A mailing list is a collection of email[3] addresses used by individuals or businesses to send messages to multiple recipients. There are different types of mailing lists, including announcement lists for newsletters and advertising[1], and discussion lists for engaging in exchanges. Mailing lists are also used in projects like Git and Debian. The process of subscribing and unsubscribing to these lists is often automated, with some requiring approval to join. To maintain accuracy and security[2], mailing lists employ tracking and security measures such as delivery time tracking and moderator approval. Additionally, listwashing is performed to remove non-subscribed entries and ensure data deduplication. Finally, mailing lists have evolved from being scholarly tools to being widely used in various sectors, including academia and business, with their archives serving as valuable historical resources.
A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. The term is often extended to include the people subscribed to such a list, so the group of subscribers is referred to as "the mailing list", or simply "the list".