Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association

E-mail List of Department Heads

Frequently Asked Questions

An e-mail list of department chairs is maintained by ECEDHA. The instructions for use of this list, and for adding and removing names, appear in the questions and answers below.

Sending Messages

1. I am a member of ECEDHA. Can I send an e-mail message to my fellow members, or do I have to be someone special to broadcast a message?

As a member of ECEDHA, you are already someone pretty special. However, as far as this list goes, anyone can send to the list. It is not restricted in any way.

2. Are all messages welcome on this list?

The ECEDHA Board of Directors has established the policy that the list is not to be used for commercial purposes. Advertisements or messages that promote commercial items, including textbooks, are inappropriate. The policy also states that the list should only be used for material that is related to electrical and computer engineering education, and that is of general interest to ECEDHA members. Messages with narrow technical or geographic relevance, such as notices for technical conferences, should be avoided.

3. How do I send to the ECEDHA chairs list?

Send your e-mail message to members@ecedha.org. It will be forwarded to all on the list.

4. Do I need a password to send to the list?

No password is necessary.

5. How can I copy ECEDHA members on messages sent to others?

Include members@ecedha.org in the Cc: list of copy addresses. Do not use the Bcc: list, because ECEDHA does not forward blind copies.

6. Can I include members@ecedha.org in another e-mail list or alias?

ECEDHA does not support cascaded mailing lists, because this is a technique often used by those sending unsolicited junk mail.

7. Can I attach files to e-mail messages sent to the list?

Attachments can be sent. However, this is not recommended, because many ECEDHA members may not have the software or hardware needed to use your attachment. Also, viruses, especially Microsoft Word macro viruses, are often transmitted via e-mail attachments.

8. How long can my message be?

Like most people, ECEDHA members do not appreciate long unsolicited e-mail. If your message is over 100,000 bytes, including attachments, it will be returned to you.

9. I have an attachment that is larger than that. What should I do?

Send it to people directly, not through this list. Or post it on a server for others to download using FTP or a Web browser. You can use the ECEDHA list to inform members of its availability, and to invite requests.

10. When can I use the list? Which time zone is it located in?

The list is available continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Its time zone does not matter (remember, cyberspace is global).

11. How quickly will my message be delivered?

If all computers and networks involved are working properly, your message should reach ECEDHA members' mail accounts within an hour. Members will then see your message the next time they check their mail.

12. Can I get a delivery receipt?

The "Return-Receipt-To" header line is intended for occasional use in debugging delivery problems. Some people use it, improperly, to verify routine delivery. It is a special problem for e-mail lists because of the avalanche of mail it generates. If your message has this header line it will be returned to you, undelivered.

Getting On and Off the List

13. I am a department chair. What do I do to get on the list?

Nothing. The list is generated automatically from the ECEDHA on-line directory, and always incorporates the most recent changes.

14. I don't want more e-mail. How do I get off the list?

Edit your entry in the on-line directory. You will find a checkbox next to your e-mail address for your use if you prefer to be off the list. Submit this editing just like any other change in the directory, and within a day or two the change will take effect.

15. My e-mail address just changed. What should I do?

Edit your entry in the on-line directory. Both the directory and the e-mail list will be updated.

16. When my term as chair is over, what does my successor do to join the list?

You or your successor should edit your entry in the on-line directory, giving his or her name, phone number, e-mail address, and other contact information for the directory. The new e-mail address will replace yours on the list.

17. How do I edit my entry in the on-line directory?

Using any Web browser, access the directory and then click on the name of your university. At the bottom of your entry you will find a link to the "edit form."

18. My department is not in the directory. How do I get on the list?

Your department should be in the directory. Use the new-entry form.

19. We have not paid our ECEDHA dues so I am not a member. Will I be on the list anyway?

ECEDHA membership status is not taken into account when the e-mail list is generated. However, you should be ashamed of yourself. ECEDHA dues are not very high, and the benefits of membership and attendance at ECEDHA events are great.

20. I am not a department chair but have a reason to be on the list anyway.

Ask the ECEDHA Administrator to be added.

Possible Risks

21. By being on this list, will I get junk mail?

Perhaps. Unsolicited or unwanted e-mail, typically commercial in nature, is often known as "spam." This is one of the unfortunate side effects of today's technology. The ECEDHA e-mail list is no better or worse than other lists. If you find this intolerable you should get an e-mail filter and, if you feel strongly, remove yourself from the list (see question 14 above).

22. Does the ECEDHA e-mail list check for spam?

Spam is difficult to define precisely. ECEDHA does perform one check: messages without members@ecedha.org in either the To: addressee list or the Cc: copy list are not forwarded. This has the effect of blocking blind copies and messages that are sent by another alias or mailing list. People who send spam often use these techniques to hide the identity of the sender (who does not want to hear complaints) and other recipients.

23. Can e-mail messages or attachments carry computer viruses?

The ECEDHA e-mail list system does not check for viruses. Attachments are simply computer files and, like any file, may contain viruses. Macro viruses in Microsoft Word documents are common. You should check all incoming files, including those received as e-mail attachments, for viruses.

24. What if I receive an attachment with a virus?

First, do not open the file. Do not view it, print it, or try to edit it. If your virus-protection software cannot repair the file, you should probably just discard it.
Second, tell the sender what you discovered. The sender has a responsibility to notify all who have been sent the file, and that would include the ECEDHA e-mail list. Suggest he or she read this page.
Third, if you have already used this file, your computer may be contaminated. You should use your virus-protection software to scan your hard disks and any removable disks that have been inserted in your machine since the file was received, and eradicate the virus. If you discover that the virus has spread to other files or disks you should notify all others who might have been infected, including those with whom you share files over a network.

25. I have just discovered or been told that an attachment I sent out had a virus. What should I do?

First, use virus-protection software to verify that the file actually had the virus. If so, then you must notify all who received a copy of it, so they can discard it before their disks or files get contaminated. Send a message immediately to the ECEDHA mailing list, perhaps attaching a clean copy of the file in question.
Second, check your computer and all disks that you have used, including floppy disks, for signs of the virus. Inform anyone else who might have received any contaminated files or disks from you, including those with whom you share files over a network.
Third, if you can tell where the virus came from, notify those whose systems might have been the source.
Fourth, you should get, install, and use virus-protection software. Remember to update its virus definition file regularly.

Other Questions

26. Why was this list established?

The ECEDHA constitution gives three purposes for the organization, the following two of which are directly served by this e-mail list:
- To provide a forum for electrical and computer engineering department heads ... to exchange information and ideas for improving the quality and effectiveness of electrical and computer engineering education.
- To allow the heads of departments to improve electrical and computer engineering education through effective communication with:
i. the electrical and computer engineering profession,
ii. the electrical and computer engineering industry,
iii. other electrical and computer engineering professional organizations,
iv. the institutions with accredited electrical and computer engineering programs, and
v. appropriate government agencies.

27. Can I get a copy of the list?

No provision has been made for making or distributing copies of the list.

28. How many names are on the list?

About 300.

29. When did the list become available?

The list started operation September 20, 1998.

30. How often is the list used?

During the first 365 days, 380 messages were sent.

31. Has this list been reliable?

The list has been available around the clock since it started except for one outage during October, 1999 which lasted for about a week.

32. How is this list implemented?

Messages sent to members@ecedha.org are forwarded to the ECEDHA Web site. Once there, a program on that computer redistributes them (aliases are not used because they cannot handle long lists). The list used by that program is recalculated every time any directory entry is changed, and is therefore always up to date. (This program scans the on-line directory, and for each entry extracts the e-mail address of the department head, unless the field which limits the use of this address is turned on, and then adds a list of additional names, maintained by the ECEDHA office staff.) The mail program is called repeatedly, once per address. These calls enter the mail queue, and are processed for delivery within a half hour.

33. Are there errors on the list? How are they handled?

Almost all e-mail lists contain errors such as unknown user, unknown host, or unresolvable domain name. Because this list is dynamically generated from the on-line directory, such errors often correspond to errors in the directory. Each undelivered message is returned to the ECEDHA staff who can then fix the directory.

34. As a member of ECEDHA, how can I help keep this resource working properly?

First, check your department's entry in the on-line directory for accuracy.
Second, help keep your own university's e-mail system running, and your own account valid and able to receive mail (messages can get bounced if internal forwarding addresses are not known, disk storage is full, or your local mail host is not accessible).

35. What do I do if I'm having trouble and don't know what to do?

Ask the ECEDHA Administrator.