Mailbase User Guide

(C) Copyright The JNT Networked Information Services Project, 1991

The Computing Service, University of Newcastle upon Tyne

March 1991 Edition. [See also: listserv for unix, data sources]

You can telnet to the interactive service on mailbase.ac.uk. You can also look through the archive of documents and its README.

WELCOME TO MAILBASE!

Mailbase is the prototype service of the Newcastle-based JNT Networked Information Services Project (NISP). It offers its users two main facilities:

• Discussion of topics using electronic mail (e-mail). Mailbase 'manages' electronic circulation lists. Being a member of a particular list is like sitting in a discussion. You can join in, or merely observe.
• Commands for retrieving files associated with a discussion list and for obtaining information about other lists or about Mailbase in general.

An interactive interface to allow 'browsing' through some of this information is also planned.

We hope that Mailbase will prove to be a helpful facility for you: please read these notes when you start to use the service. We recommend that you experiment with Mailbase by sending it commands (for example, index and send) before you start contributing to a list. Please contact your list owner or us if you have any comments about Mailbase or any difficulty in using it: see the e-mail addresses . The sections of this guide are as follows:

Mailbase discussion lists

about lists, members, and owners

Mailbase Commands

which you put into your mail messages

Useful addresses

for contacting mailbase and lists

Hints

on style and etiquette.

NOTATION USED IN THIS GUIDE

Items in angle brackets are to be replaced appropriately.

Square brackets [ and ] enclose optional items.

A vertical bar | means 'or'.

(These symbols must not, of course, be included in your commands.)

OTHER NISP DOCUMENTS

A Reference Card for all Mailbase commands is available free from the

JNT. Send an e-mail request, including your full postal address, to

jnt-secretary@uk.ac.jnt

The Mailbase List Owner's Guide is available for those who look after

existing discussion lists or who wish to set up their own list. To

obtain this, send the following command in a message to

mailbase@uk.ac.newcastle:

send mailbase ownerhelp

An overview of the NISP Project is in the file named overview, which may

be retrieved by sending the following command in a message to

mailbase@uk.ac.newcastle

send mailbase overview