Purpose and Ground Rules
The WV MS4 Listserv is an electronic forum where list subscribers may post announcements, participate in
discussions and pose and answer questions. A list server automatically distributes an e-mail message from
one member of a list to all other members on that list. Instructions on subscribing and unsubscribing and
instructions on using the Listserv are outlined below.
The purpose of this Listserv is to foster communication and promote interaction between MS4’s, government,
and businesses that are interested in Urban Stormwater Issues. The intent is for you and other subscribers
on the Listserv to provide financial, administrative and management assistance to individuals and
organizations involved with managing stormwater programs. This listserv is intended as a tool to build a
user community of stormwater utility management staff, other local government staff with significant
stormwater management responsibility (finance directors, planners, city/county managers); technical
assistance providers/consultants, and funding agencies.
The Listserv is open to anyone who is interested, but it is private – meaning that your name has to be added
by the owner.
No one approves the messages before they are sent out to members. Participation is open to anyone, although
the focus of the discussion is on stormwater issues. Requests for information, passing along articles and
sites to explore, and other information exchange is encouraged and is a critical function of the group. If
you ask for information and get a good deal sent to you individually, it would be nice for you to compile
the responses and post the results so others can benefit from the information you received.
The Listserv is not to be used to sell or advertise goods or services. Commercial advertising, junk mail,
political endorsements and chain e-mails should not be posted to this list. It’s also not a forum for
bashing anyone or any organization. And, no foul language will be tolerated. In the unlikely event a list
member fails to observe these standards, they are subject to be removed from the list. Since your message
goes to all members on the Listserv, please send an individual message when you have a personal message to
send.
Consider all messages public. In other words, most of us work for taxpayer supported governments and as
such, these messages are not considered private.
To become a member of the WV MS4 Listserv please send your name and e-mail address to Jeff Smith,
Samuel.G.Smith@wv.gov.
What is a Listserv?
Listserv is the brand name for software that supports an electronic mailing list, which is a special usage
of e-mail that allows for widespread distribution of information to many users. It is similar to the
traditional mailing list of multiple names and addresses. A mailing list typically refers to four things: a
list of e-mail addresses, the subscribers receiving mail at those addresses, the e-mail messages sent to
those addresses, and a reflector, which is a single e-mail address that, when designated as the recipient of
a message, will send a copy of that message to all of the subscribers.
Each listserv has a topic of interest, such as ours being the West Virginia MS4 program. Sometimes mailing
lists are public, that is, anyone with an e-mail address anywhere in the world can subscribe. Sometimes,
lists are private. In this case, the list's owner or sponsor must subscribe people. The WV MS4 Listserv is
private. You must send your request to Jeff Smith to be subscribed to this list. His e-mail address is
above.
Electronic mailing lists can make sending mail to groups of people much easier, especially if the group is
large and constantly changing. Group members need only to maintain their own addresses and subscription
status. Mailing lists are extremely beneficial as one member can send out a question to all the subscribers
in hopes of an answer to his/her inquiry.