[Hou-announce] ANOTHER IMPORTANT REMINDER about this list

[Michael Silverhands]

Folks,

I see a flurry of activity of folks subscribing or unsubscribing from  
the Hou-announce lists.

Stop!

Before you reach for the "send" button, ask yourself:

Are you currently subscribed to any of these lists:
a) Stargate
b) Gate's Edge
c) Westgate
d) Ravensfort
e) Loch Soilleir

If you answered "yes" to *any* of the above, then you are already  
effectively "subscribed" to the Hou-announce list.

Whether you are subscribed or not to Hou-announce is like the score  
on "Who's Line Is It Anyway?". In most cases, it just doesn't matter.  
Hou-announce checks the list of subscribers to those local lists (as  
well as its own list of subscribers), and sends its messages to  
everyone who is subscribed to *any* of those lists.

If you are subscribed to *any* (I keep emphasizing this) of those  
lists, then you will receive messages from Hou-announce. Period.  
Unsubscribing from Hou-announce will have *no* effect if you are  
subscribed to *any* of those other lists above.

Only if you are *not* subscribed to *any* of those lists, will you  
*not* receive messages from Hou-announce. This brings up the only two  
reasons to *specifically* subscribe to Hou-announce:

1) If you want to receive local announcements even though you aren't  
subscribed to *any* of the local lists, *then* it makes sense to  
subscribe to Hou-announce. Since it checks its own list of  
subscribers too, you will get announcements even though you aren't  
subscribed to any of the other local lists.

2) If you *don't* want to receive messages from Hou-announce, but you  
*are* subscribed to *at least one* of the local lists, then you can  
subscribe to Hou-announce and set your mail options to "no mail".  
That will stop announcements. You won't get any more of them, whether  
or not you are subscribed to any of the local lists.

In short, most folks don't have to take any subscription/ 
unsubscription action regarding the Hou-announce list. Just leave it  
alone, and it will automagically work to send you announcements if  
you are subscribed to at least one of the local lists.

I hope this explanation helps. :-)

Yours in service,
Michael Silverhands