Topic: Joining & Leaving Lists
Help, how do I get off this list?
(aka How do I unsubscribe from an email list?)
While, like joining, it does vary depending on where the list is hosted, it's usually similar to joining a list. Usually wherever you put "subscribe" to join the list, you'd put "unsubscribe" to leave the list.
If the list is at Yahoogroups, you can unsubscribe either at the Yahoo website (groups.Yahoo.com) or by email. To unsubscribe at the Yahoogroups website, simply log in with your Yahoo ID, go to your MyGroups page, find the list you want to quit, click on its name, then at the list's Home page, on the right side, you'll see a link to Edit My Membership, click on that. On the next page, scroll down to where you see a button that says "Leave Group", click on that and you're done! You can also unsubscribe by email, simply send an email (blank or not) to [listname]-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com, changing [listname] to the actual name of the group. Yahoo will send back a confirmation email and you must reply to that to complete the unsubscription process. You can unsubscribe by email even if you've already got a Yahoo ID.
If the list is at Topica or Smartgroups, it's a similar process:
For Topica, at the website, (www.Topica.com) log in with your email address, go to the My Topica, find the group you want to leave and on the right, there's a drop down menu, select Unsubscribe and then click Save Changes. You'll get a popup, asking you to confirm that you want to quit the group, click Yes and you're done!
Topica also provides another method to unsubscribe, at the bottom of every message or digest you get from the group, there's an Easy Unsubscribe link, simply click on it and you're off the list.
For Smartgroups, at the website, (www.SmartGroups.com) log in with your email address, go to Your Groups (on the menu on the left), find the group you want to leave and click on the group name. On the next page, on the left you'll see a link to Leave Group, click on that, then select Leave Group (again) and click the Leave Now! button.
You can also unsubscribe by email at Topica and Smartgroups, by emailing [listname]-unsubscribe@topica.com or [listname]-unsubscribe@smartgroups.com and don't forget to reply to the confirmation email to complete the unsubscription process.
For lists hosted on private servers, individual domains or other free services similar to Yahoogroups, Topica and Smartgroups, you'll need the specific instructions. The welcome message that you may have received when you joined may have this info. Or if the list has a website, check for info there, also check the bottom of list messages, often there will be a link there to unsubscribe, instructions on how to unsubscribe or a link to a website to unsubscribe.
If, after investigating all these possibilities, you still can't find any information on how to unsubscribe, email the listowner. If you don't know the listowner's address, as an absolute last resort, ask on list. But please don't just post "remove me" or "unsubscribe me" or something worse to the list, it'll just make others less likely to help you and/or get you flamed. Instead, please post a polite request, explaining that you've looked everywhere that you can think of for the info on how to unsubscribe and just can't find it and can someone please help you out with info on how to unsubscribe or how to contact the listowner. Usually someone will be kind enough to help you and then you can get off the list. Then, next time you join a list, be sure you keep the info on how to unsubscribe! :)
Last updated on December 22, 2003 09:26 PM