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How to Solve Problems with your List Subscription
May 29th, 2001
Writing Good Posts
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With lists volume as high as it is, a clearly written message
with a good subject line will greatly increase the chances your posting will be
noticed, and will generate the kind of responses you are looking
for.
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Make Sure Your E-Mail's Subject Line is Accurate and Specific!
When you start a new subject, it's best to be as specific as you
possibly can. Overly broad subject lines like, "Help needed", or "Info wanted"
require people to read your message to know what it's really about, and many,
if not most people (often including some of your listowners) do not have the
time to read every message. Instead, be as specific as you possibly can.
Instead of "Help Needed" you might say, "Looking for info on side effects of
drug XYZ", or "Are High Fevers Normal with IL-2?", or "Feeling really blue,
could use some support."
If you are replying to a message, don't be afraid to change the
subject line! Often the conversation drifts so much that it no longer has
anything whatever to do with the original subject and the subject line is now
completely misleading. Also people may have started the thread with a poor
subject line. If so don't be afraid to make it better. One of your listowners
likes to modify the subject by adding a "/" and then some clarification. For
example, if the original subject was: "Info Needed", the response might have
the subject line: "Re: Info Needed / Treatment for Bone Mets." Including the
original subject can make it easier for the people who have been following the
discussion to recognize that this new message is part of the same thread. If
necessary shorten the original subject.
If you get the list in digest mode and are replying, your e-mail
client will typically generate a subject line that will be something like: "Re
Kidney-Onc Digest August First 2000...". Obviously this conveys no useful
information whatsoever. If you are in digest mode and this happens, you need to
type in a new subject every time! If necessary you can copy the subject line
from the individual message you are replying to within the digest.
If you need help with how to change the subject line please see our
page on editing e-mail messages
Provide as Much Information About Your Situation As Possible
If you are looking for information people will be able to help you
most effectively if you explain your situation as specifically as you can.
Include, the type of cancer (usually renal cell cancer), the stage, and what
treatments you have had or are getting now.
If You Are Asking Questions Be as Specific As Possible
Think a bit about what you're looking for, and then try to be just as
specific as you can in your message. It is almost impossible to answer very
broad inquires like, "looking for all info on kidney cancer," and much easier
to answer questions like, "has anyone on the list tried drug XYZ", or "Where
can I get treatment XYZ".
A STYLE POINTER: DON'T USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS!
USING ALL CAPS COMES ACROSS LIKE SHOUTING AND ITS MUCH HARDER TO
READ! It's much easier to read if you write your message normally, just the
way you would write a letter to a friend. (Note: If you are getting upper case
letters even though you aren't pressing the shift key, fix it by pressing the
"Caps Lock" key.)
Please - Help Us Reduce List Volume!
With an average of hundreds of members the ACOR lists generate so much mail that it can
be just overwhelming. And our lists are still doubling in size over time, so this is
more and more of a concern. Yet there are some simple, easy, common sense
measures you can take to help keep the volume level reasonable. Please take the
time to read and act on our Tips on Reducing List
Volume
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