List topics provide a convenient way for subscribers to manage their subscriptions so as to receive only messages on the subjects that interest them. Here's how they work, in a nutshell: the list software recognizes a set of subject subtopics for the list, and subscribers can choose to receive messages belonging to any or all of those topics. Each posting to the list should be directed to one or more of the topics; important messages can be sent to a special topic called 'ALL', and unlabelled or incorrectly labelled messages will be directed to a special topic called 'OTHER'. This page will answer the following questions:
The list of topics is as follows:
To make sure a message is directed to a given topic, simply put that topic in the subject line of the your message. For example, if you are sending a posting about a problem with technique, your subject line might look like this:
Subject: Play: How to teach the instep drive?
Note the colon ':' after the topic. The software looks for the colon and takes everything to the left of it as a potential list of topics. For example, a message labelled
Subject: Play, Tournaments: Best tactics for a 3v3 tournament
would be sent to everyone who had subscribed to either the 'Play' or 'Tournaments' topics.
No. You must, however, use enough of it to make it unambiguous. For example, because "Management" and "Match_day" both begin with "Ma", you would have to use at least the first three letters of those topics to make sure your posting is directed appropriate. In other words, a posting labelled
Subject: Man: Bad discipline problem
would be sent to "Management", whereas one labelled
Subject: Mat: Bad discipline problem
would to everyone who had subscribed to the "Match_day" topic.
No, you should receive only one copy of each message, no matter how many topics it is sent to, unless of course you have multiple active list subscriptions!
To receive a given topic, use the SET command. For example, if you wish to receive only messages addressed to 'Play', send
SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: PLAY
to listserv@morgan.ucs.mun.ca. The message can be either upper- or lower-case.
To receive messages from more than one topic, specify the name of each topic you wish to receive, e.g.
SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: PLAY MATCH_DAY EQUIPMENT
To receive all topics, including those which are unlabelled or incorrectly labelled, send
SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: ALL
To receive only correctly labelled topics on all subjects, send
SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: ALL -OTHER
The minus sign '-' deletes that topic from the list of topics you will receive.
To alter the list of topics you receive, use any desired combination of plus '+' and minus '-' signs. For example, if you no longer wish to receive any messages on the subject of officiating, send
SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: -OFFICIATING
If you currently receive all correctly labelled topics but have decided you also want to see unlabelled or incorrectly labelled messages, send
SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: +OTHER
Note that you can combine these, so that
SET SOCCER-COACH-L TOPICS: -OFFICIATING +OTHER
All unlabelled or incorrectly labelled messages will be directed to a special topic called 'OTHER'. This topic will likely be read only by the most fanatical subscribers, so you should make every effort to ensure that you have labelled your posting correctly!
All new subscribers will receive postings on all topics except 'OTHER'. They can then choose to alter their subscriptions at any time.
Digest subscribers will not be able to restrict their choice of list topics, because the same digest is prepared and sent to all digest subscribers. To be able to use topics, you must set your subscription to 'MAIL'; if you are currently subscribed to the digest and wish to do this, you will need to send
SET SOCCER-COACH-L MAIL
You should write to one of the list owners: David Graham <dgraham@morgan.ucs.mun.ca>, George Gehrig <ggehrig@WWW.ortho.lsumc.edu>, Gene Schwartman <emagene@pop.erols.com>.
Updated 17 November 2002