Mailing Lists

If you just want quick answers, look for answers in a forum. If you want more of a community atmosphere, join a mailing list.

Mailing lists usually are specific to a subject. They can be broad like Mac help for everything Mac related, or specific to a particular application like Entourage and Outlook. You want to look for lists that are moderated. This means a list mom(s) will make sure everyone is polite and on subject as well as follow the list rules. Other wise, you can have trolls that just like to cause trouble and make noise. Most lists also protect you from spammers harvesting your email. It takes a real email address to subscribe to a mailing list. Some even require approval before accepting or a watch and learn period before you can post.These rules make for a good experience.

If you are worried about getting too much mail,use the Mailing List Manager. The Mailing List Manager will place all emails in one folder. You can then sort by "subject only" and can easily scan for subjects that interest you. With this collapsed view, it's easy to scan the list. You'll be surprised by what you will learn from other users questions and replies. See this tip to help you scan lists for "good" answers.

For lists that I want to scan, I use this custom view. For lists that I want to read all messages, I use this custom view but with Expanded selected instead of Collapsed. Make two arrangements for easy selection.

For general Mac help: Mac-L.. moderated list. One of the oldest Mac mailing lists with many users. General news, info, and troubleshooting for the Mac platform.

For help with Entourage and Outlok, subscribe to the YouTalk Mailing List.

YouTalk List

Most applications have a mailing list. Here are some links, but remember Google is your friend. Search first then ask for recommendations on the Mac-L list. One big advantage of the Mac-L list is it covers everything or someone will point you to links or lists that will help you.

• The Clio ListMom Cartel lists serveral like Photoshop, Graphics Café. PowerList (PowerBooks, iBooks, wireless networks, and other mobile computing technology).
• Apple hosts numerous mailing lists. You can find just about anything you want here.

Other sources for help:

Links to other sources of help like forums, discussion groups, troubleshooting sites see sources for help.