e-message stick
One of the free services the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet offers is an e-message stick (listserve) to encourage networking and yarning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and related issues. E-message stick members from various health sectors across Australia - including organisations in the Indigenous community controlled health, government, non-government, tertiary and other sectors - use this free email service to share relevant Indigenous health information.
The HealthInfoNet is currently developing, with dedicated funding, a number of separate e-message sticks for specific health issues. Information regarding subscription to these services will be provided when these e-message sticks become available, but you are invited to join our more general e-message stick now. Background information and the link to subscribe are provided below.
What is an e-message stick?
An e-message stick (also called a listserve) allows people across the country and world to share information and have a yarn. Members may use the e-message stick to seek info about current projects, advertise a job, or let others know about an upcoming event. For example, you may be interested in nutrition programs, wish to advertise a job vacancy, or are trying to obtain an abstract from a particular conference - if you belong to the abtsi_hr e-message stick (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health) then someone else on the e-message stick may have a similar interest and be able to help.
So how does it work?
By using the e-message stick you can quickly and easily email a message to all other members.
You may be interested in talking to other people who are involved in nutrition programs with mothers and children. To find other interested people you send your email to the e-message stick which will then automatically forward it to all members.
This address is not a person but a computer program. The program maintains a list of the email addresses of all those subscribed to the e-message stick. When the computer program gets your email it duplicates it many times and sends one copy to everyone on the list.
When other members check their email they will find your message. Other members may also have sent messages, and individual members will decide to read (or delete) each message they have received. If you wish to respond to a message, you can send your response to all members – just 'reply' to the e-message stick – or just to the person who sent the message.
Some advice
It is OK to be a lurker for a while before you enter an e-message stick discussion. A lurker reads other peoples emails to get the tone of the conversation before jumping in. Of course this does not work if everyone lurks. When you send a message it is a good idea to include in the 'subject' line the health area your message refers to - for example 'nutrition programs'.
The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet also uses the e-message stick to send out information that may be of general interest. Queries are also forwarded from those outside the list (non-members). You may wish to join the e-message stick so that you are kept up-to-date with what is happening in Indigenous health.
Once you have subscribed, please remember that the use of 'out of office' autoreplies by e-message stick members may pose a problem. Members who use autoreplies can ensure that a loop of repetitive 'out of office' emails isn't initiated by changing their subscription details for the period during which they intend to use the autoreply.
An email is sent out once a month to all members. It provides information on how to modify your e-message stick subscription. Should a problem occur it is best to contact the e-message stick manager directly (abtsi_hr-admin@listserver.ecu.edu.au or healthinfonet@ecu.edu.au) as messages sent to the e-message stick email address (and therefore all members) may perpetuate the problem.
To join the e-message stick: click here to subscribe
Information may also be shared by posting a message on our WA News and Events webpage. To provide feedback on the WA webpages fill in our Feedback form.
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