GSR Email Discussion List

GSR DIGEST AND INDEX MODE OPTIONS


Normally, the GRAND SPORT REGISTRY Email Discussion List (or GSR-L, driven by the NCM ListServ) sends out messages to its subscribers as soon as it receives them, throughout the day and night. Getting messages this way is known as the Traditional Email Mode and is the GSR-L's default arrangement, and frankly, it's the one most prefer as it provides the most immediate response. Some people, however, prefer to get the day's messages all at once rather than have individual GSR List messages cluttering up their email Inbox.

The GSR provides two ways of accomplishing this, both with multiple options. DIGEST mode combines includes all the day's messages into a single (albeit larger) piece of mail. Whereas INDEX mode offers an even more compact way to keep abreast of the day's discussions on the GSR-L. What follows is a brief guide to the different Digest and Index options. Please note that the following screenshot illustrations are just dummy examples with fake names and email addresses for privacy purposes.

The GSR-L Digest Mode Options

The Digest exists in three different formats: the Traditional (NOMIME) Digest, the MIME Digest, and the HTML Digest. Which one you choose will depend in part on the capabilities of your email program. Email programs differ widely in how they handle the digests. You should try one or more of the digest/index options and see which works best in your email program.


The Traditional (NOMIME) Digest
Not Recommended

The Traditional (NOMIME) Digest can be handled by just about any email client, and the digest will look pretty much the same in all of them. The Traditional (NOMIME) Digest begins with a list of all the message topics in that day's digest and the number of lines these messages take, followed by the messages themselves. The messages appear one after the other in a long row. Here's what the start of the digest looks like. The messages themselves are just examples and most digests would contain more than only 4, depending on that day's message traffic. I've cut out the messages themselves which go on for more than 600 lines in the interest of space:

Traditional Digest

The Traditional (NOMIME) igest has some disadvantages:

  1. you may have to scroll through hundreds of lines to get to the articles that interest you
  2. saving one or two articles requires you to do a good deal of cutting and pasting
  3. replying to an article can be difficult, since your email program may include the entire digest in your response and use a totally uninformative subject header such as "Re: GRAND-SPORT Digest - 4 Mar 2010 to 5 Mar 2010 (#2010-62)," which tells readers nothing about the subject of your message. Thus, you'll have to do a certain amount of editing if you wish to use your email program's Reply button.


The MIME Digest
Not Recommended

Like the Traditional Digest, the MIME Digest begins with a list of the messages and the total number of lines these messages use. However, the MIME Digest includes each message as an attachment. Thus, you can click on just the individual message you want to see without having to scroll through others that preceded it, and you can reply to each individually. Though the layout of the MIME Digest may differ from one email program to another, many programs are able to deal with this digest. Here's an example of what it might look like in a generic email program:

MIME Digest

The only problem with the MIME Digest is that while you will typically only receive a single email from the list each day, that email could possibly be very large depending on how many messages were posted to the GSR-L that day. If you have a slow Internet connection, this could be cause for concern. Additionally, not all email programs handle the MIME Digest mode very well.


The HTML Digest
2nd Best Option for GSR-L Users

The HTML Digest shows you a table of contents listing the day's messages, but each item is a link. Clicking on an item in the table of contents takes you down to the relevant message or messages in the list. Clicking on any of the messages will then open the attachment allowing you to read the message in question. Similar to MIME Digest, the HTML Digest email you recevie could be quite large as it contains all that day's postings to the List. Although MS Outlook apperars to work fine, be forwarned that some email clients do not deal well with the HTML Digest mode. Here is an example screenshot of the HTML Digest under MS Outlook.

HTML Digest

The GSR-L Index Mode Options

If even the Digest contains more than you want, you can arrange to get just a daily Index of messages. The Index comes in two versions: NOHTML (aka Traditional) or HTML. Both versions tell you who the poster is, what the subject header is, and how many lines the message contains. You can then choose which if any messages you want to send for (with the NOHTML INDEX) or view (with the HTML INDEX).

The NOHTML (Traditional) Index
Not Recommended

The NOHTML Index lists the day's messages in a pure text format and, at the bottom, provides instructions for how to send for the ones you want. Once you make your request, Listserv will send them to you via email almost instantly. You can then read and reply to them just as you would individual messages. For some reason, the Listserv doesn't always recognize the message numbers it's sent as valid. For that reason, and the fact that's it's a rather convuluted procedure, it's not recommended for most users.

NOHTML Index

The HTML Index
Best Option for most GSR-L Users

The HTML Index offers a very compelling advantage over the NOHTML version. If you find some entries that sound interesting, rather than having to reply to the Index message, edit it to include just the items you'd like to receive, send your request off to the Listserv via email and receive the requested messages via email, all you have to do with the HTML Index is click on the number(s) of the messages you'd like to read. Each number is a live link to the message in the GSR-L logfile, so you see it instantly. You can reply to the message very easily, and you can specify whether the response should go to GSR-L or privately to the writer. The HTML Index option gives you the best of both worlds... a single, small email with hyperlinked access to all that day's messages. Read the ones you have interest in and ignore the others. Easy Peasy!

HTML Index

One More Option
The GSR-L Archives

There's one more possibility for reading GSR-L messages that involves receiving NO email in your Inbox: simply set your subscription to NOMAIL and read all the GSR-L's archived messages (going back for years!) via the List's web interface at http://maillist.corvettemuseum.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A0=GRAND-SPORT. Or just click on the Browse the GRAND-SPORT online archives that you will find at the bottom of each HTML-based Index or Digest.


How to Choose Your GSR-L Options

OK, so how do you change your GSR-L options to the Digest or Index mode? Probably the easiest way is to use the GSR-L's web interface at http://maillist.corvettemuseum.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A0=GRAND-SPORT.

If you'd prefer not to use the interface, you can arrange for the various forms of the Digest and Index via email. The somewhat arcane commands are as follows:

Send whichever command you wish to [email protected]. Do NOT send Listserv commands to the GSR List Address at [email protected] as that will just forward your request to everyone on the list creating a "Doh!" moment you don't nee. Also, don't include anything else in the message except the command. You can leave the subject field blank. If you decide you don't like the mode you've chosen, just send a different command to the same address.


With many thanks to Joan Korenman of WMST-L for the format of this Help file.
WMST-L is an international electronic forum for people involved in Women's Studies as teachers, researchers, librarians, and/or program administrators.


Send your questions/comments to [email protected].

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