This is the Welcome message to the List

A series of mailing lists have been created to service the communication needs of Physics in the Australian community. This will facilitate the communication of material to members of the physics community interested in receiving information in designated areas. It is a community communication facility; in other words don't just sit there and wait for someone to tell you something. If you have something important to say to a particular community of physicists, then send a message!

WHAT IS A MAILING LIST?

A mailing list is a central email address to which you send information for distribution to people who have indicated an interest in receiving information in a particular field of interest.

For example, anyone interested in keeping abreast of developments in the field of SURFACE SCIENCE would subscribe to the PHYSICS-SURFACE mailing list (using the procedure outlined later in this document). Any announcements relating to the field of surface science can be directed to;

PHYSICS-SURFACE@CC.NEWCASTLE.EDU.AU

and they will be automatically forwarded to everyone subscribing to that list. At any time an individual can subscribe to a list or if they no longer want to maintain contact with a particular field, they can unsubscribe. The receipt of information is entirely voluntary - you will only receive it if you subscribe to a list.

While an extensive list of areas has been catered for, it is not expected to be exhaustive. If potential users request other specialist mailing lists in Physics then given some evidence of a demand for it, the appropriate arrangements will be made to extend the current service. If any mailing list is not used at all in a 12 month period or if there are no subscribers to a particular list then the need for that facility will be reviewed. All requests should be sent to John O'Connor at email address;

PHJOC@CC.NEWCASTLE.EDU.AU

All lists will be unmoderated in the first instance on a trial basis. Thus
messages will be forwarded without clearance from any middle person. If there is a need to moderate the messages, a system will be introduced.

HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE TO A LIST?

To subscribe to a particular list called PHYSICS-XXXXX (where XXXXX is replaced by one of the topic areas listed below eg. TEACHERS, AUST, etc), send an email message to the address;

MAILSERV@CC.NEWCASTLE.EDU.AU

and include in the body of the text the line;

SUBSCRIBE PHYSICS-XXXXX [address]

The [address] is an optional parameter specifying your email address. If no address is specified, the From: address in your message will be used (i.e. your address)

If at some stage you no longer wish to receive messages from that mailing list then send an email message to the address;

MAILSERV@CC.NEWCASTLE.EDU.AU

and include in the body of the text the line;

UNSUBSCRIBE PHYSICS-XXXXX [address]

HOW DO I SEND A MESSAGE TO BE BROADCAST TO EVERYONE ON A PARTICULAR LIST?

To send an email message to everyone on list PHYSICS-XXXXX, send or forward the message to

PHYSICS-XXXXX@CC.NEWCASTLE.EDU.AU

and it will immediately bounce out to all subscribers to the list.

CAN I GET ANY OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE LIST?

As lists are created or changed, a message will be sent out to all users informing them of the changes. If at any time you wish to view the current lists available, send a request to

MAILSERV@CC.NEWCASTLE.EDU.AU

and include in the body of the text the line;

INDEX

A complete list of the mailing lists at this centre will be returned by
email.

The lists already established are:-

PHYSICS-ASTRONOMY

An information distribution facility for professional and amateur astronomers. Also of interest to people who want to keep up to date on events of popular interest in astronomy.

PHYSICS-AUST

This is a general service to distribute material of interest to physicists in all areas of research and employment. It is intended to be a facility to allow the rapid distribution of material concerning general news and policy.

PHYSICS-CUPE

The growth in the use of computers in physics education is limited by the speed which we can maintain contact with local initiatives and developments.
This mailing list is intended to provide a forum to distribute advice on projects and to seek assistance on the use of computers in secondary and tertiary education.

PHYSICS-ELECTRON

The ELECTRON list is aimed at researchers in the electron spectroscopies form electron-atom and electron surface studies.

PHYSICS-EMPLOYMENT

Get your advertisement for an available position to the very physicists looking for employment. A valuable fast and directed avenue to publicise not only local positions but to draw attention to prospects overseas. It also provides a forum to discuss employment issues.

PHYSICS-HOD

At times it is useful to target all heads of physics departments at the
universities around the country. This could be to seek information on
policy in place in various departments or to request nominations for
committees, medals or to provide information on forthcoming deadlines which are relevant to academics and students. It may also be relevant to extend this facility to heads of departments in CSIRO, ANSTO and similar organisations.

PHYSICS-LASERS-AND-QUANTUM-OPTICS

A mailing list 'focussed' on developments in lasers and quantum optics.

PHYSICS-MEDICAL

A forum in which to discuss the current developments in medical physics in Australia and to alert colleagues to trends overseas.

PHYSICS-NSW

A state focussed list to advise of meetings, talks, policy documents and branch news in NSW.

PHYSICS-NUCLEAR

The NUCLEAR list is aimed at keeping the nuclear physics community in Australia in touch with developments here and overseas.

PHYSICS-OPTICS

A forum to disseminate information on more traditional approaches to optics

PHYSICS-POSTGRAD

A facility to encourage communication between postgraduate physics students at different universities. Also a forum to discuss issues of common interest.

PHYSICS-SOLID-STATE

The continued strength of the 'Wagga' series of solid state conferences demonstrates that there is a strong community of solid state researchers in Australia. This mailing list will facilitate communication between meetings.

PHYSICS-STEP

A mailing list for the Space Terrestrial Energy Program research interest groups in Australia

PHYSICS-SURFACE

A forum to distribute information on current developments in the surface science community which spans Physics and Chemistry disciplines. Notices from the Surface Science Division of IUVSTA will be distributed over this list.

PHYSICS-TEACHERS

With the strong interest shown by teachers in the activities of the Australian Institute of Physics, this is a distribution network over which details of new articles and activities relevent to secondary and primary teaching of physics can be conveyed. It can also be a forum for developing policy with extensive input from a range of sources.

PHYSICS-THEORETICAL

A mailing list to aid the communication of theoretical aspects of physics to specialists and interested nonspecialists

PHYSICS-VACUUM

The Vacuum Society of Australia grew out of a vacuum division of the AIP. It has now established itself as an independent society but with continuing links to the physics community. This mailing list will aid the rapid dissemination of material to this widespread community of vacuum users and specialists.

PHYSICS-VIC

A state focussed list to advise of meetings, talks, policy documents and branch news in VIC.

PHYSICS-WOMEN

This mailing list is established as a line of communication for the
community of physicists involved in WOMEN IN PHYSICS aspects of the Australian Institute of Physics.

Further information can be obtained from

John O'Connor,
Department of Physics
University of Newcastle.
PHJOC@CC.NEWCASTLE.EDU.AU
June 1994
Regards,
John O'Connor