L-Soft LogoMailing lists can be thought of as a collection of email addresses of people who want to discuss a topic of common interest. The UVM LISTSERV software accepts these messages and distributes them to everyone on the list, as well as storing them in an archive for future reference.

Lists can either be for discussion or announcement. Discussion lists allow everyone to communicate with other people on the list. Announcement lists are for one-way communication from the list owner. They are like electronic newsletters.

A list owner defines the characteristics of the list, controls who can join, and in other ways oversees the list.