The electronic mailing list is a busy and successful forum for asking and answering questions, sharing information, and discussing scientific as well as more philosophical topics. Archivists have been responsible for manually compiling correspondence from the electronic mailing list at the "Selected Communications" homepage maintained by Dirk Krapf.
Recently Hypermail was installed at the "Selected Communications" homepage. Hypermail is a program that automatically archives the electronic mailing list messages as they are received and generates a set of cross-referenced documents, so manual hypertext markup by archivists is no longer needed. Hypermail archives by date but allows messages to be sorted by author, by subject, and by "thread" (messages related to each other by direct reply). Eventually a search engine will be installed so correspondence can be selected for viewing based on a keyword search.
Often it is most efficient to search the Hypermail archives by subject. However, links based on the subject line can be lost by the Hypermail program if mailing list participants do not preserve the original subject line when replying. If your electronic mail software has a "reply" command, use it to insure that the original message and reply are connected by the "thread" and "subject" commands. If your electronic mail software does not have a "reply" command, please do not change the subject line when replying or the subject link will be lost. For example, for an original message with the subject line:
Subject: ProtSeq: Unknown peak eluting after Ala
all these replies are acceptable:
Subject: ProtSeq: Unknown peak eluting after Ala (reply)
Subject: ProtSeq: Re: Unknown peak eluting after Ala
One additional important point: use the correspondence address (abrf@aecom.yu.edu) for correspondence only, and use the subscription address (abrf-request@aecom.yu.edu) to subscribe and unsubscribe to the electronic mailing list. Subscribe and unsubscribe messages posted to the correspondence address (instead of the subscription address) are archived by Hypermail and must be manually deleted by Dirk Krapf.
The electronic mailing list is an effective communication forum,
and "old" correspondence is useful to all participants when it is
properly archived. Hypermail automates the archiving process and can
retain links among related messages as long as the subject lines of
original messages are preserved. The subject lines of original
messages and replies are the key elements to archiving our current
discussions for future reference. The Education Committee urges you
to group messages into subject areas by using the message headings
listed below and to respond responsibly to electronic mailings.
Suggested subject headings for messages posted to the electronic mailing list
Heading Description AAA Amino acid analysis Comp Computer analysis or database searches CE Capillary electrophoresis CHO Carbohydrate analysis Digest Enzymatic or chemical digestion conditions DNASeq DNA sequencing DNASyn DNA synthesis (oligonucleotides) EBlot Electroblotting GLP/GMP Compliance and accreditation matters HPLC HPLC peptide/protein purification MolBio Miscellaneous molecular biology matters MS Mass spectrometry PCR PCR PepSyn Peptide synthesis ProtSeq Protein sequencing P2D Protein purification by 2-dimensional gels EqpNeed Equipment needed EqpSale Equipment for sale JobNeed Those looking for positions vacant JobOpen Those with vacancies to fill Nostalgia Just for graybeards or whiteheads Misc None of the above