New features added to the Web-based listservs

For anyone who has suffered AAN mailing list (aka “listserv”) withdrawal recently, they’re ba-a-ack, and they’re new and improved.

AAN members who were registered for a particular listserv on the old Web site, are most likely still registered for the same list on the new Web site. (Users registered for the “Business” list on the old Web site have been transferred to a new list called “Management”.) Members can go here to check which lists they are currently subscribed to.

To encourage a frank and open discussion of management issues, AAN plans to enforce the access rules that have been established for each list (see “Mailing List Access Rules and Addresses” below). In addition, the lists are open only to Regular members of the association.

Many new features have been incorporated into the new mailing lists. Among them are:

E-mail Integration
Much as before, the mailing lists work both via e-mail and from online forms integrated into the AAN Web site. The main change is that the mailing lists now have easy-to-remember addresses such as circulation@aan.org and editorial@aan.org. As a result, subscribers can now easily post messages by sending an e-mail directly to the list and bypassing the online forms.

Viewing Postings Online
When viewing postings online, subscribers will see original postings including the full names of the authors and the companies they work for. Both the name and company are links that can be clicked on for more information. Following the original posting are additional postings on that topic, more postings by that author, and other recent postings in that mailing list.

Program Track Integration
The mailing lists have been tightly integrated into the Program Tracks area of the Web site. For example, a member who views the Classified Advertising Program Track and is subscribed to the classified advertising mailing list, will see all of the latest postings from that list. That member will also be able to post a new message or view the message archives. On the other hand, if he or she is not subscribed to a particular mailing list, a visit to the Program Track associated with that list will prompt a link to register for it.

Message Archives
The mailing list archives are viewable by list, date, author, and thread. A link to the archives has been added to the navigation bar in the “Member Resources” section. In addition, various links to the archives are integrated throughout the site.

Mailing List Settings Tool
A mailing list settings tool has been added to the “Tools” section. This tool displays all of the mailing lists a member is currently subscribed to and provides the ability to unsubscribe from any of those lists. In addition, a member can request access to additional mailing lists from this page.

To subscribe to any of the following lists, first review the registration requirements, then use the mailing list settings tool to request access to the lists that you are eligible to join.

(AAN members who are not registered to use the Web site will not be able to access the mailing list tool. If you are a member, and you want to register to use the site, go to “New Account Request” on this page.)

Mailing List Access Rules and Addresses

Circulation (circulation@aan.org)
This group is reserved for discussion of circulation and distribution issues. It is open only to circulation managers and administrative management (e.g., publisher, associate publisher, general manager, vice president).

Classified Advertising (classad@aan.org)
This group is reserved for discussion of classified advertising issues. It is open only to classified advertising management and administrative management (e.g., publisher, associate publisher, general manager, vice president).

Design & Production (designad@aan.org)
This group is reserved for design and production issues. It is open to all design and production personnel, as well as any other editorial or management personnel involved in the d&p process.

Display Advertising (displayad@aan.org)
This group is reserved for discussion of display advertising issues. It is open only to display advertising management and administrative management (e.g., publisher, associate publisher, general manager, vice president), as well as management personnel involved in marketing.

Editorial (editorial@aan.org)
This group is reserved for discussion of editorial issues. It is open only to editors (e.g., publisher/editor, editor-in-chief, senior editor, managing editor) and section editors (e.g., arts editor, news editor, calendar editor).

Electronic Publishing (ep@aan.org)
This group is reserved for discussion of electronic publishing issues. It is open to all AAN Regular members.

Management (management@aan.org)
This group is reserved for discussion of management-related issues. It is open only to administrative management (e.g., publisher, associate publisher, general manager, vice president).