Mailing Lists


 

Mailing list allows you to send mail to multiple users. The Mailing Lists feature is implemented through EZMLM/IDX MAILING LIST MANAGER (www.ezmlm.org). A comprehensive FAQ for ezmlm can be found at http://gd.tuwien.ac.at/infosys/mail/qmail/ezfaq/.

Here you will learn how to:

· Create a new mailing list
· Configure your mailing list
· Add subscribers to mailing lists
· Add moderators to mailing lists
· Add message trailer to mailing lists

Adding and Creating Mailing Lists

To create a mailing list, do the following:

1. Select Mail Info in the Mail Info menu.
2. Click  New Mailing list . A new form appears:

3. Choose Mailing List from the drop-down box.
4. Agree to additional charges if any.
5. Create the mailing list using the form that appears:

Enter E-mail address: This is the e-mail address from which mail will be forwarded to subscribers.
Important: you can only enter a new e-mail address. If you need to use an existing address, first delete the resource that uses it.
Comment: add a comment that will help you identify this address among other mail resources, if needed.

Note: to remove a mailing list, click the Delete icon in the Mailing List Properties section .

See below how to configure the mailing list according to your needs.

Configuring a Mailing List

To configure a mailing list, do the following:

1. Click the name of the mailing list once created (above)

3.  Click the name of the list.
4.  On the page that appears, choose the preferred settings. See below for details.
5.  Click the Submit button to save changes.

For profound information on how to configure your mail list please read documentation at www.ezmlm.org

Now let's take a closer look at some of the options.

Enter the e-mail address that enables mail list subscribers to report their problems or error messages sending requests to your_mailinglist-owner@domain.com. Since EZMLM can take care of virtually all requests without human intervention, the list owner may read mail only infrequently.
 

By default, all messages sent to a list are kept archived. This way, subscribers can later retrieve messages from the archive. For instance, subscribers haven't been following the list for a while, or they just want to see the discussion of a specific question.

E.g.: retrieve one message at a time with the -get command: your_mailinglist-get.123@domain.com (get message 123)
* The archive is also used to create digests.
Check Not Archived to disable archiving the messages sent to the list.
 

You can prohibit the overall access to the archive and authorize only moderators to get at it.
 

Here you can restrict the access to the mailing list archive by allowing only subscribers retrieve the archive. Non-subscribers' requests will be rejected.
 

Check the Digest box to set up the mailing list with a digest function. The digest is a special kind of mailing list extension. Instead of sending separate messages, it sends out a collection of messages ordered by digest subscribers collections of messages. Digest is sent out when a predetermined time or traffic limit has been reached. Receiving digest is very convenient for users who want to follow a list, but not to participate in the discussion. Digests contain each message as it was sent out by the list. No editorials, no missing messages. If the list owner has chosen to restrict posts and archive access to subscribers, digest subscribers are automatically given the same privilege.

From the subscriber point of view, the digest list for the mailing list your_mailinglist@domain.com is called your_mailinglist-digest@domain.com. You use the same commands to work with digest as you do when you work with the main list. The only difference is that you use your commands with 'digest' indication.
 

Check "No prefix" to prohibit adding prefix to the subject line of each message that does not already contain it. If you want the subject line of each message that does not contain it, to include the prefix, place the text in the file DIR/prefix
 

Here you can restrict the access to the mailing list archive by allowing only subscribers retrieve the archive. Non-subscribers' requests will be rejected.

Usually an applicant for subscription (your_mailinglist-subscribe@domain.com) is sent a confirmation request. To confirm it, one should just reply to the message. When it is done, recipient's address is added to the database and he becomes a subscriber.
This verification mechanism tests if the person at the subscription address really wants to be a subscriber. You can always include or exclude confirmation from the subscription procedure.
 

Normally, confirmation is not required to unsubscribe from a mailing list. However, this option gives added security in that one can't remove another without permission.

Mailing lists may use subscription moderation. Subscription to these lists is identical to the process described above, except that after confirmation the request is passed on to the list moderator(s). One becomes a subscriber only after his request has been approved by a moderator, i.e. he replies to the ``Reply-To:'' address. 

In special cases, the list owner may set up the list to be message moderated. On a message moderated list, messages, instead of going directly to the list (to send messages to the list, one must know its name. If the list is called mailinglist@domain.com, just send a message to mailinglist@domain.com), are sent to one or more moderators. They can accept or reject, but not modify the message. If the message is accepted, it is sent to the list unmodified. If it is rejected, it is e-mailed back to the sender, optionally with an explanation from the moderator. On moderated lists it may take a little longer for the message to reach all the subscribers, since it has to be read and approved by at least one moderator before being sent out to the subscribers.
 

Here, you can allow remote administrators to edit the text files that make up most of the ezmlm responses. Replies are sent only if the target address is a remote administrator. With this switch, ezmlm replies to the -edit command with a list of the files in dir/text/. Only files where editing seems reasonable are included in the list. The remote administrator can edit any file in dir/text/ by sending e-mail containing the new text to -edit.file where ``file'' is the name of the file replaced (edited). In reply to this command, ezmlm sends a message with the file and editing instructions. A ``cookie'' based on the date, file name, and contents of the file is added to the ``Reply-To:'' address. The cookie becomes invalid as soon as the file has been changed, or after 27 hours, whichever is shorter. Also, the cookie cannot be used to edit any other file, even if the other file has exactly the same contents.
 

Here you can disable posting by subscribers to the mailing list, so they will only receive messages posted by moderators. This is usually chosen to send announcement or notifications where the interaction between recipients is not intended.
 

 If you enable this function, users will be required to request to the remote administrator in order to retrieve mail list archives. Otherwise, archive will be accessible only to the remote administrator.

With this option enabled, it will process commands sent in the subject to list-request@host.

A remote administrator is an address with the rights to do certain administrative tasks remotely by E-mail. Depending on how the list is configured, remote administrators may have the right/ability to list subscribers, search for subscriber addresses by name, add and remove subscriber addresses and/or edit the texts that are sent in reply to list commands.

Mailing list users are not allowed to list the addresses of all subscribers. Still, you can allow remote administrator to get it. The subscription log stores entries for each modification made to the subscriber database. Remote administrators can list this log or search it for specific entries. For example, listing this file allows the remote administrator to see recent additions and removals.
 

You can set up your mailing list to allow user posts from subscribers only. In this case posts received from non-subscribers will be rejected and sent back.
 

You can set up your mailing list to allow posts from subscribers only. In this case posts received from non-subscribers will be rejected and sent back.

As per ezmlm manpages, "there is no reason to combine of SENDER checks on posts with message moderation. Therefore, the combination of the -u switch with the -m switch is used for a configuration with SENDER restrictions (like with -u alone), with the difference that posts from non-subscribers will be sent for moderation instead of being rejected. This allows the list admin to let non-subscribers post occasionally, as well as to catch subscribers posting from non-subscriber addresses."

Click theSubmit button to save changes.
 

Adding Subscribers to your Mail List

Subscribers are the recipients of your newsletters. The total number of subscribers is displayed in the brackets.

 To add subscribers to your mail list, do the following:

1. Click the name of the mailing list. Its properties will show on the right.
2.  Click the Add icon next to the Subscribers name.
3.  Enter subscriber's email in the Add subscriber field. To add several subscribers at once, enter their e-mail addresses separated with line break in the Batch subscribers creation field:
 

4. Click Submit.

Removing subscribers:

- To delete subscribers one by one, click the Delete icon next to the subscriber.
- To mass delete all subscribers, click the Delete icon in the Remove all subscribers field.

To send a message to a mailing list, send the newsletter to the mail list e-mail address using WebMail or any mail client such as Outlook Express.

Adding Moderators to your Mail List

Moderators approve of message posts and requests for subscription. Individual moderator's addresses are kept secret, even from other moderators.

  To add moderators to your mail list, do the following:

1. Click the name of the mailing list.
2. Click the Add icon next to the Moderator name.
3. Add a new subscriber by submitting your entry.
4. To add several subscribers at once, enter them in a Batch Subscribers Creation field.

There can be several moderators, both for messages and subscription:

          · Message moderators allow messages to be sent to the mail list. The message will be passed on to the       mailing list subscribers only if a moderator approves it.
·Subscription moderators allow people to subscribe to the list. If at least one subscription moderator approves the request, the user address becomes a subscriber.

Important: As a rule of thumb, most lists use the same addresses for both functions. The total number of moderators is displayed in the brackets.

Adding Message Trailer To Mailing Lists

Message trailer is additional text you can add to each message. It usually contains information on how to unsubscribe from the list or some important information for subscribers. There is one trailer for all messages within one mailing list. To add a message trailer:

1.  Click the name of the mailing list. Its properties will show on the right.
2.  Click the Add icon next to Message Trailer. The following page will show:

3.  Enter the text that will be added to each of your subscribe messages.
4.  Click Submit.

To edit a message trailer, click the Edit icon next to the Message Trailer, edit the text and click Submit.
To remove a message trailer, click the Delete icon against the Message Trailer field.