All students are required to join the course mailing list. Most students will be joined automatically -- if not, please contact the instructor.
I send announcements to the mailing list. The mailing list should also be used for class-wide discussion (by the students) on topics relevant to the course. The instructor generally does not participate in these discussions. Each student should feel free to initiate such discussion.
Appropriate ways of using the list include but are not limited to: