Instructions for subscribing to and using the SAS Listserver

The sa_scat list is an electronic mailing list that any member of the SAS community can use. Any notices that are posted to the mailing list go to all subscribers. This approach was chosen for its convenience, its immediacy, and its open nature. The importance of free and open communication in a community of a few hundred souls spread all over the surface of the globe cannot be overemphasized. Anyone who wishes to enroll as a subscriber to the SAS listserver need only do the following:

• Address an e-mail message to listproc@iucr.org
• Put anything in the subject line of the message. This part is ignored
• Type in "subscribe sa_scat Your proper name" as the first line in the message body. Example:

  subscribe sa_scat John D. Barnes

  The listserver software takes the e-mail address where the message originates as the e-mail address to use when sending messages out to the list. The part of the line after the two words "subscribe sa_scat" is used to provide a descriptive label for the e-mail address in the database listing (See "reviewing the list" below). These descriptive labels are a nice thing to have because they give the list a much more personal character.

• Make sure that NOTHING ELSE, such as a signature block, gets into the message. These will generate error messages that can be confusing and annoying, but are usually harmless.
• Send the message.

In a short while you should receive a message welcoming you to the subscription list. From time to time the list manager may add names to the list as supplied by responsible parties such as facility managers, meeting organizers, etc. Persons who do not want to be on the list can send e-mail to listproc@iucr.org that contains the line"unsubscribe sa_scat" in the body of the message.

Posting a message to the listserver is a simple matter of sending an e-mail message to sa_scat@iucr.org. For the time being we have set it up so that only registered subscribers can send and receive messages.

You are welcome to use the listserver to transmit any material that you believe would be topical and of widespread interest to the community. Questions on which you want opinions from experts in SAS are also fair game for posting to the listserver. Persons seeking jobs or posting employment opportunities related to SAS are also free to use the listserver. Since anyone who is interested in the list is a scientific professional we do not expect to see any harassing messages or meandering discussion threads.

Replying to the list: This should only be done when you are certain that you want the entire list to see your reply. In all other cases you should avoid hitting the "reply" button in favor of creating a new message addressed directly to the intended recipient(s).

Reviewing the Subscriber list: Anyone, subscriber or not, can obtain a list of subscribers by sending an e-mail message to listproc@iucr.org that contains the following line in the body of the message:

review sa_scat

The listserver will send a copy of the current subscriber list by return e-mail. Many lists are set up to hide these lists. We have chosen to make the list open in the hope that subscribers will encourage their friends to join the community by becoming subscribers to the list.

Other Commands: If you experience problems when trying to use the command listed above you can obtain help by sending an e-mail to listproc@iucr.org that contains the line

help

The standards for discourse on this mailing list are naturally the same as those that would prevail in any public gathering of technical professionals.

If you require assistance on any of these matters, please do not hesitate to contact the list manager.