Mailing lists at ILDA

About the mailing lists

ILDA runs two main e-mail discussion lists. The "ILDA List" is for ILDA Members only; the "Laserist List" is for anyone who is interested in laser shows (both Members and non-members).

All new ILDA Members are automatically added to both lists. If anyone wants off the list, see the section below on how to be removed from the lists.

We highly recommend that ILDA Members subscribe to at least the ILDA List. The ILDA List includes any inquiries received by ILDA, from potential clients looking for shows and equipment. These inquiries are posted only to the ILDA List, so that interested Members can contact the potential client.

This page discusses the following topics:

Purpose of the lists
How the mailing lists work
Sending a one-time message
How to get on the lists (subscribe)
How to send a message to the lists
If you get a 'failure notice' saying your message did not go through
How to read messages from the lists
How to reply to messages
How to be removed from the lists (unsubscribe)
List archives
If you have questions or problems
 

Purpose of the lists

The mailing lists are for discussions and announcements related to the list topics:

• The ILDA List is for discussion of ILDA-related issues.
       It also has special benefits for ILDA Members only, such as inquiry referrals. For example, when ILDA receives an inquiry from someone looking for a laser show or laser equipment, the inquiry is passed along only to ILDA List members.

• The Laserist List is for discusssion of laser show related topics.
       Since both ILDA and non-ILDA members are on this list, it is the best list to discuss general (non-ILDA specific) laser show topics.

ILDA also has other specialized mailing lists for ILDA internal use. These include lists for the Technical Committee, the Awards Committee, the Safety Committee and the Board. If you are on a committee but not on its list, contact ILDA's Executive Director to be added to the list.
 

How the mailing lists work

• Receiving e-mail: Once you are on a list, you will receive all e-mail sent by other list members to the list.
• Sending e-mail: If you send e-mail to the list, it will be received by all other list members. Interested persons can reply to you directly, or to the entire list.
   

Sending a one-time message

Non-ILDA members may want to send an e-mail message to one or both lists, without going to the trouble of signing up. If you have a one-time or infrequent use, simply send your message to ILDA's Executive Director, and ask him/her to forward it to the appropriate list(s). For more information, see the ILDA Inquiries and Referral Service page.
 

How to get on the lists (subscribe)

Subscribing is done by contacting ILDA and asking to be added to the list(s).

• The ILDA List is open only to ILDA Members. Usually you are automatically added when you join ILDA. The expiration date is set to be January 15 of the next year. If you don't renew your ILDA dues by January 15, then you are automatically removed from the ILDA List.
      If you are an ILDA Member but are not on the list, send e-mail to ILDA's Executive Director and ask to be added. Be sure to include your company name or other means of identifying your ILDA membership.

• The Laserist List is open to anyone interested in laser show topics. (Note that Laserist List is laserSHOW-related, including lasers used in these shows. For general laser-related topics, read the alt.lasers newsgroup.)
       ILDA Members are automatically added to the Laserist List. If you are not a Member but would like to join, send e-mail to ILDA's Executive Director and ask to be added. Please tell us a little about your interest and background in laser shows.
       There is no expiration date on the Laserist List. To be removed, see the unsubscribing instructions below.

Depending on the workload, trips, vacations/holidays, etc. of the Executive Director, it may take from a few hours to a few days to be added to the list(s).
 

How to send a message to the lists

Use these e-mail addresses to send messages to the lists:

Note that only people who are on the list, can send e-mail to the list. This means that to send messages, you must use the same e-mail address that is registered with the list. For example, if you were subscribed using "bob.smith@yahoo.com", then you must send from that account. Otherwise, the message will be rejected and you'll get a "Failure notice" sent from the automated list manager.
 

If you get a "Failure notice" saying your message did not go through

If you get a "Failure notice", try sending with a different e-mail address. Maybe you signed up for the list with one account, but now you use another account more often.

If you need to change your e-mail address, send a message to ILDA's Executive Director. Let him or her know what your old e-mail account might be (so it can be tracked down and removed) and what new e-mail address you want to use.
 

How to read messages from the lists

You will receive any and all messages sent to the list. They will simply appear in your e-mail Inbox just like other e-mail.

As of mid-2006, there are typically only a few messages per week. At certain times, however, there may be many per day. If this bothers you, just wait it out! Delete any unwanted messages.

At this time, ILDA does not pre-screen, monitor or otherwise "clean up" the list. It is WPSIWYG -- What People Send Is What You Get. Fortunately, the spam content has been very low.
 

How to reply to messages

Hit the "Reply" button in your e-mail program. The "To" field will automatically be filled with the sender's e-mail address.

• To reply privately to the person who sent the message, you don't need to do anything else. Their address is already in the "To" field of the message you are writing.

• To reply to the entire list, clear the "To" field, and manually enter the list address as shown below. Everyone on the list will see your reply.

If you click on the "Reply to all" button instead, the "To" field will be filled both with the sender's e-mail address, and the list's e-mail address. The only problem with this is that the sender will receive two copies of your reply! (One to him or her personally, and one to him or her as a member of the list.)
 

How to be removed from the lists (unsubscribe)

Send an e-mail message (any message; the subject and content do not matter) to:

Note that this must be sent using the same e-mail address that is registered with the list.

You will receive a confirmation e-mail, letting you know that you have unsubscribed. Depending on the list, you may need to reply to this message to complete the unsubscription process.
 

List archives

Past messages are available in the archives. Messages are numbered; as of September 2006 the ILDA List is at message #393, the Laserist List is at message #589.  Here are the e-mail addresses to get archive information, as shown for the ILDA List:

Finding a message via the index

• Get the message numbers, subject and author information for the last 100 to 200 messages: ilda-list-index@lists.laserist.org
• Get the index for messages #400 to #499: ilda-list-index.400_499@lists.laserist.org. It is possible to retrieve only about 100 message indexes at a time. To retrieve more, simply send further requests and change the message numbers.

Reading messages

• Get message #123: ilda-list-get.123@lists.laserist.org
• Get messages #123 to #177: ilda-list-get.123_177@lists.laserist.org (you can only get 100 messages at a time)
• Get the thread which contains message #123: ilda-list-thread.123@lists.laserist.org

You do not have to include a subject or any text. Simply send an e-mail using the indicated  address, and the automated system will send back the information you request. Further technical details on the archive system are available in the list instruction manual.
 

If you have questions or problems

The mailing list system has an automated help system. To send a "help" request, send e-mail to the following address(es). You do not need to add a subject or any message -- just sending the message is sufficient.

You will receive an e-mail reply from the list system, with instructions about various commands and features.

If you need additional assistance, or if you want to send a one-time message without joining the list, send an e-mail to ILDA's Executive Director.