Mailing lists    continued

A common problem with lists and message services is the sheer volume of material that is available. You may feel pressured to read every single contribution. You can 'manage' this information by choosing carefully which to join. Most JISCmail lists feature an archive, so you can check the quality of the discussion and the numbers of messages before you decide to join. Some mailing lists also offer a ‘digest’ function, whereby you will receive a single message with all the day's messages to the list in it, rather than all of the messages individually. Remember also that you can leave a list whenever it suits you!

Your email software may also help you manage materials like these. In MS Outlook, for example, you can set your email preferences so that incoming messages are directed into specific folders. So, you may be able to create a separate folder for each list you belong to and have mail directed there until you are ready to read it, rather than have it filling up your in-box.