Thoroughbred Racing Associations
420 Fair Hill Drive • Suite 1 Elkton, MD 21921-2573
Phone: 410-392-9200
Fax: 410-398-1366

The TRA-L is an email list for the discussion of issues related to simulcasting, pari-mutuel operations and related topics by employees of racing and wagering facilities. Please read the policies and procedures below before signing up. Only list members may post to the list. The list is a closed list which means that no one can retrieve your email address from outside the list. Only the list owner is able to retrieve the list of subscribers. This prevents outside "spammers" from using the email addresses of the list members. Sign-up information is provided at the bottom of the page.

How does all this work?

The TRA-L is an internet mailing list. A mailing list is a way of having a group discussion by electronic mail and distributing announcements to a large number of people. A mailing list is very much like a conference on a BBS, except that the conversation comes to you in your e-mail box. Each time you or any member of the list posts a reply to the conversation, it is distributed to the e-mail box of every member of the list.

Newsgroup?? Mailing List??? What's the difference??

Newsgroups are public discussions that anyone with newsreader software can subscribe to and participate in. You read what other members have written and can post a reply if you choose. A mailing list, on the other hand, is a list of e-mail addresses of people interested in the same subject. When a list subscriber sends a message, it goes to everyone on the list. You can reply to the messages, send new messages, or just lurk, reading the messages without participating. The key advantage of a mailing list over a newsgroup is that instead of having to go somewhere to read or retrieve postings, messages are automatically delivered to your e-mail box.

Mailing lists can be public or private, and involve as few as two people or many thousands. Mailing lists are often used to provide subscribers with current information. For music fans, that might include upcoming concert dates or ticket purchasing details. Generally, there are two types of lists:

• With announcement-type lists, you receive messages, but can't post to the list yourself.

• With discussion-type lists, everyone on the list can participate.

To join a mailing list, all you need is an e-mail address. To subscribe, you send a message to the list administrator (this is usually not a person, just an automated process) and your e-mail address is added to the list. Subscribing to a mailing list is usually free. After you subscribe, you will receive a reply giving you details about the list and how to participate. Soon, you'll begin receiving mail from other list members.

To get off a mailing list, you have to unsubscribe, by sending an e-mail message to the list server. Typically, in the body of the message you type something like unsubscribe followed by the name of the list and your e-mail address. The process varies from one list to another, depending on what MLM is in use.

If you don't want to be overwhelmed with a daily flood of e-mail messages, subscribe to the digest version, if one is available. A digest provides a periodic summary of the messages. Some digests are now posted on the Web so you can access them with your web browser, avoiding the traffic in your e-mail box altogether.

Here are some additional tips for using mailing lists:

• Subscribe to one or two mailing lists at a time, then wait to see how many messages you receive before subscribing to any others.

• Save the list subscription instructions. After you subscribe, you will get a response with instructions on how the list works, and perhaps most important, how to unsubscribe. You are expected to read and save these instructions. It is considered bad netiquette to send messages to the list requesting help in unsubscribing.

• Turn off the list when you go on vacation. It's like stopping your newspaper delivery. Some lists have a vacation option. For others, you have to unsubscribe, then re-subscribe when you return. A high traffic list can generate hundreds of messages a day and can overload your mailbox.

The intro file of the TRA-L is as follows, and outlines the policies and procedures of the list:

General Info…

The TRA-L is a mailing list for the discussion of issues related to simulcasting, pari-mutuel operations and related topics by employees of racing and wagering facilities. Please keep to the topic. Off-topic discussions should be reserved for private email.

Please remember that some list members pay to download their mail. In consideration of this, please be as succinct as possible, edit your replies to remove unnecessary material from the message you are replying to and send messages which are not of general interest *privately.*

To begin posting to the list, send an email to: TRA-L@freelists.org.

This list is set up so that "reply" to an individual message is directed to the list. You will need to edit your "To:" line to send a reply to the original sender. Please check the "To:" line of your replies carefully before hitting the "SEND" button.

This list is a closed list - no one except the list owner (Thoroughbred Racing Associations) has access to your email addresses and your information will be kept strictly private. Only members of the list can post to the list. Outside "spammers" will not have access.

TRA-L is about SIMULCASTING AND PARI-MUTUEL WAGERING. Personal criticism is not welcome. It is intended to serve as a means of seeking help with operational problems and suggesting "best practices." State your suggestions or opinions without personal comments, intimidation or insult to individuals or groups. If you do feel you must reply to a particular post in a manner other than that described above, PLEASE make your reply PRIVATE, not a PUBLIC post to the list.

Should you feel you have been the subject of inappropriate comments, contact the TRA and we will deal with it. Breaches of civility will likely result in a loss of list access.

Advertising of items for sale or rent for personal gain or commercial purposes is NOT permitted on TRA-L. This applies to taglines and signatures as well as to the body of TRA-L messages. If you are unsure whether or not your announcement is in violation of list policy, please contact the list owner for approval before posting. General virus alert and such emails are also not permitted.

This list should be considered a public forum. While material sent to the list should not be reproduced by anyone verbatim without permission of the original author, subscribers are free to report information gleaned from this list or a summary of what has been said. One of the primary goals of the list is the exchange of information for the benefit of simulcasting and wagering operations; this goal is not well-served by a private forum.

This is a privately owned list, although the public is free to subscribe to the list. The List Owner reserves the final right to determine who may remain subscribed.

This list is hosted by Freelists.org

By remaining subscribed to this list, you are agreeing to be bound by certain rules and regulations. If you cannot agree to these restrictions, then unsubscribe now.

Your List Owner:
Thoroughbred Racing Associations
(contact: kdarling@tra-online.com)
 

Listserv Info…

Mail which is meant to be posted to all subscribers on the list should be sent to: TRA-L@freelists.org.

To Subscribe: Send a blank email to: tra-l-request@freelists.org with SUBSCRIBE in the subject field.

To Unsubscribe: Send a blank email to: tra-l-request@freelists.org with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject field.

To Post a Message: Send messages to: TRA-L@freelists.org

If your address starts to bounce, the List Owner will either put you on HOLD or unsubscribe you, depending on what the bounce messages say.

We are happy to try and help when we can. Please contact us directly (and not the list).

Legal Info…

The listowner of TRA-L is Thoroughbred Racing Associations (contact: kdarling@tra-online.com), and is, collectively, the List Owner(s) throughout this document. By continuing to read messages sent by TRA-L@freelists.org, you agree to hold the List Owner harmless for opinions expressed on this mailing list. These opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the List Owner.

To Subscribe: