gradchat Mailing List Frequently Asked Questions v0.2

  1. Introduction
    1. What is "gradchat"?
    2. Isn't that what "graduates" is for?
    3. Why "gradchat"?
  2. Subscribing / Unsubscribing from "gradchat"
    1. Who is subscribed to "gradchat"?
    2. Is "gradchat" available in digest form?
    3. How do I subscribe to "gradchat"?
    4. How do I unsubscribe from "gradchat"?
    5. How else can I read message posted to "gradchat"?
  3. What to Post
    1. Is there a moderator for "gradchat"?
    2. Who can post to "gradchat"?
    3. Are there limits to what can I post on "gradchat"?
    4. I'm worried my email to "gradchat" won't reach everyone. Should I cc "graduates" as well?
  4. Filtering your email
    1. How can I filter email from "gradchat" in pine?
    2. How can I filter email from "gradchat" in mozilla?
Other Questions or Concerns? Email owner-gradchat@cs.wisc.edu

1.1) What is "gradchat"?

"gradchat" is a mailing list provided by SACM for the purpose of advertising social events and encouraging discussion among graduate students in the CS department of UW-Madison.

1.2) Isn't that what "graduates" is for?

Not really. The purpose of the "graduates" mailing list, as defined by the CSL Web pages, is for postings relevant to a broad segment of CS grads. This has become synonymous with administrative emails from the faculty and departmental admin staff, employment opportunities, seminar and reading group announcements, news of SACM activies, and free food.

1.3) Why "gradchat"?

"gradchat" was born out of discussion among SACM officers in Fall 2002. Several people noted that many messages were being sent with headers such as "Sorry for the SPAM" or more extreme apologies for their notices. Messages to graduates of a social nature were regarded as off-topic and possibly unwelcome for some graduate students. Some students were wary of posting legitimate messages. There appeared to be a need for another way to reach graduate students separate from the "graduates" mailing list.

To remedy this, the "gradchat" mailing list was proposed. The subscribers would be identical to "graduates" with the option to unsubscribe at any time. This way, those students objecting to social or off-topic emails could leave the fracas, with the remaining students able to send messages without apologizing for the disruption. To keep all the options open, the "gradchat" mailing list was mirrored as a web-archive and also a newsgroup.

It is our hope that "gradchat" will be a good solution; remember, this is an experiment, and things will get worked out as we go along. The success of the list is up to you. Enjoy!

2.1) Who is subscribed to "gradchat"?

Gradchat is open to graduate students in the Computer Sciences dept and other affiliated students. Subscription is opt-in and voluntary. See 2.3 below for subscription information. An email reminder is sent to graduates at the beginning of each semester stressing the difference of the two lists.

2.2) Is "gradchat" available in digest form?

No.

2.3) How can I subscribe?

Visit https://lists.cs.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/gradchat

Your subscription must be approved by the current owner of the list.

For more information on mailing lists here in the computer science department, please click here.

2.4) How can I unsubscribe?

Visit https://lists.cs.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/gradchat

2.5) How else can I read messages posted to "gradchat"?

If you would rather not receive the messages of "gradchat" by email, but would still like to be in the loop, there are two other ways to access the "gradchat" mailing list.

First, all messages are archived by the CSL at http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~lists/archive/gradchat. This web page is only available from within the CS department network to prevent the harvesting of email addresses by spammers.

Second, the list is also mirrored as a local newsgroup, uwisc.cs.gradchat. All messages sent to the list will also appear in this newsgroup.

3.1) Is there a moderator/list owner for "gradchat"?

Yes, there is a list owner for "gradchat". As of fall 2005, this is Louis Kruger. You can reach the current owner at owner-gradchat@cs.wisc.edu with your questions, problems, and suggestions.

3.2) Who can post to "gradchat"?

Only those students currently subscribed to "gradchat" are permitted to post messages. Due to large volumes of spam, messages originating from non-subscribers are automatically rejected.

3.3) Are there limits to what can I post on "gradchat"?

Posts to "gradchat" can include social events, things for sale, questions seeking advice, etc. Certain topics like politics and religion are not taboo, per se, but long diatribes on the government coverup of UFOs are discouraged, as are swearing, insulting Brian Forney's mother, and other uncouth behaviour. :)

Please treat your fellow graduate students with respect. "gradchat" should not be a place to vent your weekly frustrations and anger. Sending an email to "gradchat" is the equivalent of going to everyone's office and saying it in person. The "gradchat" mailing list is self-policing; everyone is responsible for their own behaviour and posts. Flame-wars, abusive or offensive posts will be dealt with as these issues arise, which we hope is never.

3.4) I'm worried my email to "gradchat" won't reach everyone. Should I cc "graduates" as well?

NO! Please do not post messages to both "gradchat" and "graduates"; choose only the most appropriate outlet for your message. Remember, talk announcements and official computer science related messages should go to "graduates", while posts about going out drinking, looking for a plumber, or help with a regular expression are more appropriate for "gradchat".

4.1) How can I filter my "gradchat" emails in pine?

Email from the "gradchat" mailing list can be filtered in pine in the following way (Thanks to Robin Kramer)

To filter using pine, start at the main menu, then choose the following pointer menu items, Setup, Rules, Filters, Add. From the add menu, highlight the nickname, and type C to change the nickname, then change the filter to: option to "gradchat@cs.wisc.edu", then under the actions, you can choose a file folder to filter the messeges to. If you do not have one already created, it will automatically create one for you with the specific name. Then exit filters and save setup.

4.1) How can I filter my "gradchat" emails in mozilla?

Under Construction...