The list rules are available in the Welcome Message. Manners and basic netiquette are expected from subscribers, of course.

Please don't ask the list owner to "just subscribe you." You have to go through the process to make sure your address is correct and the server can send messages to you. Yes, every time. If you have problems, turn off the HTML encoding. (See below.) 

Troubleshooting problems with subscribing or unsubscribing
Troubleshooting problems confirming your subscription
Troubleshooting problems posting to the list
Changing from the single message list to the digest version

There is no nomail setting because there are no limits on how many people can be subscribed so you don't have to "hold your place." It's just as easy to unsubscribe and resubscribe, and one less command for you to figure out. 

Subscribe by emailing majordomo@samfans.org with just the message: 

           subscribe samfans

The list software will automatically determine your address and send a confirmation message, to which you only need to reply. You don't need to type anything or change anything, and your email software should address the message properly. 

 To unsubscribe, simply prepend the same command with an "un," and mail to the same address:

           unsubscribe samfans

The digest is the exact same messages as the regular list, but saved up till there are 25 or more kb and sent in one big message. If that appeals to you, just change "samfans" to "samfans-digest" in the above commands. The address is still the same. If you are already subscribed to the single message version, you will have to unsubscribe from it or you will get both versions.
Please don't ask the list owner which way would be better for you to receive the list. You have to decide that for yourself, but if you aren't pleased with your choice, you can unsubscribe from one version and subscribe to the other, so don't be afraid to try it. 

The command to subscribe to the digest is:

subscribe samfans-digest

unsubscribe samfans-digest

More extensive instructions:

Subscribing instructions  Unsubscribing instructions 

Troubleshooting subscription problems:

Have you used the correct address for the subscribe/unsubscribe commands?

(majordomo@samfans.org) 

 

Do you use a challenge response anti-spam system?

Majordomo is a program that runs on a computer. It's not going to attempt to go to a web page and type in a word to prove it's human. You need to whitelist the samfans server. Contact your C/R system administrators for help if you don't know how to whitelist on the system you use.

 

Did you reply to the confirmation message? 

 

Did you check to be sure that the word "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" was spelled correctly? 

 

Did you copy and paste the enclosing quotation marks as well as the commands? 

The quotes are only there to show you where the commands begin and end. Leaving them in confuses the majordomo software.

 

Did you put the commands in the "subject" or "title" of the email? 

All commands must be in the message itself or majordomo won't be able to read them.

 

Did you remember to turn OFF coding your messages into HTML for the subscribe/unsubscribe command message? 

Commands need to be in "plain text" Check the instructions that came with your email program (click "Help" in the menu bar or press the F1 key at the top of your keyboard.) or go to http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/listadmins/plaintext.html 

 

Did you include any extra words or text within the body of the message? 

Majordomo is a computer program and doesn't understand conversation. 

 

Have you changed your ISP and/or e-mail address recently? 

 

Is the "Reply To" address absolutely correct in your e-mail software program's options menu?

If not, the subscription will not work correctly. The "Reply To" address should be exactly the same as your e-mail address in order to ensure return e-mail and successful mailing list commands. 

 

Are you already subscribed to this mailing list? 

Troubleshooting problems confirming your subscription:

Did you reply to the confirmation message? 

 

Did you send it back to the address from which you received it?

If you send the confirmation token to the list, the list owner or the majordomo address, it won't work. 

 

Did you whitelist mail you requested in your Challenge/Response antispam system?

 

The confirmation number must appear in the subject line or the message itself exactly as you received it. 

The best way to return the confirmation is to use the "reply" button in your email program 

and simply send the message without altering it. 

The word "KEY:" must be included before the confirmation token just as you received it.

Majordomo does not understand conversation, so please do not add or subtract anything.

Troubleshooting posting problems:

If your messages are coming out double spaced, there are two possiblities: 

***************************************
SUMMARY:

Commands should be sent in the body of an email message to
majordomo@samfans.org . Multiple commands can be processed provided
each occurs on a separate line.

Commands in the "Subject:" line are NOT processed.

If you have any questions or problems, please contact
owner-samfans@samfans.org

****************************************

Samfans runs on Majordomo. You cannot subscribe or unsubscribe by 
sending messages to the list. 

There are actually two mailing lists, Samfans, and Samfans-digest.

Samfans-digest includes all the same messages as Samfans, but 
they are saved up till there are 25Kb and then sent in one large 
message. Some people find this more convenient.

Send commands in the body of email messages addressed to 
majordomo@samfans.org 
Please do not put your commands on the subject line; Majordomo does
not process commands in the subject line.

You may put multiple Majordomo commands in the same mail message.
Put each command on a line by itself.

If you use a "signature block" at the end of your mail, Majordomo may
mistakenly believe each line of your message is a command; you will
then receive spurious error messages.  To keep this from happening,
either put a line starting with a hyphen ("-") before your signature,
or put a line with just the word

        end

on it in the same place.  This will stop the Majordomo software from
processing your signature as bad commands.

If you use HTML encoding in your email messages, Majordomo cannot read 
the commands. Please turn the coding off before attempting to send commands. 
You can find instructions to turn the coding off at 
http://www.rootsweb.com/rootsweb/listowners/html-off.htm

I.    SUBSCRIBING TO MAILING LISTS

To receive list mail at the address from which you're sending your mail,
simply say "subscribe" followed by the list's name:

        subscribe samfans

or

        subscribe samfans-digest

If for some reason you wish to have the mailings go to a different address
(a friend's address, a specific other system on which you have an account,
or an address which is more correct than the one that automatically appears 
in the "From:" header on the mail you send), you would add that address to
the command.  For instance, if you're sending a request from your work
account, but wish to receive Samfans mail at your personal account
(for which we will use "jqpublic@my-isp.com" as an example), you'd put
the line

        subscribe samfans jqpublic@my-isp.com

or

        subscribe samfans-digest jqpublic@my-isp.com

in the mail message body.

You will receive notification that an authorization key is required for 
subscription. Another message will be sent to the address to be subscribed 
which may or may not be the same as yours) containing the key, and directing 
the user to send a command found in that message back to Majordomo@samfans.org.  
This can be a bit of extra hassle, but it helps keep you from being swamped 
in extra email by someone who forged requests from your address.)  You 
may also get a message that your subscription is being forwarded to the 
list owner for approval; some lists have waiting lists, or policies about 
who may subscribe.  If your request is forwarded for approval, the list 
owner should contact you soon after your request.

Upon subscribing, you should receive the Welcome Message, containing
list policies and features.  Save this message for future reference; it
will also contain exact directions for unsubscribing.

II.    UNSUBSCRIBING FROM MAILING LISTS

Simply send the command "unsubscribe" followed by the list name:

        unsubscribe samfans

or

        unsubscribe samfans-digest

This command may fail if your provider has changed the way your
address is shown in your mail. 

To remove an address other than the one from which you're sending
the request, give that address in the command:

        unsubscribe samfans jqpublic@my-isp.com

or

        unsubscribe samfans-digest jqpublic@my-isp.com

In either of these cases, you can tell majordomo@samfans.org to remove
the address in question from all lists on this server by using "*"
in place of the list name:

        unsubscribe *
        unsubscribe * jqpublic@my-isp.com


III.    GETTING MORE HELP

To contact a human, send mail to owner-samfans@samfans.org.