What is LISTSERV?

LISTSERV is L-Soft International, Inc.'s software for managing mailing lists. It enables a large group of people to communicate effectively with one another without requiring each person to maintain a mailing list of all the other participants. Additionally, LISTSERV can archive postings in a searchable online database, send indexed digests to participants instead of individual messages, and make sets of files publicly accessible by email.

LISTSERV is only one type of electronic mailing list software. Other types of shared public mailing lists include Majordomo lists, Procmail lists, and LISTPROC.

LISTSERV is effective at combating spam, a frequent problem with shared mailing lists. Since LISTSERV servers communicate with each other, when one server detects a spam file, it notifies all the other servers, so that all the servers can cut off the unwanted messages.

For a collection of documents with general LISTSERV information, and information about owning and subscribing to LISTSERV lists at Indiana University, see LISTSERV and other mailing lists.

Also see:

• At IU, how do I request a new LISTSERV list?
• In LISTSERV, how do I set or change a personal password?
• Are there any mailing lists about LISTSERV?
• At IU, how can I find the names of all the LISTSERV lists?
• What is a LISTSERV mailing list?
• At IU, where can I find a list of useful LISTSERV commands?
• Why do I sometimes not receive mail from distribution lists when other users on the same distribution lists do?
• If my computer has an underscore ( _ ) in its name, why am I having trouble accessing network services?
• At IU, what mailing list software is available?