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Lake Link By George McLennan (george.mclennan@gmail.com) This article is about our community information sharing system. You will learn what Lake Link is all about and how to subscribe. I've also included a few tips on Lake Link etiquette.
WHAT IS LAKE LINK? Lake Link is a free service that provides a way to bring together the Lake Barcroft community through an e-mail group (sometimes called a listserv). This service offers a convenient way to connect with others in the community who share the same interests and ideas. It turns the community into a giant "brain trust" that everyone in the community can tap into. Well, maybe brain trust is overstating a bit, but the people in this community are it's greatest resource and Lake Link is one of the keys to tapping that resource. Okay, okay so what is it really? Lake Link is a service provided by Yahoo [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LakeLink] and works by forwarding every message it receives to all of its subscribers. When someone replies to a message from Lake Link, the reply is also forwarded to all of the subscribers. For example, let's suppose you wanted to know what restaurants in the area deliver. You would send your question in the form of an e-mail message to Lake Link. Everyone would see your question and those with an answer could reply. And, everyone could see the answers you received. One of the greatest benefits about this is that everybody learns from your experience. How do I join? - Please read the next section. Do I have to share my private information? - No. Neither Yahoo nor I will share your name and address with anyone. Only current community residents may join. Will I get too much e-mail? No. The most mail you will ever get is one message per day. Everyone has the option of using the "digest" mode or the "individual messages" mode. In the digest mode, each day's messages are bundled into a single message with a table of contents. The daily digest is usually sent out each morning. I will start you out in the digest mode unless you request otherwise. If you want to use the individual message mode, where you get each message as Yahoo receives it, you may change it yourself (please read on) or let me know and I will change it for you. How do people use Lake Link? - There are many, many ways. Here are just a few: - Finding a babysitter; getting contractor recommendations; learning the latest community news; receiving police department crime alerts; getting help with computer problems; finding an auto mechanic; tracking the bald eagle; learning where to get help with your taxes; setting up car pools for kids; sharing thoughts on Cox Communications. HOW TO JOIN top The easiest way to join is by using the JOIN button at the top of this page. After entering the information requested, your name and e-mail address are sent to Yahoo requesting a new subscription. Other personal information is sent to the Lake Link manager who will verify that you are a current resident and activate the new subscription. For additional security, Yahoo then sends a message to you at the subscription address asking that you confirm the desire for a subscription at the address used. Confirmation instructions are included in the message. (Note: Yahoo uses the e-mail address to identify your subscription. If you have, or might have more than one address, make a note of the subscription address; it will be required for making changes and quitting the subscription. MAKING CHANGES top Changes to your subscription are most easily made using the buttons at the top of this page. After submitting the information requested, an e-mail is sent to Yahoo to effect the change. You will receive an automated e-mail confirming the change. You can also send the change request to Yahoo directly if you choose. This is simply an e-mail sent from the address of your subscription to an address at Yahoo that represents the change desired. There is no need to include a subject or message; however, including an appropriate subject may make it easier to manage your outgoing mail records. The change addresses are:
(Note: If you send a subscription change message to Yahoo directly, your subscription is identified by the return address on the message. If you send e-mail from multiple addresses or the subscription address is no longer available, it may be easier to use the change buttons at the top of this page where the proper address can be entered.) To change an address, you must join at the new address and quit from the old address. Please remember to Pause delivery when your mail is set to auto-reply, otherwise your auto-replies may go to the list creating more mail to auto-reply to. All subscription settings may also be changed directly at the Yahoo Lake Link web site once you have access. Instructions for getting access are below. ETIQUETTE top More than one Lake Link subscriber has left the service simply because of the thoughtless behavior of other members. Please follow the few simple guidelines below to make everyone's Lake Link experience more pleasant. 1. Do not use the default subject line when replying to the listserv. Change the Subject to reflect the topic about which you are replying, for example:
That way a reader can look at the table of contents at the top of the digest message and see what's being discussed. It also ensures that your message will be grouped properly in the archives for later retrieval. Once a message is in the archive, it can't be changed. In addition, it keeps the annoyance factor down for the other readers. 2. When replying to a message, include ONLY the specific parts of the previous message to which you are replying. When you click on the Reply button, most mail software will include all original message in the reply and set if off with a ">". This means you must delete all parts of the original message that are not related to your topic. 3. Be sure to put your Lake Link mail delivery on hold when you set you mail software to autoreply. See the e-mail commands listed above. 4. Send replies meant for an individual directly to that individual using their direct address, which is included in the message header. Again, it keeps the annoyance factor down for readers by not having to read through what they would otherwise consider "junk" mail. 5. Do not reply to an invitation to participate in an event to the general list. 6. Send administrative comments meant for the list administrator (that's me) to the intended recipient and not to the general list. Examples include an unsubscribe message or a request to change list options. 7. Keep personal messages personal. Do not send them to the list. ACCESS TO THE YAHOO LAKE LINK WEB SITE top The Yahoo Lake Link web site has a number of neat and very useful features that you can only use once you have direct access to its web site. (By the way, please do not confuse the Yahoo Lake Link web site with the community web site where you are now, and which also has neat and useful features.) The Yahoo Lake Link web site features include:
The fact that you are a Lake Link subscriber doesn't mean that you will automatically have access to the Lake Link web site. That would be far too easy. In order to access the site you must get your email address registered with Yahoo. Unfortunately, Yahoo's instructions are a bit confusing. So with the considerable help of John Higbee I have prepared what we hope is a set of simpler instructions.
TESTIMONIALS top
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