628 Fleet St. Residents' Mail List

The board of directors have approved the creation of an email list for the residents of 628 Fleet St. The mail list will be operated by the Social Committee, and is to be used for the sharing of information relevant to residents.

What it’s for:

The mail list will give residents a facility for sharing information of potential interest to others in the building. Messages could include:

·         Notices of upcoming social events (e.g. the Social Committee’s parties, games nights, events in the Media room, etc.); once the list is operational, such messages will be sent only to the list, and will no longer be sent to all residents by management.

·         Looking for help (“Does anyone have a power sander they could let me use this weekend?”, or “I need a babysitter for tomorrow evening …”, etc.)

·         Questions relating to life in the building (“My shower temperature control has stopped working … have others had this problem?”, etc.)

·         Suggestions (“Are there any dog owners/balcony gardners/language students in the building who would like to arrange a meet-up?”, “Any interest in a monthly pot luck supper in the Party Room?” etc.)

·         Announcements of interest to residents (e.g. breaking news about new parks in the area);

·         Items for sale, or looking for items … especially parking spaces and storage lockers (there is a bulletin board in the mail room, but it’s something we often forget to check, and it’s a bit of hassle to put up notices).

Why a mail list (and not a Facebook page or Yahoo group)?

An early survey showed that residents didn’t have a clear preference for any particular implementation; however, a mail list has several advantages over a Facebook page or Yahoo group:

·         A mail list is completely under our control; as such, it is easier to maintain and make changes (including a change to a different platform in the future);

·         Members don’t have to belong to Facebook (or Yahoo);

·         Messages submitted to the list are seen only by the list members;

·         No advertising in the list itself, or sent to members as a result of postings (mention “light fixture” in a Facebook post, and you’ll get ads for light fixtures for months).

How to join

The list is private, and restricted to residents and unit owners at 628 Fleet St. There are two ways to join the list:

  • Send an email to the Social Committee (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) including your name and unit number, asking to be added to the list; or
  • Apply at http://lists.628fleet.org/listinfo.cgi/residents-628fleet.org; in the ‘Name’ field, include both your name and unit number.

How it will work

This is an experiment. Initially, the list will be moderated (i.e. messages will need to be approved by a moderator before being released to the list). As we see how the list is being used, changes will be made in policy and procedures to maximize the benefits of the list to building residents. The list will only be useful if we get a significant number of residents to join; if only a small number sign on, we may close this list and look for alternatives.

How to post (and rules) …

To post a message to the list, simply send an email to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

There are only a few rules we would ask list members to adhere to:

  • Keep messages on topic (i.e. they must relate to life in our building);
  • No advertising (although residents who do have a service or product to offer may submit a message describing what they have to offer once per month, and may respond to requests for their service or products at any time);
  • Emails should be signed with a name and unit number (no anonymous messages);
  • Keep it polite. We are a community, and even when we feel strongly, we should keep the focus on the issues:
    • Using harsh words isn't conducive to a thoughtful discussion; “Be firm on the principles, but soft on the language”;
    • Avoid ad hominem attacks; if you're upset with someone, refer to a specific incident, and - if possible - suggest how it might have been handled more appropriately.

If you reply to a message that has come through the list, that reply will only go to the person who posted the original message. If you feel your response would be of value to many members of the list, instead of clicking 'reply', select 'forward', and direct your response to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Options

There is a user interface to the mail list at http://lists.628fleet.org/listinfo.cgi/residents-628fleet.org.

You can use this web page to join the list, switch between ‘digest’ and ‘regular’ modes of operation, and unsubscribe. You can get information about using it by sending a message with just the word `help' as subject or in the body, to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Digest mode

By default, when joining the list, you are in ‘regular’ mode; you will receive an email every time someone sends a message to the list. There is also a weekly digest option; by switching to ‘digest’ mode you will receive a summary of the emails sent to the list once a week. This has the advantage of reducing the number of emails you receive, but the downside is that you may receive some information too late to be of any use.

In the future …

GNU Mailman, the software behind this mail list, allows multiple lists and filters. If it turns out that there are list members with common interests (e.g. dogs, balcony furniture, local restaurants, etc.), it would be possible to set up a facility such that messages on those topics went only to the members who had expressed an interest in the specific topic in question.