Child-Neuro E-Mail List For Child Neurologists

Academy Sites Books Clinical CME E-mail Journals Links Medline Parents Pharmaceuticals Professional Research Teaching Web Portals Internet Course

Here are some of the common questions that have come up with regard to the Child-Neuro e-mail list. Please save this message for future reference.

The key link for making changes to your e-mail settings and for searching the archives is
Child-Neuro Settings and Archives Page
https://listserver.itd.umich.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=child-neuro

• Q: How do I send mail to the list?
  A:  Messages should be posted to Child-Neuro@umich.edu.  (Note that capitalization does not matter.)  Messages can also be created on the Child-Neuro Settings and Archives Page web site by logging in and clicking "Create Message."
   
• Q: Any other tips for posting mail?
  A: See the "Netiquette" section below.   See also the Rules and Guidelines for using the list.
   
• Q: What's the difference between the two different e-mail addresses you've given us?  And why do we sometimes see messages on the list such as "Unsubscribe Child-Neuro"?
  A: Messages to go to everyone on the list should go to Child-Neuro@umich.edu.
  Commands for the server should go to Child-Neuro-Request@umich.edu. 
  The difference is similar to deciding to send a message to everyone on your Christmas mailing list versus telling the post office that you'll be on vacation for a week.
   
• Q: I can no longer send messages, unsubscribe, or send commands to the server, but I'm still receiving mail? What's going on?
  A: The most likely explanation is that the e-mail address your message is coming from is different from the one from which you were originally subscribed. This could happen if the gateway (the routing pathway) your e-mail system uses has changed. The system administrators often don't inform you of this. Forward your error message to
  
      Steven Leber, M.D., Ph.D., "leber at med.umich.edu" (substitute "@" for " at ")  or
      Kenneth Mack, M.D., Ph.D., "mack.kenneth at mayo.edu"
  
  and we'll change your mailing address.
   
• Q: How do I access the Child-Neuro World Wide Web site?
  A: Go to http://www-personal.umich.edu/~leber/c-n/
   
• Q: How do I access the Child Neurology Society website?
  A: Go to http://www.childneurologysociety.org/ .
   
• Q: I seem to recall seeing a discussion about something several months ago, but now I don't recall the details. How do I access the archives of the discussion?
  A: Via the Child-Neuro Settings and Archives Page:
  Click "Read Messages."
  The messages are listed from most recent to oldest, with threads (messages regarding the same topic) indicated by arrows and indentations.
  Searches of the archives can be done by entering keyword and specifying whether you are looking for "any" or "all" of the words you entered ("or" or "and") and whether you want to search the entire message, body, or header of the message.  Unfortunately, it is not possible to search by date of posting.   Also, all of the messages from Waisman have been imported but given the date of importation rather than their original posting date.
   
• Q: I get too many messages each day! Can I consolidate the individual the individual messages into a single composite message?
  A: The DIGEST format will reduce the number of messages you receive, but will not change the content.

  To change your subscription to a digest format via e-mail, send a message to Child-Neuro-Request@umich.edu
      [PLEASE DO NOT SEND THIS MESSAGE TO CHILD-NEURO@UMICH.EDU!]
  In either the subject line or body of the text write:
      Set Child-Neuro Digest
  To return to the undigested setting and receive the individual mailings, send the following instead, again, either in the subject line or body:
      Set Child-Neuro Mail
  (You may want to set Digest, for example, if you go out of town. Alternatively, you can "Set Child-Neuro Nomail" to stop your mail when you're gone and then "Set Child-Neuro Mail" to resume it when you return.)

  An alternative form of the Digest is the MIME-Digest setting. 

  • MIME-Digest versus regular digest?

    • Digest:  Routine digest messages may be hard to read, with some blurring of the boundaries between the original, quoted message and more recent response.  The more recent response is place on top of the prior message in the thread.  In addition, the new messages are numbered (:X-message number ___) and separated by

     

               with quoted messages preceded by

              “-----Original Message-----“
     

    • MIME-Digest:  This still comes as a single daily message, but instead of have each posting listed sequentially in a single, long message, an index message comes, listing each of the daily postings, and each posting comes as an attachment.  The MIME form of the digest is often easier to read (and, in some situations, gives cleaner messages with less formatting confusion) but requires the reader to open individual attachments. 

  To receive the MIME form of digest, send a message saying
      Set Child-Neuro Mimedigest

  To change your settings via the web site, go to the Child-Neuro Settings and Archives Page and click "Your Settings."
   

• Q: I'm going out of town and want to stop my mail. What should I do?
  A: You may want to set Digest, as described above. Alternatively, you can send the command
      Set Child-Neuro Nomail
  to stop your mail when you're gone and then
      Set Child-Neuro Mail (or Digest or Mimedigest)
  to resume it when you return.

  To change your settings via the web site, go to the Child-Neuro Settings and Archives Page and click "Your Settings."
   

• Q: How do I unsubscribe?
  A: Send a message to
      Child-Neuro-Request@UMICH.EDU
      (not CHILD-NEURO@UMICH.EDU)
  Use the following one line command in the subject line or as the first line of the message
  Unsubscribe Child-Neuro

  You can also unsubscribe from the Child-Neuro Settings and Archives Page.
  
  A more complete list of e-mail commands is found at the bottom of this page.
   

• Q: May I send attachments?
  A:  No.  This is to prevent viruses and to save space in the server.
   
• Q: What if I want others to see MRI images or a video I have of a patient I'm describing in a posting?
  A:  See the Images page for information on how to do this.
   
• Q: Are there similar lists for adult neurology?
  A: NEURO, is a forum for neurologists. To subscribe, contact Michael Rivner, M.D. at
  rivner@emgmhs.mcg.edu
  Many disease- or subspecialty-specific lists exist. See the child-neuro web site for more information.  Please e-mail Steve Leber at "Leber at med.umich.edu" to correct or update this list.

"NETIQUETTE" ISSUES

• Q: My messages are coming out garbled, with a lot of computer-code looking text that I never typed.
  A: Many e-mail programs have the option of sending messages as either "plain-text" or "HTML."  Set your program to "plain-text" and the problem is likely to resolve.
   
• Q: My message is being rejected as too long, even though I know it's shorter than the limit of 5 kb per message.  Why?
  A: One common reason is that your message was composed in a word processing program and then copied and pasted into your e-mail program.  These carries with it a ton of hidden text.  Try either composing your message within the e-mail program (as plain-text) or as plain-text (".txt") in your word processing program before you copy and paste it.  Also, see below about how much to quote from other messages.
   
• Q: I am not from the United States, and I cannot understand many of the discussions because the authors use brand names of drugs rather than generic names. Can this be corrected?
  A: You are entirely correct. We all have to be careful to use generic names and to avoid jargon (e.g., septicize, tap, ....).  Similarly, abbreviations may be commonly understood at your institution but meaningless to others.
   
• Q: Why do I sometimes get personal messages intended for someone else?
  A: Usually, the sender has simply hit the wrong name in his or her e-mail system's address book. Less commonly, the sender does not realize it is a serious breach of "netiquette" to send an individualized message or an "I agree" type response to the whole list.  If you are sending a reply to the list, please be sure that your replies are going to child-neuro@umich.edu rather than to the original poster of the message! This is how it should work but when we tested the list, some people seem to be sending their replies to the original posters. Look at the address before you send it.
   
• Q: I often do not know the context of someone's reply about a message. Can something be done about this?
  A: Good point. See the next question.
   

• Q: When I reply to a message, how much of the original message should I include?
  A:  Just a few lines.  It is best to quote enough of the original message so that the context is apparent (it does readers little good to reply “I think the boy has ADEM” when the readers have no idea which case you’re referring to) but not to include more than a few lines.  PLEASE DO NOT SIMPLY REPLY AND INCLUDE THE ENTIRE PRIOR MESSAGE, PARTICULARLY IF YOU ARE GETTING THE DIGEST.  IF YOU QUOTE TOO MANY LINES, YOUR MESSAGE WILL BE REJECTED.  In addition, all the messages are accompanied by footers.  Please delete at least the footer from the quoted message.  It’s not needed (your message will generate its own footer) and we will soon end up with a string of identical footers in a row.
  
  In addition, when reply to a digest message, your e-mail program will attempt to make the subject:
      "Re: child-neuro digest {date}"
  In order to help readers track discussions, replies should have specific subject headings.   Replies to the digest with the subject "Re: child-neuro digest:" will not go through. Please resend your message using the following format:
      "Re: [child-neuro] {put original subject here}" or
      "Re: {put original subject here}
       (leave out the squiggly brackets).
  For example, make your subject"
      "Re: puzzling patient with myasthenia"  rather than "Re: child-neuro digest: March 14, 2005."
   

A SUMMARY OF E-MAIL COMMANDS

 In case you do not have Web access, here are some key commands; sent the commands to Child-Neuro-Request@umich.edu. Other
addresses are shown where appropriate. Note: Commands may be placed in either the subject line or in the body of the message:

• SUBSCRIBING:
  subscribe Child-Neuro your_name
  join Child-Neuro your_name
   
• UNSUBSCRIBING:
  unsubscribe Child-Neuro
  leave Child-Neuro
   
• SETTING MEMBERSHIP TO DIGEST MODE:
  set Child-Neuro digest
   
• SETTING MEMBERSHIP TO MiME-DIGEST MODE:
  set Child-Neuro mimedigest
   
• SETTING MEMBERSHIP TO DISCUSSION MODE (individual e-mail messages):
  set Child-Neuro mail
   
• TEMPORARILY SUSPENDING MAIL FROM THE LIST:
  set Child-Neuro nomail
   
• RESUMING MAIL FROM THE LIST: (command depends on your preferred mode)
  set Child-Neuro mail
  set Child-Neuro digest
  set Child-Neuro mimedigest
   
• ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
  set Child-Neuro ack
    (sends you a confirmation message when your posts are distributed)
  set Child-Neuro noack (default setting)
    (no confirmation message when posts are distributed)
   
• RECEIVING COPIES OF YOUR OWN POSTS:
  set Child-Neuro repro
    (receive copies of your own posts) (default setting)
  set Child-Neuro norepro
    (do not receive copies of your own posts)
   
• SETTING YOUR PASSWORD:
  set Child-Neuro pw=mypassword
    (where "mypassword" is the password you wish to set)
   
• DETERMINING YOUR MEMBERSHIP SETTINGS:
  query Child-Neuro
   
• POSTING TO THE LIST: You must be a subscriber to post messages. Sending mail to this address will distribute it to all the members of the
  mailing list:
  Child-Neuro@umich.edu

Go back to Child-Neuro Homepage
Go back to Child-Neuro E-mail List page
Go to the Child-Neuro Settings and Archives Page

For questions or comments, contact
Steven Leber, M.D., Ph.D., "leber at med.umich.edu" (substitute "@" for " at ")  or
Kenneth Mack, M.D., Ph.D., "mack.kenneth at mayo.edu"

Last updated 03/23/2005.