The stuff I'll send could be a link to a nifty utility I tried (and you'll be able to download it immediately) or a cool product add-on. And no advertising. Currently there are about 400 people on the list.

The trade? I want to occasionally ask you questions, hear what you have to say, and get your opinions. I want to be sure your voice is heard in my columns. Better, you'll get to hear about topics I'll address in upcoming columns and often have a chance to correspond with other PC World editors.

It goes without saying (but I will anyway)...this is my personal list. The e-mail addresses won't be shared with anyone, including PC World. And the list isn't affiliated with PC World--it's just me. I use eGroups, a free mail list. Three things to know--eGroups sets a cookie (to keep track of your password) and asks for a registration that annoys you with stupid questions (answer “other” whenever possible). I think it's worth the trade.

Egroups has been SPAM-free. Since I started the dozen lists, I haven’t had one complaint about SPAM. If you have any questions, take a peek at the FAQ below.

Here's how to join the list:

Go to PIBMUG's eGroup Web page. Or if it's easier, just send a blank e-mail to me at steve bass.

Steve Bass
PC World

WHAT THIS LIST IS ABOUT
I want to keep you informed about valuable computing issues and products, things I couldn't fit into my column. More important, I want to occasionally ask you questions and get your opinion. I want to be sure your voice is heard in my columns.

WHAT'S A MAIL LIST?
If you're new to the mail lists, here's a quick explanation--and a few easy things to keep in mind once you've subscribed. First, this is a closed list and unavailable to the public. The *only* way someone can subscribe is through an invitation either I send or one that I approve. It’s also an announcement-only list. That eliminates your name from being farmed by SPAMMERS and ensures you won't receive unwanted mail.

The neat part is you don't need to do anything special--just check for mail as usual. When you respond to a message, just Reply and I get the message. The downside? eGroups is advertiser sponsored so they'll stick a blurb at the bottom of some messages. eGroups is the most powerful--and easy to use--maillist I've seen. So I think it's a fair trade.

WILL I GET SPAMMED?
Nope. I've created the list you’re on and no one sees it. Period. eGroups doesn't have access to the list.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU BASS?
My goal? I want to send you things from my column I think are valuable but were left out because of space. You'd be surprised how short 650 words is (though it's just the opposite when I'm facing a deadline...) The stuff I'll send is valuable--perhaps a nifty utility I tried (and you'll be able to download it immediately) or a cool product add-on. And no advertising. The trade? I want to occasionally ask you questions, hear what you have to say, and get your opinions. I want to be sure your voice is heard in my columns. Better, you'll get to hear about topics I'll address in upcoming columns and often have a chance to correspond with other PC World editors.

WHY eGroups?
It's free, easy to use, and has a host of useful features. Two things to know--eGroups set a cookies and asks for a registration that asks you typical questions of a free service. I think it's worth the trade.

DO YOU HAVE OTHER eGroups?
Yep. Broad_band is an interactive list and addresses cable modem and DSL connections as well as the use, installation, and maintenance of high speed lines. It sometimes gets technical although you'll also find material even novices can find useful. It's easy to subscribe to broad_band. Just click this: subscribe 

WILL I GET LOTS OF MESSAGES?
Nope again. I plan on one or two a month at most. If that’s too much, you can subscribe to a digest of messages instead of regular mail. If you've just subscribed, check the messages you missed by heading to the web site, logging in, and clicking the stevebass link under "You are subscribed to xx lists:". Then click on View Archives.

SHARED FILE DIRECTORY? WHAT’S THAT?
You can pop over to the shared files director to grab any of the files I talk about in these messages. It’s a cool feature. The shared Directory is available at www.egroups.com. This area can be accessed by going to the Member Center and then selecting one of the communities in which you are a member. The link to Shared Files appears in the List Center. One note: Some of you may be sharp enough to figure out how to upload files to the Shared Directory. Please don't do it. The files I send up are virus- and porno-free. I want to keep it that way. Bottom line: If you upload anything, I'll know immediately. I'll also remove you from the list. Thanks for your understanding.

DO I NEED AN E-MAIL PROGRAM THAT UNDERSTANDS HTML?
Nope. I rarely send messages with HTML code.

COMING AND GOING
It’s amazingly easy and it happens through e-mail. The instructions are at the bottom of every message.

PASS THE MESSAGE ALONG
Sure, no problem. Just make sure you include everything that's below the dotted line in the message