U.S. Department of Defense - Webmasters List FAQ Admin

DoD Webmasters List FAQ

Admin

What are the Guidelines for this list?

Guidelines are posted in the List Guidelines Section.

How do I join the list?

Send email to LISTSERV@DTIC.MIL.
Include the following command in the body of the email:
SUB DODWEBMASTERS-L yourfirstname yourlastname

Or use the Web form at https://listserv.dtic.mil/listcgi/wa?SUBED1=dodwebmasters-l

About using the web form: The link above (as do all the web form links on this page) requires a log in. If you have not used this web form on this server before you will be required to establish a password for your email address. You will then receive a confirmation email at the address entered into the form, to help ensure you own the email account referenced.

Sending commands to the list: Above we state "send email to listserv@dtic.mil" and "include the following command in the body of the email". For the remaining situations listed on this page we'll just say "send a [command] to listserv@dtic.mil". This means send an email to the address shown and in the body put the command shown. You should copy and paste the command from this page into the body of the email to avoid typographical errors, but DO NOT copy the quote marks!.

How do I leave the list?

You may leave the list at any time by sending a "SIGNOFF DODWEBMASTERS-L" command to LISTSERV@DTIC.MIL.

Or use the Web form at https://listserv.dtic.mil/listcgi/wa?SUBED1=dodwebmasters-l (2/18/04)

How do I send messages to the list?

To send a message to all the people currently subscribed to the list, just send mail to DODWEBMASTERS-L@DTIC.MIL. Please do not send any of the commands shown on this page to the list. (2/18/04)

How do I put the list on hold for travel or vacation?

You can stop receiving email from the list temporarily by sending the command "SET DODWEBMASTERS-L NOMAIL" to LISTSERV@DTIC.MIL

Or use the Web form at https://listserv.dtic.mil/listcgi/wa?SUBED1=dodwebmasters-l

How do I start getting the list again when I return?

Restart email from the list by sending the command "SET DODWEBMASTERS-L MAIL" to LISTSERV@DTIC.MIL

Or use the Web form at https://listserv.dtic.mil/listcgi/wa?SUBED1=dodwebmasters-l

How can I set the list to digest form?

Set your account to digest form by sending the command "SET DODWEBMASTERS-L DIGEST" to LISTSERV@DTIC.MIL

Or use the Web form at https://listserv.dtic.mil/listcgi/wa?SUBED1=dodwebmasters-l

How can I set the list back to regular format (not digest)?

Set the list to 'normal' format by sending the command "SET DODWEBMASTERS-L NODIGEST" to LISTSERV@DTIC.MIL

Or use the Web form at https://listserv.dtic.mil/listcgi/wa?SUBED1=dodwebmasters-l

Where can I post large files?

ftp://ftp.webtrek.com/pub/incoming/
(and send a message to klemmerj@WEBTREK.COM )

How can I get large files that others have posted?

ftp://ftp.webtrek.com/pub/webmasters/

What should I consider before posting to the list?

Please remember that this list is hosted by and operated by the Department of Defense for use by each of us for professional purposes related to our official duties. It is not intended to be used as an open discussion forum for any topic that any member might care to discuss. Instead it is intended to be a place where we can in a friendly atmosphere trade ideas, share knowledge, and find answers that help each of us do a better job for our organizations.

Because of federal laws and/or regulations, we cannot use this list (operated using appropriated funds) to discuss politics; e.g., comments about a political party, elections, or similar things evidencing a political preference. Sure, we can talk about a new law passed by Congress or an Executive Order from the President, when it affects how we do business and when we have to figure out how to make it work, but our discussion needs to stay within those bounds. This is not a place to evidence our feelings about who was or was not elected or the merits of a candidate.

Under our ethics rules, we are required to be impartial and fair to all - has to be in thought, word, and deed. :-) We are supposed to avoid doing anything that evidences preferential treatment for any particular vendor. That means that while we can discuss a software, hardware, or other product or service, we do need to maintain neutrality and avoid adding those little adjectives that show emotion or preference. Sure we all get excited about something that works right and we want to say so. That's great! But just don't tell everyone that they have to buy it because it is the best!! Instead tell us why you were happy with the product - it does x, y, and z without a problem.

We need to be professional in our conduct. There is no place for slamming a company or vendor on this or any other DOD list. Sure, it is okay to criticize a product that has problems with specific instances. It is not appropriate to "rant" about a particular vendor because of strongly held beliefs that the vendor is bad just because of who they are. Let me make this as clear as possible so that we don't have another exercise in wordsmithing. I'm talking about slamming Microsoft. We have had on this list a fair number of comments about Microsoft where the writer has put in a snide remark; made an implication that because it's Microsoft, it's bad; and so forth. Aside from being annoying and a waste of reading time, these remarks may have legal significance for the writer that impacts the writer's wallet. Here's why. Comments like these are not within you official scope of employment. DOD does not endorse such remarks. Because they are not in your official scope of employment, you are not protected from liability. Should your remarks damage a vendor, then the vendor would have a right to sue you. Although it is probably not likely that anyone here is going to get sued now or in the near future, the issue of professionalism remains. If we want to be seen as a group of dedicated professionals, we need to act that way.

We also need to be considerate of each other's time and duties. We are hired not to exchange e-mail all day, but to do a lot of hard and sometimes tedious work. It is wonderful when e-mail conveys good information with a lot of friendship and comraderie. That is wonderful. I think we all want to see this as a friendly venue. But remember too that you are sending an e-mail out to roughly one thousand people. If the message is outside the scope of the list, you may end up snatching a lot of productive time from DOD for people to read their mail. At the senior level in most government agencies there is a lot of concern about how much time employees do work, how much time in idles e-mail and surfing. (Same concern in industry, where figures show some people spend as much as half of their day on non-business related e-mail and surfing) The future of our list depends on us retaining good self-discipline so that it is always seen by senior DOD officials as a productive use of resources. If the mix gets too rich with unofficial/off-topic clutter, then the list is at risk of being shut-down as a productivity killer.

Please also understand that I'm not trying to convey a strict rule or define exceptions, rather, I'm trying to get across that we need to always flash a visual image in our minds with the words "Think Before You Write" before sending mail to the list. If you are slamming a company, advocating a product as the very best, or take a political stand, then flash "Think Before You Write" in a brighter color and a larger font!

Where can I find the basics of mailing list etiquette?

http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbser=1141
http://www.webfoot.com/advice/email.top.html

DISCLAIMER ^

This online FAQ file was developed to support the mission of DOD Webmasters who are charged with integrating technology into mission solutions for their respective organizations. To facilitate the mission of DOD Webmasters we are cataloging some software and web applications that members have found useful in performing their duties.

Inclusion of an item is not intended to convey official or unofficial endorsement of the item, a vendor, or website by the Department of Defense or any of its components. The absence of an item in the list should not be construed to mean that the product is banned or unacceptable to the Department of Defense. This list is neither intended to be inclusive of all available products nor to provide comparative recommendations. The sole purpose of this listing is to identify products that DOD webmasters have used successfully in fulfilling their missions so that other webmasters can learn about the availability of specific products.

This FAQ is not intended to recommend any specific product for acquisition or to serve as a basis for exemption from the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984 and related regulations.

FAQ created 9/3/1999