Email Discussion Lists

Email Discussion Lists: Strategies

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The strategies for successfully working with discussion lists assume that you are willing to invest the time an energy that lists require. Depending upon the list, you may have to wade through a flood of e-mail messages or spend some time acquainting yourself with the personalities and decorum of the list.

If you have successfully subscribed to a discussion list, you will interact with other members in two main ways: 1. you can respond to the messages posted by the other members of the group. 2. you can post a message of your own, either to spark a discussion or to ask a specific question.

When you post a discussion message or a query for information, don't ask the list members to do research that you could easily accomplish in the library. This will only alienate the members of the group. When working with discussion lists, you should try to tap into the special strengths of the group's members, rather than pursue basic questions.

As you craft a message, strike a courteous tone and respect the time of the other members. Don't beat around the bush, but do spell out your goals so that people know what kind of information will help you the most. Additionally, you may want to provide some background information about your topic, so that the members can approach the issue from a solid knowledge base.

In your message, you may want to summarize various perspectives on the issue so that the list members know the range of available positions. As you summarize, point out major points of disagreement between positions. Also try to synthesize different perspectives and note overlap between points of view. By succinctly summarizing and synthesizing information about the topic, you will clarify your own thinking and provide the audience with enough background to return useful information. Additionally, you will have demonstrated that you have already done some thinking about the topic, potentially making your readers more responsive.

If you feel comfortable with issues of netiquette and have a feel for these strategies, then you may want to rejoin the main discussion list page.