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Mailing Lists
Mailing list allows
you to send mail to multiple users. The Mailing Lists feature is implemented
through EZMLM/IDX MAILING LIST MANAGER (http://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
about:
Understanding Mailing Lists
Mailing lists act similar to forwards
with the only difference that they offer wider possibilites such as independent end
user subscribtion, message and subscription moderation, archivation and much
more.
The mailing list solution available in the control panel is the popular
EZMLM/IDX MAILING LIST MANAGER.
For comprehensive information on EZMLM, see
EZMLM FAQ.
Creating Mailing Lists
To create a mailing list:
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On your control panel home page, click E-Mail.
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On the mail domain controls page click New Mailing List:
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Create the mailing list using the form that appears:
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E-mail address: the name of the
mailing list from which mail will be forwarded to subscribers.
Note: you can enter only a new e-mail address. If you need to use an
existing address, first delete the resource that uses it.
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Comment: a comment that will help you
identify this address among other mail resources, if needed.
See below how to configure the mailing list
according to your needs.
Configuring a Mailing List
To configure a mailing list:
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Click the mailing list e-mail address in the E-mail list on
the Mail Controls page:
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On the page that appears, configure mailing list preferred settings:
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.
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 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.
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 content.
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 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.
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."
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Click the Submit button to save changes.
For specific details on how to configure your mail list, please read
documentation at www.ezmlm.org.
Managing Your Mail List Subscribers
The number of subscribers shows in brackets in the mailing list Properties
column.
To add subscribers to a mailing list:
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Click the Subscribers icon in the mailing list Properties
column on the mail domain controls page.
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Enter subscriber's email address 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:
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Click Submit.
To remove subscribers from a mailing list:
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Click the Subscribers icon in the mailing list Properties
column on the mail domain controls page.
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Click the Delete icon next to the subscriber to delete
subscribers one by one or the Delete icon in Remove all subscribers.
Sending Messages to Mailing List Subscribers
To send a message to a mailing list, send the newsletter to the mailing list e-mail
address using WebMail or any mail client such as Outlook Express.
Managing Your Mailing List Moderators
Moderators approve of message posts and requests for subscription.
Individual moderator's addresses are kept secret, even from other moderators. The
total number of moderators is displayed in brackets in the mailing list Properties
column.
To add a moderator to your mailing list:
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Click the Moderators icon in the mailing list Properties
column on the mail domain controls page.
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Enter moderator's email in the Add moderator field:
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Click Submit.
To remove a moderator from your mailing list:
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Click the Moderators icon in the mailing list Properties
column on the mail domain controls page.
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Click the Delete icon next to the moderator
There can be several moderators, both for messages and subscription:
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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.
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Subscription moderators allow people to
join the list. If at least one subscription moderator approves the request, the user
address becomes a subscriber.
As a rule of thumb, most lists use the same addresses for both functions.
Adding Mailing List Trailer
Message trailer is a uniform text added to each message. Typically, it
contains instructions on how to unsubscribe from the list and similar information for
subscribers. There can be only one trailer for all messages within one mailing list.
To add a message trailer:
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Click the Trailer icon in the mailing list Properties
column on the mail domain controls page.
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Enter the text that will be added to each of your subscribe messages:
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Click Submit.
To edit a message trailer:
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Click the Trailer icon in the mailing list Properties
column on the mail domain controls page.
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Edit the text and click Submit.
To remove a message trailer:
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Click the Trailer icon in the mailing list Properties
column on the mail domain controls page.
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Remove the text from the text field and click Submit.
Removing Mailing Lists
To remove a mailing list click the Trash icon in the mailing lists Properties column on the Mail Controls page:
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