LSE Listserv Guidelines on Etiquette

Sending messages to LSE Listserv mailing lists is generally a matter of common sense and courtesy, and users should be able to use their own sense of what is appropriate to guide their behaviour.

These are practical guidelines, which should help you use LSE Listserv lists in a way which will most benefit yourself and other people on the list. Not all these guidelines work for all situations, so use your discretion

Please familiarise yourself with the Acceptable Use Policy and the following points:

• Respect copyright when forwarding messages, if in doubt check with the author

• Respect people's privacy, don't give out the private email addresses or contact details of others

• Think before cross-posting, some people belong to more than one list

• Don't call someone names or be overtly rude, blatantly sarcastic or condescending

• Watch where that reply is going, should it go to the sender or the list?

• Send your commands to the right address, listserv@listserv.lse.ac.uk

• Make sure your email address is correct

• Complain to the list owner, not the list

• Suspend mail when going away, you can always catch up via the archives

• Use a meaningful subject line, it will increase the chances of it being read and found

• Write relevant messages appropriate to the purpose of the list

• Don't quote an entire message when replying this leads to very long messages

• Keep your lines short and don't send long messages, waffle is off-putting

• Only use ASCII (plain) text ie don't use pound (£) signs