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:
Adding and Creating Mailing Lists
To create a mailing list, do the following:
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.
To configure a mailing list, do the following:
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)
Read more on commands to access
the ezmlm message archive.
* 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
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.
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.
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 posts from subscribers only.
In this case posts received from non-subscribers will be rejected and
sent back.
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.
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:
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:
There can be several moderators, both for messages and subscription:
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 an 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:
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.