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Hydrocephalus: HYCEPH-L email discussion group
An information and support forum for hydrocephalus:

Introduction

When you subscribe, you will receive an introductory note containing more information as well as useful commands.

• To subscribe, send an e-mail message to listserv@listserv.utoronto.ca .
  • In the body of the message type:
  • subscribe HYCEPH-L Yourfirstname Yourlastname
• To post a message send mail to hyceph-l@listserv.utoronto.ca
• To correspond with the list owner, send mail to Jayne Butler jbutler@oise.on.ca
• You may leave the list at any time by sending a "SIGNOFF HYCEPH-L" command to.
  • Please note that this command must NOT be sent to the list address (hyceph-l@listserv.utoronto.ca) but to the LISTSERV address (listserv@listserv.utoronto.ca ).
• A good way to start is to send a message to the list introducing yourself.

The amount of acknowledgment you wish to receive from this list upon completion of a mailing operation can be changed by means of a "SET HYCEPH-L option" command, where "option" may be either "ACK" (mail acknowledgment), "MSGACK" (interactive messages only) or "NOACK".

Please note that it is presently possible for other people to determine that you are signed up to the list through the use of the "REVIEW" command, which returns the network address and name of all the subscribers. If you do not wish your name to be available to others in this fashion, just issue a "SET HYCEPH-L CONCEAL" command.

More information on LISTSERV commands can be found in the LISTSERV reference card, which you can retrieve by sending an "INFO REFCARD" command to listserv@listserv.utoronto.ca .

Listowner: Jayne Butler 's Introductory Letter

Dear New Subscriber,

     Your subscription to list HYCEPH-L (HYCEPH-L - hydrocephalus
information and support list) has been accepted.

     Welcome to HYCEPH-L!

This mailing list is for people with hydrocephalus, their friends and
family members, health care professionals and anyone else with an interest
in the condition. The purpose of the list is to share information and
support in dealing with hydrocephalus. Keep the information below for
future reference. It contains commands you may find useful. A good way to
start is to send a message to the list introducing yourself. The list
address is found below.

 SAVE ------SAVE-------SAVE------SAVE-------SAVE------SAVE-------SAVE

     As list manager I see my role as related to technical responsibility
for maintaining the list as well as assistance for people with questions
related to using the list e.g. how to send a message to the list. It is my
hope that responsibility for the functions and roles which contribute to
the smooth running of a discussion will be shared by all list members e.g.
indicating where resources can be found, providing encouragement, sharing
information. Any discussion invariably runs into differences of opinion
and this is good. Different points of view on an issue promote greater
understanding and more informed decision making. However, treating the
comments of others with the respect we all desire is paramount. Flaming
and put-downs are unacceptable.

     If you are new to the list please send a note to the list introducing
yourself.  You might indicate topics of interest to you and experiences
you have had. Your comments will add to the discussion, particularly if
you relate them to what someone else has said. Questions can generate a
number of direct responses which may help you feel more at home on the
list. It might help to view the list as a physical space rather than
cyberspace. Imagine a room with comfortable overstuffed chairs where the
coffee is perpetually ready and there is always a friendly person who
immediately understands your situation and is looking for conversation.
Pull up a chair. We are all very pleased that you have come to join us.

Below you will find a disclaimer, a few policy issues and some commands
that will be helpful in using mailing list software. Please take some time
now to read them. This message is one that you should save for future
reference.

DISCLAIMER
     HYCEPH-L is intended to provide information for people experiencing
hydrocephalus. In the spirit of open information sharing any subscriber
may post messages to HYCEPH-L. Information posted to HYCEPH-L and its
files may or may not be accurate or medically appropriate for any
particular situation. The files and posts to HYCEPH-L including those of any
guest speakers, doctors or other health care providers should not be
regarded as rendering medical advice or other professional services. The
posts and associated files for HYCEPH-L are not a substitutes for readers
securing their own medical advice or other professional services. Readers
who suspect or have health problems are strongly urged to consult their
own health care providers before acting on any HYCEPH-L information.

     Readers should be aware that in some areas of the Internet role
playing and the assumption of alternative identities are an accepted part
of behavior. While this behavior is not an accepted, encouraged or
condoned part of HYCEPH-L the listowner does not verify the identity of any
poster to HYCEPH-L including guest speakers. The mention of services,
resources, references or products in messages or associated files for
HYCEPH-L does not constitute verification or endorsement.

SOME POLICY ISSUES

Private vs. Public Messages
     Suggestions for private mail include: "thank you", "welcomes",
"me toos". If the message is just for one person send it privately. Public
messages add something to new to a thread in the form of information or
relevant experience. Contributions do not have to be information oriented.
Personal experiences are appreciated too.

Balance
There would also seem to be a need for balance between enough
friendly conversation to establish a feeling of community and provide
support while at the same time keeping the conversation focused on
subjects of interest and adding something new or building on the
conversation.

     When replying to a message on HYCEPH-L it is most easily done
with the reply function in e-mail. This is the time to consider whether
your =FCmessage should go publicly to the list or privately to the individual.

     In order to send a message publicly use the reply function of your
mail program. To send a message privately when you use the reply function
of your mail program you must change the address to the personal e-mail
address of the individual to whom you are replying (see the "From:" part
of the mail header in the message). Personal e-mail addresses are
found in the "From" part of the header of the message.


Disturbing Content
     From time to time ( it doesn't happen often) subscribers submit
messages that may be disturbing to some people. An example might be a
message about the death of a person with hydrocephalus. These kind of
messages are desired by some and upsetting for others. If you think that
the content of your messages could be upsetting for some subscribers
please flag it so that people may delete without reading. E.g.

     Subject: Hydrocephalus related death

In the first sentence explain that the message may be upsetting. e.g.

     You may wish to delete the following message without reading if
discussions related to death and hydrocephalus are upsetting for you.

     

 SAVE ------SAVE-------SAVE------SAVE-------SAVE------SAVE-------SAVE


HOW TO POST A MESSAGE TO HYCEPH-L:

     send mail message to : hyceph-l@listserv.utoronto.ca

     When you post a message, it is helpful if you
     sign it and add your email address.  As example:

          Jayne Butler  - jbutler@oise.on.ca

     Some HYCEPH-L subscribers have mail headers which do not
     display the origin of the note.

You are now ready to begin communicating with us. More commands follow but
they are not essential for interacting with list members.

HOW TO INTERACT WITH THE LISTSERVER:

     You can ask the listserver (the computer that operates the list) to
mail files to you, to set your mail options, and to request information.
To interact with the listserver computer, you want to send mail to the
LISTSERVER, not to everyone on HYCEPH-L.

     Send a mail message to:

              listserv@listserv.utoronto.ca

     and in the body of the note, use any of the following
     commands:

    NOTE:  Do not include the explanatory comments in (   ) below.

SUBscribe HYCEPH-L Yourfirstname Yourlastname (Join the list)
UNSUBscribe HYCEPH-L (Leave the list. Your name is not required)

REView HYCEPH-L     (Who else is on this list?  Get a list of
                    subscribers' names and email addresses)

Sort review list in a certain order:

Review HYCEPH-L by country  (List sorted and counted by country)
Review HYCEPH-L by name  (List sorted by name.  Last, then first)

SET HYCEPH-L  REPRO  (You get a copy of your own mail to HYCEPH-L)
SET HYCEPH-L NOREPro (Set it back to NOT getting a copy of your
                      own mail)

SET HYCEPH-L DIGests     (You get the day's mail in one large
                         note with a table of contents, rather
                         than note by note.  A good option if you
                         do not like dealing with large quantities
                         of incoming mail.)

SET HYCEPH-L INDex  (You get a list of subject lines once daily
               along with instructions on how to retrieve
               the messages that interest you.)

SET HYCEPH-L NOMAIL      (Temporarily stop getting mail from
                         HYCEPH-L.  You are still subscribed.
                         Useful when going on vacation.)

SET HYCEPH-L MAIL   (Start your HYCEPH-L mail coming again after it has
               been set to NOMAIL, or if your mail option is set
               to Digests or Index, start your mail coming
               note by note again)

Index HYCEPH-L (Get a list of files you can retrieve from
               the HYCEPH-L listserver)

GET HYCEPH-L filename   (Get a file from the HYCEPH-L listserver)

Query HYCEPH-L      (Review your optional settings on HYCEPH-L)

HELP                (Get a brief summary of listserv commands)

INFO REFCARD        (Get more information on listserv commands)

                      - - -  * * *   - - -

ABOUT ARCHIVES:

     All contributions to HYCEPH-L are automatically archived.
So for example, if files were archived starting in January 1996

These monthly files are named:

HYCEPH-L LOG9601
HYCEPH-L LOG9602
     etc.

Request the INDEX from the server to get the complete list.  You
can get these archive files by requesting the log file you want.
As example, to have the January and February 1996 logfiles sent
to you, send a message to the LISTSERVER and in the body of the
note, say:

GET HYCEPH-L LOG9601
GET HYCEPH-L LOG9602

Additionally, the HYCEPH-L archives reside on the University of
Toronto gopher and can be viewed and retrieved from that site.

     For those of you who can gopher, at your system prompt type:
          gopher vm.utcc.utoronto.ca

               then look for the menu item:  LISTSERV archives

- - - THE END - - -

       To communicate with the list manager, send mail to:
          Jayne Butler  - jbutler@oise.on.ca

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