Lists.ou.edu is an email distribution list system sponsored by Information Technology at the University of Oklahoma. Lists.ou.edu facilitates the creation and maintenance of these distribution lists with LISTSERV®, version 16 from L-Soft international, Inc.
Lists.ou.edu is used as an aid to enable widespread communications inside and outside of OU, often around certain research topics or events/organizations that involve individuals that do not have OU email addresses. To identify an OU Listserv, the email address is will appear as thelistname-L@lists.ou.edu or thelistname-L@lists.ouhsc.edu.
Listservs differ from distribution groups (also referred to as Distribution Lists or DL's) in some key ways. Distribution Groups are groups of users within Active Directory (AD) that, similar to Listserv, can be used for the purposes of sending multiple users an email at the same time.
- Unlike Listservs, Distribution Groups can also be utilized to assign users special permissions to access certain applications. When groups are enabled to do this, they are known as a "Security Group". Security groups that can be emailed or control access to shared mailboxes are known as mail-enabled security groups.
- Distribution Groups are only able to contain OU and OUHSC accounts as members. External accounts and email addresses (non-OU) cannot be added to Distribution Groups.
- Depending on the settings, users may be able to add/remove themselves from Listservs; only owners of Distribution Groups can add/remove members.
In short - if you are utilizing your communication for both OU and/or non-OU mail accounts and do not need the group to manage any special OU system or service permissions, then a Listserv account should meet your needs.
To request a Listserv mail account, please visit the IT Service Catalog.
For more information about different ways to email large group of people, visit our Emailing Groups of People article.