server. Any messages sent to the list are automatically resent out to everyone on the list. Usually, replies to those messages go back the entire list as well.

The advantages of a listserv over a distribution list are

it can be set up so that each individual is responsible for maintaining his or her address(es) in the list. You do not have to change addresses when students add or drop the course or when they get a new Internet Services Provider.

It is more suitable for multi-way conversations, since most of the time you will set it up so that replies go back to the list. Thus, you could start a discussion with a provocative question and then sit back and observe as the students fire off emails back and forth on it.

The big danger of listservs is that someone might (will!) reply to the group with a message that is more appropriate for an individual. If you reply to a message from a student asking for grade information, and it goes to the entire group, then that is a problem.

Setting one up at KSU

KSU has a capable listserv program that you can use. Simply go to the following Web address and fill out the form requesting a list. It will likely be available to you within minutes.

http://act.kent.edu/listreq/