Important new information about the mailing list and the directory.

The WCA is testing a new feature to allow people to directly sign up for our newsletter and to manage their e-mail address. When a person signs up or modifies their entry in the mailing list data base, they have the option to be listed in the on line directory, when we get it working, and to control the data that will be included in their directory listing.

The following explains how it works:

By following the link below, you can sign up for the WCA mailing list If you sign up, you will receive an e-mail at the address you enter and you will have to confirm, by sending back an e-mail from that address, that you want to be added to the list. This feature is to prevent someone from signing you up without your authorization.

The minimum information we request for signing up is your e-mail(which is how we index you), your name, and if you want to be in the WCA online directory, when we get the online directory working. We expect to have it working early 1Q07.

If you want to be in the directory, we encourage you to fill in the rest of the information as it will allow people looking at the directory to know more about you. When the on line directory is working, you will be able to modify data in your entry real time.

Your basic sign-up will put you on the WCA main mailing list for future meeting announcements. You can optionally sign up for SIG mailing lists. Note, at this time only the Metro SIG mailing list is supported. Other SIGS have their own mailing lists and you have to sign up though them. We expect that to change over the next few months.

Finally, after you have signed up you will be able to modify your information via a link that is contained in every mailing. This link has a password that lets you get into your profile and modify it as you wish.

We hope this new approach improves the accuracy of our mailing list and we hope soon to have our online directory project completed.