Hi, It occurred to me that I haven't sent the FAQ out to the list for a couple of months. If you're a new member, or if you just haven't bothered to read it before, then please take a minute or two to do so. This FAQ is also available on the Allstat website http://www.stats.gla.ac.uk/allstat As ever, any queries or problems with the list please feel free to contact me at [log in to unmask] Cheers, Matt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Matt Whiley Department of Statistics Phone : +44 (0)141 330 6118 University of Glasgow Fax : +44 (0)141 330 4814 [log in to unmask] http://www.stats.gla.ac.uk/postgrad ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [log in to unmask] http://www.stats.gla.ac.uk/allstat ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allstat Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ) List ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This document attempts to address most of the questions that arise regarding the administration of the list, and how it operates. I have tried to make it as useful as possible, by dealing with the most common problems. The Allstat Introduction (see (17) below) contains additional information, including guidelines on what to post and what format to follow. The FAQ List will be posted to Allstat fairly regularly, and is archived at Mailbase. An HTML version of this file can be accessed through Allstat's Web site, at the URL http://www.stats.gla.ac.uk/allstat/ If you view this version, you will find links to many of the items mentioned in the text. The Allstat Introduction, and many other resources, are also available through the Web site. Members of the list are strongly advised to retain up-to-date copies of these files (or at least to note the Allstat URL), as they contain a lot of information on how the list operates. If you have a query about Allstat, you will often find the solution in these files, and this can help to reduce the list owner's administrative work. Your assistance in this is appreciated. The questions answered here are as follows: 1. What are the different addresses, and what do they mean? 2. Is Allstat the correct forum for my message? 3. What format shall I use to post my message to Allstat? 4. I've just received a virus warning. What should I do? 5. Is commercial advertising permitted on Allstat? 6. I want to reply to a message on Allstat. What should I do? 7. How do I get a list of everyone on Allstat? 8. I am going away for a period of time. What should I do? 9. I have received a message saying I have been removed from the list. Why is this? Or: I seem to have been removed from the list. Why? 10. How do I (re)join the list? 11. Is my name correctly registered? 12. Is my address correctly registered? 13. I got a message saying I am not registered on Allstat - help! 14. How do I leave the list? 15. My e-mail address is about to change. What should I do? 16. I tried to send a message to the list, but was unable to. Why is this? 17. What Allstat files are archived? 18. How do I retrieve one of these files? 19. Can I receive Allstat broadcasts in digest form? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) What are the different addresses, and what do they mean? There are four e-mail addresses to note: (a) [log in to unmask] This address automatically broadcasts to the entire list. Only members of the list are permitted to use this address. If your address is incorrectly registered (see (11) below), then you will not be able to post to the list. (b) [log in to unmask] This accesses the Mailbase program and is the one to use when sending commands, e.g. leave, index, send (c) [log in to unmask] Messages sent here will come to me, the list owner. Any administrative questions about Allstat should be sent here, although please note that, as well as this FAQ list, extensive Mailbase documentation is available to explain the facilities offered to users. See the Introduction file (item (17) below), for more information on Mailbase documentation. (d) [log in to unmask] This address is that of the Mailbase team. Send any comments or queries about Mailbase here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2) Is Allstat the correct forum for my message? If you have a message you wish to send, and you are not sure if Allstat is appropriate, you are advised to examine the various outlets available to you. There are mailing lists covering many different areas of statistics, and there are obvious benefits to yourself, and to the recipients of your message, if you ensure it is posted to the correct forum. This is particularly important if your message is of a consultancy nature, or is likely to provoke discussion, and might therefore be more suited to a list other than Allstat. Also, if you have a query about a particular piece of software, you will find that most of the major packages have their own dedicated lists, which you should use. There is a document which details many of the statistics-related lists worldwide, including instructions on how to join them. This "list of lists" file is maintained by the owner of the Minitab list on Mailbase, Mike Fuller ([log in to unmask]). To retrieve this file, send a message to [log in to unmask] with the command send minitab list-of-lists If you have access to the Web, the Allstat site features links to many other statistical mailing lists. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (3) What format shall I use to post my message to Allstat? Please send messages in plain text format only. If documents are available in other formats (e.g. Word, PostScript, etc) then by all means indicate this in your message and give instructions on how to obtain such files (e.g. on request by personal e-mail, or from a Web or ftp site). Since not all users are able to handle these alternative formats, please limit your Allstat broadcasts to plain text, and ensure that the text is carried in the main body of your message; do not send attachments to the list. Some mailers have the facility to send encoded messages, which are unreadable until decoded. Please take care that you do not unwittingly select this option. If you are looking for replies to a message you are sending, you should ensure that your own e-mail address is listed somewhere in the body of the text. Some mailers can have difficulties in handling the automatic header. When sending seminar notices to the list, it would be most effective to do this once at the beginning of term. It is generally not very helpful to send last-minute reminders about seminars to a list which is as geographically spread as Allstat. Subject Lines Members are asked to use meaningful subject lines when sending out broadcasts. The benefits are obvious, particularly when browsing through the archives for a specific message. In particular, posters are requested to use clear keywords in subject lines, to give an indication of content. The following convention has been adopted: JOB - jobs or studentships SEMINAR - seminar announcements CONFERENCE - conference announcements COURSE - taught course announcements WORKSHOP - workshop announcements ANNOUNCE - other announcements QUERY - for queries S/W ADVERT - for a software advert * BOOK ADVERT - for a book advert * ADMIN - administration messages (from the list owner) A sample subject line may read JOB: temporary lectureship at Glasgow University, UK Where appropriate, a geographical location should be included in the subject line. * The ADVERT categories are only to be used by the list owner, in forwarding messages from advertisers. See below for the guidelines on advertising on the list. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (4) I've just received a virus warning. What should I do? Occasionally, rogue virus alerts crop up, warning of a virus which is spread simply by reading an e-mail. These are hoaxes, as you cannot catch a computer virus from a plain text e-mail message. Viruses can however be transmitted by attachments (another reason for asking people not to send attachments to Allstat). A virus in an attachment will only cause problems if that attachment is executed, or in the case of a Word macro virus if that document is opened in Word. It is therefore advisable to check all attachments with a virus scanner before executing or editing them. Some mail programs will automatically execute attachments when an e-mail is opened, if your e-mail program has this option it is a sensible precaution to disable it. If you are worried about a virus alert, either consult a Virus Information Web site such as http://www.ncsa.com/services/consortia/anti-virus/alerthoax.html or contact the list owner, rather than alarming the list, perhaps unnecessarily. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (5) Is commercial advertising permitted on Allstat? Commercial advertising is against the JANET Acceptable Use Policy. However, publicising items of potential interest to list members, such as training courses, software etc, can be to the benefit of the list. If the "publicity" comes from the person likely to make money out of it, then that falls into a grey area. If you have a message which you feel may come under this category, then you are advised to first send the message to the list owner ([log in to unmask]). If the message is suitable, the list owner will forward it to the list on your behalf. In general, "routine" advertising will not be approved; new releases or limited special offers are more likely to be accepted, and shorter messages are recommended (with pointers to sites for further information, if available). Job adverts and conference notices are perfectly acceptable, and can be posted directly to the list. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (6) I want to reply to a message on Allstat. What should I do? The list is set so that replies to messages are directed to the sender, and not to the list. This is deliberate. Generally, if responding to a message, it is best to reply by personal e-mail, and not to the list. If appropriate, a summary of responses can be sent to the list by the original poster in due course. Allstat is intended to be an information provider, rather than a discussion list. If your mailer does not allow you to see the address of the original poster, and they have not provided a reply address in the body of the message (e.g. in a signature file), then please note that the archives will contain the address, and you can obtain it there, if you wish to respond. Please do not be tempted to simply reply to the list. Some mailers can be set so that responses, as well as going to the sender, are also copied to the list. If your mailer is one of these, please ensure that this option is not enabled, and that your response goes only to the sender. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (7) How do I get a list of everyone on Allstat? Send a message to [log in to unmask] with the command review allstat ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (8) I am going away for a period of time. What should I do? To avoid your mailbox filling up while you are away, you should temporarily suspend your Allstat mail. Do this by sending a message to [log in to unmask] with the command suspend mail allstat On your return, you can resume mail by sending the command resume mail allstat to the same address. If you're a member of more than one Mailbase list you can suspend/resume your mail from all of these lists by replacing 'allstat' with 'all' in the above commands. Remember that you can use the archives to catch up on any messages you may have missed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (9) I have received a message saying I have been removed from the list. Why is this? Or: I seem to have been removed from the list. Why? Whenever there is a problem in delivering an Allstat broadcast to an address, I receive an error message. If I receive a number of error messages about a single address over a period of time, I have to take action and remove that address from the list. If I did not do this, my mailbox would quickly overflow. In such circumstances, it is not always possible to get in touch with the person concerned, to point out what is happening. People are not always aware that there are problems in getting e-mail through to them, and, so, occasionally, think that they have been removed from the list for no reason. Should you find yourself removed from the list, not at your own request, then it will be because of error messages I received, and I hope you would understand the reason for my action. If your e-mail problems are only temporary (contact your system manager or service provider to find out about this), please feel free to rejoin the list once the problems are resolved. Please do not contact me asking for copies of the error messages, as I receive too many of them for it to be practical to retain them. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (10) How do I (re)join the list? Send a message to [log in to unmask] with the command join allstat your name e.g. join allstat Matt T. E. Whiley If you have already joined the list, and think your name may have been incorrectly registered, simply resend the 'join' command with the corrected form of your name. To check your registration, see (10) below. Note that you must supply at least two words as a name, so for example M.T.E.Whiley would be rejected (because there are no spaces and it is interpreted as a single word), but M.T.E. Whiley or M. T. E. Whiley are fine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (11) Is my name correctly registered? If you obtain a review of Allstat (see (6)) and find your name is incorrectly registered, simply re-send the 'join' command in (9) with the correct form of your name. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (12) Is my address correctly registered? Although you may be a member of the list, and appear in a review of Allstat (see (6)), it is possible that your address is not absolutely correctly registered. To check your registration, send a message to [log in to unmask] with the command listme This will return a list of all the Mailbase lists that your e-mail address is registered on. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (13) I got a message saying I am not registered on Allstat - help! Mailbase uses the 'From' field of your address to identify you. If this does not match exactly with your registration on Allstat, the software will not recognize you as a member of the list. So, although you may be on the list, receive broadcasts normally, and appear in a review of Allstat, if your address doesn't match exactly with the registered one, the Mailbase software will not recognize you. Consequently, you will be unable to post to the list, suspend mail, unsubscribe, etc. This situation can arise when your address alters slightly, for example changing from 'glasgow' to 'gla'. Often, both forms of address will work properly, and you will not be concerned with the change. However, the Mailbase software will notice the difference, and so it is important that you keep your registration up-to-date. If you find yourself in this position, then please send a note of your old address to me, at [log in to unmask] and I will manually remove it from the list. You should then resubscribe yourself to the list under your new address (see (9) above). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (14) How do I leave the list? Send a message to [log in to unmask] with the command leave allstat Should you find you are unable to unsubscribe yourself from the list, see (12) above. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (15) My e-mail address is about to change. What should I do? Before your address changes, you should leave Allstat under your old address, by following the procedure in (13) above. Then rejoin the list under your new address, by following the procedure in (9). Please follow these instructions if at all possible. Otherwise I have to make the change for you, and that involves more administrative work for me. If you can make the change yourself, it would be much appreciated. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (16) I tried to send a message to the list, but was unable to. Why is this? First of all, only members of the list are allowed to send broadcasts. If you are on the list, but your address is incorrectly registered, you will not be recognized as a list member, and so will be prevented from posting to the list. See (11) above for more information. If you are not a member of the list, then you will have to join before sending your message (see (9) above). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (17) What Allstat files are archived? All messages to Allstat are archived, and are available for retrieval. Each month's messages are grouped together in a file, and messages up to a year old are retained by Mailbase. In addition, there are some other files available. To get a list of all the archived files, send a message to [log in to unmask] with the command index allstat See also (17) below, for details of the on-line archives. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (18) How do I retrieve one of these files? Use the 'send' command: for example, to retrieve the Introduction file for Allstat, send a message to [log in to unmask] with the command send allstat introduction Alternatively, you can point your Web browser at the URL http://www.stats.gla.ac.uk/allstat/ Accessing the archives is simpler through the daily-updated Web site, as individual messages can be selected, and you can sort by date, subject, author and thread. If you retrieve the messages by e-mail, you have to request the file containing all the messages for that month. On the Web, it is also possible to search the archives. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (19) Can I receive Allstat broadcasts in digest form? As of 3rd August 1998 Mailbase has offered the option of automatically receiving messages sent to Allstat bundled together in digest form. To receive Allstat messages as a digest, send a message to [log in to unmask] containing the single line set allstat digest To change back to receiving messages normally (the default) send a message to the same address containing the single line set allstat nodigest If you have a question which is not covered in this FAQ, you may find it is dealt with in the Introduction file. Author : Dr Stuart G. Young Updated : 15th January 1999 by Matt Whiley Any comments/queries to : [log in to unmask] Allstat Web site : http://www.stats.gla.ac.uk/allstat/ %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%