Community Discussion Lists
A Free, Digital Service to Help Communities Thrive
What Are the Vital Communities Listservs?
- Listservs are automated email distribution systems for communities with shared interests. A subscriber sends an email to one special listserv address, and the software automatically forwards it to everyone subscribed.
- Vital Communities maintains 3 types of listservs:Town Lists, Upper Valley-Wide Lists, and Topic Lists.
- The listservs are owned by Vital Communities and governed by guidelines Vital Communities creates.
- Each list is managed by a volunteer List Manager who reads the posted messages and takes action when messages violate the guidelines for that list. The actions may include sending the subscriber a reminder or blocklisting the subscriber so they still receive other subscribers’ messages but can’t post.
- Subscribers, not Vital Communities or the List Managers, are responsible for the content they post.
HOW TO…
SUBSCRIBE TO A LIST
To subscribe, send a blank email to LISTNAME-subscribe@lists.vitalcommunities.org (ex: Subscribe to the goods-uv list by sending a blank email to goods-uv-subscribe@lists.vitalcommunities.org).
OR Go to the Homepage for that List (instructions below) and click “Subscribe.”
UNSUBSCRIBE FROM A LIST
To unsubscribe, send a blank email to LISTNAME-unsubscribe@lists.vitalcommunities.org
SEND A POST TO A LIST
-Address your email to LISTNAME@lists.vitalcommunities.org (ex: goods-uv@lists.vitalcommunities.org)
-Put your post title in the email subject line
-Sign your post with your first and last names
–Make sure you are following the guidelines of the list you are posting to
OR Go to the Homepage for that List (instructions below) and click “Post”
GO TO THE HOMEPAGE FOR A LIST
-Go to https://lists.vitalcommunities.org/lists/
-If a pink error message pops up, click the grey X in the message’s top right corner
-Click on “Lists” in the top right side of the screen and then find and click on the list you want to learn about.
SEE A POST MADE IN THE PAST
-Go to the homepage for that List (instructions above)
-Click on “archive” in the menu on the left side
-Click “I am not a spammer”
-Posts are arranged chronologically, grouped by month and year.
REACH THE MANAGER OF A LIST
-Send an email to LISTNAME-requests@lists.vitalcommunities.org
Upper Valley-Wide Lists
When you want to reach people across the Upper Valley or are posting about something that isn’t specific to a particular town or towns, use one of these lists:
For one-time and recurring EVENTS, both free and charging admission, including:
performances
art exhibits
meetings
lectures
garage sales
church bazaars
classes
workshops
festivals
farmers markets
For ITEMS for sale, wanted, or free
Servicesplus-uv for all other items, including SERVICES for sale, wanted, or free, PLUS anything that doesn’t fit in EVENTS or GOODS, including:
- announcements about businesses that offer services
- services you are seeking or offering (free or for a fee)
- camp sign-ups
- organizations seeking members or donations
- job listings
- rentals (equipment, housing, more)
Topic Discussion Lists
These lists focus on specific subjects:
Town Discussion Lists
**Vital Communities will be transferring responsibility for the operations of the 38 town-based listservs to the nonprofit organization UVLists before the end of October 2026. Subscribers to these lists will receive information about the option to opt out of the new listservs prior to the change if they are not interested in making this transition. Vital Communities will continue to support operations of the three Upper Valley-wide listservs (Events, Goods, and Services-Plus) and the topic-focused listservs.
Town Discussion Lists are primarily for content from residents and others connected to a given town, pertaining to events, issues, and opportunities specific to that town.
All Town Lists follow these basic guidelines:
- Keep It Local: Town Discussion Lists prioritize content that’s local to the communities they serve. Some allow content from neighboring communities and some allow content from farther away. Check the Guidelines for the particular list you have subscribed to to see how that list defines “local,” and abide by any reminders from the List Manager.
- Keep It Civil: Lists are meant to unify communities, not divide them. In your posts, treat your fellow subscribers with respect. When addressing potentially divisive topics, focus on policies and actions rather than people and their intents. Abide by any reminders from the List Manager.
- Limit Commercial Postings: Lists are meant to be more than free advertising. If you are advertising new services and products being sold in a particular town, you may post to that town’s list. Otherwise, use the appropriate Upper Valley List. (Note: Some lists do allow commercial postings from businesses outside of what they consider local. Read the homepage or check with the manager for the list you wish to post to.)
- No Anonymous Posts: Sign each post with your first and last names.
To read a Town List’s Guidelines and Subscribe:
- Find it in the list below and click on it to open its homepage
- Click on X to close the pink error message
- Click on “Login” in the top righthand corner of the screen
- Log in or create a login
- Click on “Subscribe” in the menu and click “I subscribe…”
FAQs
I'm not getting the List digest emails
- Check your email spam or junk folder. Many email programs start putting the list digests in spam or junk if they haven’t been opened recently. Just mark them as not spam or junk and you should start getting them in your inbox again.
- Are you sure you are subscribed? One proof is that you have been receiving the emails. Sometimes people think they are subscribed but never actually were.
If you continue to have problems, email the List Manager (LISTNAME-request@lists.vitalcommunities.org) and make it clear in the subject line that you are having a problem!
My post wasn't shared - why?
- Are you subscribed to the list you are posting to? One proof is that you have been receiving the emails. Sometimes people think they are subscribed but never actually were.
If you have been blocklisted from a list, you can receive posts but not make them. See “What does it mean to be blocklisted?”
If you haven’t been blocklisted, you post may not have appeared because:
- you sent it to LISTNAME-request@lists.vitalcommunities.org, which goes to the List Manager, rather than LISTNAME@lists.
vitalcommunities.org, which posts to the list - you sent it from a different email address than the one through which you subscribed to the list
If you continue to have problems, email the List Manager (LISTNAME-request@lists.vitalcommunities.org) and make it clear in the subject line that you are having a problem!
How Can I Be a List Manager?
Interested in becoming a volunteer List Manager? Here’s how:
- Read the List Manager Duties and Responsibilities.
- Email discussionlists@vitalcommunities.org to get the list started.
How many people subscribe to the Lists supervised by Vital Communities?
As of June 2025, almost 27,000 people subscribed to one or more of these lists, a big chunk of the 221,000 residents of the Upper Valley!
What should I do if another subscriber violates the guidelines?
- Write to the manager of that list by emailing LISTNAME-request@lists.vitalcommunities.org and describe the problem. The manager will act according to their best judgment. If they feel the need to contact the violator, they will do so by private email.
- Please refrain from posting a complaint to the list. Posting to the list can cause confusion, especially when the manager is already interacting with the violator. More often than not, posts about violations make violators more defensive and subsequent discussions can cause more confusion and bad feelings for all subscribers.
Who owns the Discussion Lists?
The lists are owned by Vital Communities, a nonprofit corporation, and are governed by the guidelines Vital Communities sets.* Vital Communities operates the lists as part of its mission to help build community and create equitable solutions to our region’s challenges. Membership on a list is a privilege, not a right, and is predicated on conforming to the Posting Guidelines.
*On the home page for particular lists, the individuals listed as “owners” of particular lists are actually List Managers. It’s just a quirk of the platform that we can’t change!
Who can read postings on my List?
Posts made to a list are publicly visible immediately to anyone who receives that list’s postings in real time and are added to the digest that goes out the next day. Managers do not see or approve posts before they are made visible. Once made, posts cannot be deleted, so think – and proofread – before you post! To err is human, so go ahead and post a correction!
Can posts be deleted?
Emails sent to a list are publicly visible immediately, and anyone anywhere can see anything that is sent to this list (nonsubscribers can view postings on the archive page). This means that the public, including third-party services, can see and share whatever is sent to the lists.
In other words, once made, posts cannot be deleted, so think – and proofread – before you post!
Can I "embed" a link in a post?
You can add live links to any post simply by copying the URL or web address of that page from the top space of your browser and pasting into your post. This is the best practice because it shows subscribers the actual web address they are clicking on so that they know it is not some link that will infect their computer with malicious software.
While some email programs allow you to “embed” links in a post under different text ( ex: “Go to the Vital Communities website“), and some free online services allow you to shorten long and complicated URLs, we do not recommend doing either of these in your listserv posts — nor do we recommend clicking on links that could be suspicious!
What does it mean to be "blocklisted"?
Being blocklisted for a particular list means that you can still read the posts made to the List but cannot make posts yourself.
Being blocklisted happens when someone repeatedly or egregiously violated the Posting Guidelines for that list.
In the case of a moderate violation, the List Manager usually will send the violator a private email warning them that repeated violations will result in blocklisting. In the case of a violation the List Manager feels is particularly egregious, the violator may blocklisted without a warning.
My message was rejected because of an attachment - why?
The lists reject submissions with file attachments, including images and other documents.
If your submission is rejected with this error but you have not attached anything to your message, your message may contain a background pattern or a signature containing a graphic image such as a Twitter, Facebook, or corporate logo. If your message has any of these, the listserv will treat them as attachments. Please try sending your message without the pattern or the signature.
How can I change whether I receive my List as a daily digest or as individual posts?
Depending on the list, you may have the option of receiving posts as they are made or receiving them in a digest the next day. Not all lists have both options. To change how you receive posts:
- Go to lists.vitalcommunities.org/lists
- Log in (you’ll need to create a log in if this is your first time)
- Go to the list you wish to make the change to
- Go to Subscriber Options, then Reception Mode
- Choose Standard if you want to receive posts as they are made, and choose any other option if you want to receive them in a daily digest.
How do I contact a List Manager?
If you need help using a List or have concerns about a posting, contact the List Manager by sending an email to: LISTNAME-request@lists.vitalcommunities.org.
Example 1: To contact the Manager of the List for Brownsville, VT (brownsville@lists.vitalcommunities.org), email:
- brownsville-request@lists.vitalcommunities.org
Example 2: To contact the Manager of the List for the 4 Town Coalition (4-towncoalition@lists.vitalcommunities.org), email:
- 4-towncoalition-request@lists.vitalcommunities.org.
Are Lists a good way to share emergency messages?
Because most subscribers receive lists in Digest mode, meaning once a day, the lists are not a reliable way to communicate messages with same-day urgency. However, they are an excellent and appropriate way to share longer-term public safety messages.
Legal Disclaimer
Vital Communities does not control and assumes no legal or editorial responsibility for any content distributed through the community discussion lists. Content is generated by individual subscribers, who each bear responsibility for their individual postings.
Content posted to the discussion lists is automatically distributed to the subscribers and Vital Communities cannot retract or modify any such content before it is sent to subscribers. All historical content is publicly accessible in the archives (Vital Communities can remove content from the archives after the fact upon request from the original poster).
Volunteer discussion list managers are responsible for post-facto monitoring of the content of a town discussion list and may, at their discretion, issue private warnings to individual subscribers or public guidelines to the entire discussion list if, in their sole judgment, any of the Posting Guidelines or General Rules are repeatedly violated.
Community Discussion List Staff
Each list is managed by a volunteer from the community. Vital Communities staff facilitate list manager communications and issues beyond the scope of a single list or manager.
