RE: [Mailman-Users] Auto-Responses/Digest Delivery
Thanks for responding. I am still having the same problem. I plan to contact the postmasters, as suggested. However, I hope that there is also something that I can do, in the meantime, on my end. I double-checked and replies to list messages are indeed directed to the poster, as recommended.
The strange thing that I noticed is that auto-replies to the list are only from digest subscribers. I looked at a digest message to my list. The "To" field is the list address and the "From" field is the admin address, for example, listname-admin@... When I try replying to the digest message, I get the list address! I would think that a reply to the digest message would go to the admin address, since that's where the message originated.
When I reply to a regular posting, I get the poster address. Is there something wrong with the digest delivery? Also, when I am the poster of a message (and I have delivery set to regular), I get the auto-replies (not the list). Is there a way to have all auto-replies to the list sent to the listname-admin@ address?
Any ideas? Thanks.
Camille Powell, Web Designer Analytical Sciences, Inc. cpowell@asciences.com
-----Original Message----- From: Marc MERLIN [mailto:marc_news@valinux.com] Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2001 2:17 AM To: Camille K. Powell Cc: Greg Ward; mailman-users@python.org Subject: Re: [Mailman-Users] Auto-Responses
On Tue, Nov 06, 2001 at 01:26:04PM -0500, Camille K. Powell wrote:
Thanks, but I hope there's a better way. I just switched from EZMLM to Mailmain and I never had this problem. The auto-replies used to go to the person that posted the message, not to the list.
Actually both are wrong, auto-replies are supposed to go to the envelope sender, which is the list admin address.
Ezmlm is much smarter than mailman for bounce processing since it uses VERP and knows exactly which user bounced.
That said, unless you have a list that does reply to munging (forcing the reply-to to the list), auto responses should never ever reach the list, whether you're using ezmlm or mailman If an auto-responder is broken to the point that it answers receipients in the To/Cc fields, you can block the sender, but neither mailman or ezmlm can do anything about it.
If you are using reply-to munging, that may be another reason to consider not doing it (but the sending mail server is still at fault)
Marc
Microsoft is to operating systems & security .... .... what McDonalds is to gourmet cooking
Home page: http://marc.merlins.org/ | Finger marc_f@merlins.org for PGP key
On 16 November 2001, Camille K. Powell said:
Thanks for responding. I am still having the same problem. I plan to contact the postmasters, as suggested. However, I hope that there is also something that I can do, in the meantime, on my end. I double-checked and replies to list messages are indeed directed to the poster, as recommended.
You always have the option of disabling the subscriptions of users with broken autoresponders. Or of blacklisting their site entirely; a bit harsh, but not unheard of.
The strange thing that I noticed is that auto-replies to the list are only from digest subscribers. I looked at a digest message to my list. The "To" field is the list address and the "From" field is the admin address, for example, listname-admin@... When I try replying to the digest message, I get the list address! I would think that a reply to the digest message would go to the admin address, since that's where the message originated.
Why don't you post the *complete* headers for one of these digests? What MUA are you using? It may also be useful to know what the SMTP sender and recipient (aka "envelope" sender and recipient) are -- if your MTA adds Return-path and Envelope-to or Delivered-to headers, those should tell you. If not, watch your MTA's logs as it accepts the digest from Mailman and delivers it to you; most MTA log the envelope sender and recipient. If all else fails, time to learn about packet-tracing tools like Ethereal: attach one to your MTA while the digest is received and delivered, and look at the SMTP session. Loads of fun, that.
When I reply to a regular posting, I get the poster address. Is there something wrong with the digest delivery?
If this is purely in the MUA, then it's more likely something wrong with the digest's headers. MUAs don't generally have access to envelope sender/recipient, so they have to go by the headers: From, Sender, Reply-to, etc.
Also, when I am the poster of a message (and I have delivery set to regular), I get the auto-replies (not the list). Is there a way to have all auto-replies to the list sent to the listname-admin@ address?
No, because there is no limit to the stupidity of broken autoresponders. If I wanted to, I could go write an autoresponder that sends you email every time someone sends me email with the word "foo" in it. Broken? Stupid? You bet. But perfectly feasible.
Greg-- Greg Ward - software developer gward@mems-exchange.org MEMS Exchange http://www.mems-exchange.org
When I reply to a regular posting, I get the poster address. Is there something wrong with the digest delivery? Also, when I am the poster of a message (and I have delivery set to regular), I get the auto-replies (not the list). Is there a way to have all auto-replies to the list sent to
the
listname-admin@ address?
Any ideas? Thanks.
Camille Powell, Web Designer Analytical Sciences, Inc. cpowell@asciences.com
The digest must be delivering the messages and using the listname in the
From field.
There is no way to have all Auto-replies sent to the list-name-admin address (unless you want ALL replies sent there...). The address chosen by the Auto-reply is totally dependent on the set-up at the clients email site. There is *nothing* you can do about this. The best you can do is set the offending party to "no mail" so that they no longer receive posts (so they no longer respond to posts).
Please send them a note privately telling them this, and assuring them that they will be removed from the list entirely should the incident happen again.
Having a setup like that in the 21st Century is simply a matter of ignorance and poor manners.
Jon Carnes
participants (3)
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Camille K. Powell -
Greg Ward -
Jon Carnes