Society for Mathematical Psychology: MPSYCH Listserv

MPSYCH-L

Using Email via MPSYCH-L

Contents

Introduction and terminology

MPSYCH-L is a Listserv electronic mail list serving the Society for Mathematical Psychology. It allows members to distribute mail to the entire group quickly and easily, and also provides quick access to files archived with the list. Listserv is a software package that resides on the computer brownvm at Brown University. MPSYCH-L, also on brownvm, is a set of files of two types: (1) a list of addresses of members of the Society for Mathematical Psychology and (2) an archive of all e-mail and other files sent by members for distribution to the rest of the members on the list. Listserv@brownvm maintains and operates MPSYCH-L@brownvm. (For '@' read 'at'.) MPSYCH-L now has 247 members in its mailing list. Last year MPSYCH-L distributed 62 items of e-mail to members. It is, by comparison with major lists, a rather small and quiet one. SAS-L, for example, may receive 62 postings a day. The number of members is also relatively small, but they represent a substantial fraction of mathematical psychologists worldwide. There are list members from most parts of the globe, including Europe and the Pacific rim. MPSYCH-L represents one of the few ways to communicate rapidly and inexpen- sively with this group. While most list members are also members of the Society for Mathematical Psychology, many are not. It is hoped that MPSYCH-L can be one mechanism for researchers to become aware of the Society.

Sending a message to MPSYCH-L for distribution

If you have an announcement, a discussion item, a request for information, or similar material that you would like to have distributed to all members, you may send an ordinary e-mail message or a file containing the material (message) to MPSYCH- L@brownvm. All e-mail addressed to MPSYCH-L by any member will be distributed and archived. The purpose is to facilitate communications of all types among members of the Society for Mathematical Psychology.

Replying to a message from MPSYCH-L

You may reply to a message you have received from a member via MPSYCH-L by using the ordinary REPLY command. Your reply will not be distributed to the other members, but will go directly to the author of the original message.

Sending commands to Listserv

The managing software, Listserv, will respond to three different types of commands from you. You may command Listserv@brownvm: (1) to send you general information about using Listserv, (2) to send you archived items or other specific information from MPSYCH-L, or (3) to change the status of your membership on the list. Generally, Listserv will try to carry out your command, offer help (e.g., send you the address of a cooperating Listserv closer to you for generic information). To send commands to Listserv, send the one command per line in a regular e-mail message. Send the e-mail message to Listserv@brownvm. Listserv will reply by e-mail.

Two good publications to get by means of Listserv commands are Gen, an introduction to Listserv for general users, and Ref, a reference card of Listserv commands. Gen gives detailed information on the mechanics of making up files of commands for Listserv and files for messages to MPSYCH-L. To obtain electronic copies of Gen and Ref send the following commands to Listserv@brownvm.
INFO GEN
INFO REF

Getting e-mail addresses from MPSYCH-L

One particularly useful feature of LISTSERV is that it can send you the latest e-mail addresses of all the persons on the list. To get a list of all the persons currently signed onto MPSYCH-L and their addresses, send LISTSERV@BROWNVM the following one-line message:
REVIEW MPSYCH-L

In response to this command, LISTSERV will send you a file (not an e-mail message but a plain ASCII file) that you can read into a file on your disk. The entries in this file will look like this:

metzger@UMBC2.UMBC.EDU Mary Ann Metzger
You should be aware that even though a person's address may appear in the list, the address is not necessarily correct, and that even if it is a valid address from our node, it may not work when used at your node. The e-mail system is in considerable flux, and we cannot guarantee any address for any extended period.

Changing your e-mail address

If you are changing your e-mail address, the best way to keep our records accurate is for you to sign off MPSYCH-L from your old account and resubscribe from your new account. Please try steps 1 and 2 below.

1. Sign off by sending an e-mail message to Listserv@brownvm. The message should contain only one line.
SIGNOFF MPSYCH-L

2. Resubscribe to MPSYCH-L@brownvm by sending an e-mail message to Listserv@brownvm. The message should contain only one line, substituting your own name for "Your Name Here".

SUBSCRIBE MPSYCH-L Your Name Here

Getting less e-mail from MPSYCH-L

Some users prefer not to receive all the messages distributed though the list. If you are one of these, you can turn your e-mail from MPSYCH-L on and off like a radio. Just send one the following commands to Listserv@brownvm. Send one command per line in a regular e-mail message.
SET MPSYCH-L NOMAIL
SET MPSYCH-L MAIL

If you set NOMAIL, you will receive no e-mail from Mpsych-L, but your name will remain on the list as an authorized subscriber. You may still send e-mail to MPSYCH-L and it will be distributed as usual. If you later want to see what you missed while your NOMAIL option was in force, send the following command to Listserv@brownvm.
GET MPSYCH-L FILELIST

You will then receive a list of files in the archive, including old messages. The files are identified by 'filename' 'filetype' and a descriptive phrase. To order a copy of any file that interests you, send the following command to Listserv@brownvm.
GET filename filetype MPSYCH-L

If you need help ordering the file in a format readable by your system, check with your local expert or send the following command to listserv for more information on how to get information.
HELP

Subscribing to Psycoloquy

Members who want to continue to receive items from PSYCOLOQUY- and BBS- editor Stevan Harnad should sign up directly on Harnad's lists. Note that there are two types of communications from Harnad: (a) issues of the electronic journal Psycoloquy and (b) calls for reviews and commentary on books and BBS articles. Each of these is available directly from Dr. Harnad. To make contact, send 'SUBSCRIBE PSYC Your Name Here' command (as in #2 above) to Listserv@pucc.bitnet or send an e-mail inquiry to harnad@clarity.princeton.edu or harnad@pucc.bitnet.

Equivalent addresses for host 'brownvm'

For Listserv commands || For e-mail messages
Listserv@brownvm.brown.edu || MPSYCH-L@brownvm.brown.edu
Listserv@brownvm.bitnet || MPSYCH-L@brownvm.bitnet
Listserv@128.148.128.40 || MPSYCH-L@128.148.128.40

Items for discussion

1. Do you want substantive, refereed messages? This can be done. You would have to select an editor(s) for this purpose.

2. Do you want MEMO files? To clarify, a MEMO is a file managed by a single individual. Whenever that person puts a new message into the file, the new material (called and update or a new issue) is automatically distributed by MPSYCH-L to everyone who has specifically requested to receive all issues of the MEMO.

For subscribers with Unix-type systems, the new issue will arrive in the subscriber's mailbox. It will be indistinguishable from regular e-mail except that REPLY will not work. For most other systems, the new issue will arrive as a normal text file which can be read via a text editor.

MEMOs are a good adaptation for members who do not want unsolicited e-mail, but who would like to get messages they consider important. For example, announcements from the Society can be sent out via both regular e-mail and MEMO. A member who wishes to receive Society announcements but not other e-mail can subscribe to the MEMO and set another option to NOMAIL.

You can test out your system's capacity to receive MEMO files. Just send an e-mail message containing only the following command to Listserv@brownvm (bitnet) or Listserv@brownvm.brown.edu.
AFD ADD ANNOUNCE MEMO MPSYCH-L

I will send out a test issue of ANNOUNCE MEMO. After you have seen what you wish of the MEMO system, you may cancel your subscription to ANNOUNCE MEMO by sending the following command to Listserv.
AFD DEL ANNOUNCE MEMO MPSYCH-L

3. What policy do you prefer for e-mail discussions? We have the possibility of open, moderated, or hybrid discussions. These policies essentially determine what will appear in your mailbox after a discussion has been initiated. In an open discussion, you will receive all messages (original messages and REPLYs) that are received by MPSYCH-L. In a moderated discussion, you will receive all messages and REPLYs that have been approved by the moderator. In a hybrid all original messages will be sent to you unreviewed, but REPLYs will go only to the author (originator) of the original message. Originators should assemble interesting replies and send a summary to MPSYCH-L.

To get an idea of the operation of a large (approx. 600 members) active list that uses the hybrid option, try subscribing to the discussion list for statistics education, EDSTAT-L. If you send in the command given below, you will automatically be added to the list. The first command below will automatically sign you on the EDSTAT-L. After you have seen enough, the second command will sign you off. These commands should be each be sent as the only line of a regular e-mail message addressed to Listserv@ncsuvm (bitnet).
SUBSCRIBE EDSTAT-L Your Full Name
SIGNOFF EDSTAT-L