Related Help Pages:
What to Expect the First Week
List Tools: Access and Use
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contact the HelpDesk.
First Steps for New Administrators
The following tasks should be done on the same day the mailing list is transferred to you (the day you receive the confirmation letter).
You may find it helpful to print this page and check off each task as it is completed; you do not need to do the tasks in the order shown. Most will take only a few minutes.
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Read your confirmation letter carefully. It contains the basic
information about your list: the list name, instructions on how to access
your List Tools page, and your password. Save the letter; print a copy.
We urge you to move the letter into its own folder, where you can keep
it and other mail pertaining to your list. |
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Go to the List Tools site and bookmark it. The URL (Web address)for the List Tools is included in your confirmation letter. Or you can reach the pages using the generic address at the end of this paragraph, substituting your list name for the xxxx. http://lists.rootsweb.com/tools/xxxx/ If you are more comfortable with the older-style Utility Page, it is
accessible through the utility search form. However,
at some point in the future, these pages will become obsolete, so we recommend
using the List Tools now. |
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| Become familiar with the List Tools.
You can change settings later, but on the first day, you should log in
and do the following: |
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| 1. | Verify that you are subscribed to your list
using the "Add, Remove and Search for Subscribers" option. Experiment
by removing your address and adding it back again . . . see what happens. |
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| 2. | If you use multiple e-mail addresses, or if
your mail program adds extensions to your address, add those addresses
to the accept list using the "Edit Files" function. This enables
you to post to your list from those addresses without getting additional
mailings from the list. If you are not familiar with how an accept list
works, click here. |
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| 3. | Change the password to one of your own choice
by using the "Change List Admin Address or Password" function.
Write down your password. If the list is new, you can skip this
task. |
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| 4. |
Again, if this is not a new list, review the welcome, goodbye, and administrivia
letters using the "Edit Files" function. If they include the
previous administrator's name or address, update at least that portion
of the letter. We recommend that you use the generic address below to
allow users to reach you (where xxxx
is the list name): |
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| Send a message to your list. Introduce
yourself to the subscribers, making them feel at ease with the change in
administrators. If the list is new and you don't have any subscribers,
you can skip this task. |
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| Know where to find help. Learn what
resources are available to you and how to access them before the need arises. |
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| 1. | Skim through the index of help pages for mailing
lists so you are familiar with the topics. |
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| 2. |
Consider subscribing to LISTOWNERS or NEWBIE-LISTOWNER mailing lists for at least a week or two. RootsWeb staff monitor both lists. They, along with other administrators who enjoy being mentors, will help you get used to being a list administrator. These are kindred souls who still recall their first days of being an administrator. |
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| 3. | The HelpDesk
is available to help when you haven't found your answer through other means. |
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Be prepared: The world quickly hears about new mailing lists. New mailing lists are indexed and appear in the directory at http://lists.rootsweb.com the day after they are created. In addition, new mailing lists are announced each Wednesday in the RootsWeb Review, our weekly newsletter, and the What's New area of RootsWeb. This may result in an influx of new subscribers to your list. When RootsWeb creates a new list, we also notify John Fuller
<JohnF14246@aol.com>. He will contact you to ask if you want the
list indexed on his Web
site. The choice is yours; saying yes will be a wonderful way to promote
your list. |
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| Read RootsWeb's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).
You and your subscribers are expected to comply with the AUP.
If you haven't read it yet, do so now. |
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| Enjoy your list! Using common sense and common courtesy will see you through most situations. | ||
If you are a new (first-time) administrator, please read through the balance of this section within the next day or two.
Continue to:
What to Expect the First Week