Hello, I am working on setting up a Mailman mailing list for our web site at http://www.jenniferonsunday.com. We are a band and already have many people on an exisiting list (done manually), which we want to migrate to Mailman. Our site is hosted by Webanimotion, and they have Mailman on their server for us.
We want a very simple mailing list system, and Mailman can do a lot more than we need. I'm trying to find out how to best configure Mailman for our needs. Here is what we want to do:
- Send e-mail news updates to our list. We do not want users to be able to send to the list.
- Users subscribe from our website. Currently they enter their e-mail address on the site, and click "Join", which sends the appropriate e-mail.
- Users UNsubscribe as well.
The problem I've run into seems to revolve around the password, and the Welcome E-mail. The Welcome E-mail has a lot more information in it than we need. For instance, that e-mail tells users that they can post to the list, which I do not want them to be able to do. I know I can turn off the feature about sending them the Welcome E-mail, but then they won't have their password.
Also, when I migrate our current users to our Mailman list, I don't want them to know about the migration. However, if they don't get a Welcome E-mail, they also will not have a password, and will be unable to unsubscribe automatically.
Is there a way to modify the Welcome E-mail (besides just the introduction to it)? Is there a way to avoid having to use a password to unsubscribe?
Thanks for any help you can provide. We really just want a simple mailing list to get information to our fans.
Thanks very much! -Jim http://www.jenniferonsunday.com
- Jim Hodson (jimhodson@jenniferonsunday.com) wrote:
Hello, I am working on setting up a Mailman mailing list for our web site at http://www.jenniferonsunday.com. We are a band and already have many people on an exisiting list (done manually), which we want to migrate to Mailman. Our site is hosted by Webanimotion, and they have Mailman on their server for us.
Well that might restrict what you can do with mailman unless your good friends with them or done a few free shows for 'em. But some of the things your asking will need more than web-admin access.
- Send e-mail news updates to our list. We do not want users to be able to send to the list.
Check FAQ 3.11
The problem I've run into seems to revolve around the password, and the Welcome E-mail. The Welcome E-mail has a lot more information in it than we need. For instance, that e-mail tells users that they can post to the list, which I do not want them to be able to do. I know I can turn off the feature about sending them the Welcome E-mail, but then they won't have their password.
Change the template for the message in the templates/ dir.
Worse case scenerio (spelled right?), user wants to unsubscribe, they have to goto the web page and have the password emailed to them to unsubscribe.
I know thats not really the preferred method.
Also, when I migrate our current users to our Mailman list, I don't want them to know about the migration. However, if they don't get a Welcome E-mail, they also will not have a password, and will be unable to unsubscribe automatically.
You can also add text to the welcome messages in the General Options tab in the 'Notificaions' section (for MM2.1).
Is there a way to modify the Welcome E-mail (besides just the introduction to it)? Is there a way to avoid having to use a password to unsubscribe?
http://satya.virtualave.net/download.html#mailmanw
It requires perl and MySQL, so it might not be able to fit into your setup.
| Matthew Davis /\ http://dogpound.vnet.net/ | |--------------------------------------------| | Tuesday, January 21, 2003 / 10:13PM |
When I was a kid my favorite relative was Uncle Caveman. After school we'd all go play in his cave, and every once in a while he would eat one of us. It wasn't until later that I found out that Uncle Caveman was a bear.
"JH" == Jim Hodson <jimhodson@jenniferonsunday.com> writes:
JH> Hello, I am working on setting up a Mailman mailing list for
JH> our web site at http://www.jenniferonsunday.com. We are a
JH> band and already have many people on an exisiting list (done
JH> manually), which we want to migrate to Mailman. Our site is
JH> hosted by Webanimotion, and they have Mailman on their server
JH> for us.Jim, I've been going through some back email, and I came across this message. Talk about interesting coincidences:
You guys are from the DC area, and if I'm not mistaken, recently did some work at Recording Arts w/ Marco Delmar? I saw your flier on the wall there a week or so ago, if I'm not mistaken. I've worked with Marco on two projects now, one with the Nancy Dougherty Band, and another just recently with Billy Coulter. Awesome producer, and great guy.
Another weird coincidence -- my main band is the Cravin' Dogs, whose last record was called Root Rock Paper Scissors. :) You're also playing many of our haunts. Dang, I see I missed your CD release party at IOTA. Great venue, huh? Hope the show went well.
We should definitely hook up musically some time.
Okay, back to Mailman...
As to your mailing list questions, well, I run the Dog's list and Nancy's list off my own servers, on Mailman of course. So it can definitely be done. Here are some hopefully useful answers.
JH> We want a very simple mailing list system, and Mailman can do
JH> a lot more than we need. I'm trying to find out how to best
JH> configure Mailman for our needs. Here is what we want to do:
JH> 1. Send e-mail news updates to our list. We do not want users
JH> to be able to send to the list.Yep, that's how we do it.
JH> 2. Users subscribe from our
JH> website. Currently they enter their e-mail address on the
JH> site, and click "Join", which sends the appropriate e-mail.Yep, although most of the joining we see is still us entering email addresses gathered from gigs.
JH> 3. Users UNsubscribe as well.Yep.
JH> The problem I've run into seems to revolve around the
JH> password, and the Welcome E-mail. The Welcome E-mail has a
JH> lot more information in it than we need. For instance, that
JH> e-mail tells users that they can post to the list, which I do
JH> not want them to be able to do. I know I can turn off the
JH> feature about sending them the Welcome E-mail, but then they
JH> won't have their password.In Mailman 2.1.x the way to customize the welcome message is to create a directory lists/<yourlist>/en (assuming English :) and copy templates/subscribeack.txt to this directory. Then edit the file for your specific wording. Mailman will always this specialized template for the English welcome messages.
JH> Also, when I migrate our current users to our Mailman list, I
JH> don't want them to know about the migration. However, if they
JH> don't get a Welcome E-mail, they also will not have a
JH> password, and will be unable to unsubscribe automatically.In that case, I'd turn on personalization. For the Cravin' Dogs lists, I've disabled monthly password reminders, but I've turned on personalization, so at least people get a message with their options page in every footer. It's probably still a good idea to manually run the reminders once in a while if just to help cull the dead addresses.
JH> Is there a way to modify the Welcome E-mail (besides just the
JH> introduction to it)? Is there a way to avoid having to use a
JH> password to unsubscribe?While not totally avoiding the use of a password, most unsubs won't need them. The easiest instructions are to send a message to <yourlist>-leave@dom.ain, and then simply reply to the confirmation message. They never need to know their password.
JH> Thanks for any help you can provide. We really just want a
JH> simple mailing list to get information to our fans.Hope that helps, -Barry
"JH" == Jim Hodson <jimhodson@jenniferonsunday.com> writes:
JH> We want a very simple mailing list system, and Mailman can do
JH> a lot more than we need. I'm trying to find out how to best
JH> configure Mailman for our needs. Here is what we want to do:
JH> 1. Send e-mail news updates to our list. We do not want users
JH> to be able to send to the list.Some other suggestions:
Turn on the moderation flag for all your users. For existing users, go to the membership management page, and use the Additional Member Tasks to turn on the mod flag for all users.
Then go to Privacy Options -> Sender filters and set the default_member_moderation flag to Yes.
Set the member_moderation_action to Reject and add a nice rejection notice text to the following text box. Say something like "this is an announcement list, to reach the band, please email jos@dom.ain"
Set the generic_nonmember_action to Reject.
Go to the General options and scroll down to Reply-To munging. Turn on first_strip_reply_to and set reply_goes_to_list to Explicit Address. Set reply_to_address to jos@dom.ain. This way anyone following up to an announcement will send the message to your band contact address.
Scroll down on the General options and set include_list_post_header to No, but leave include_rfc2369_headers to Yes.
For those of you allowed to post to the list, turn off their moderation flag so their postings go straight through. Alternatively, you can add an Approved header to your postings.
I'd also recommend turning on personalization under the NonDigest section, and disabling digests under the Digest section, but these are optional.
That's everything I can think of for a general announcement-only list. Mailman can handle these kinds of lists quite well, although as you can see, it's not completely obvious everything you need to set. That's something I'd really like to improve for future releases (probably through something like List Styles).
-Barry
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"BAW" == Barry A Warsaw "Re: [Mailman-Users] configuring Mailman" Tue, 11 Feb 2003 08:19:33 -0500
BAW> - Set the member_moderation_action to Reject and add a nice
BAW> rejection notice text to the following text box. Say
BAW> something like "this is an announcement list, to reach the
BAW> band, please email jos@dom.ain"
BAW> - For those of you allowed to post to the list, turn off
BAW> their moderation flag so their postings go straight
BAW> through. Alternatively, you can add an Approved header to
BAW> your postings.What about announce list owners who are frequently/perpetually represented as the originators of spoofed mails? Under the old regimen they resorted to moderating their own posts. I'm not sure I understand the _Approved_ header field. I'm thinking about grossly non-technical Microsoft addicts that are announce list owners.
BAW> That's something I'd really like to improve for future
BAW> releases (probably through something like List Styles).Cloneaid again? :-)
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"BAW" == Barry A Warsaw "Re: [Mailman-Users] configuring Mailman" Tue, 11 Feb 2003 01:28:40 -0500
BAW> In Mailman 2.1.x the way to customize the welcome message is
BAW> to create a directory lists/<yourlist>/en (assuming English
BAW> :) and copy templates/subscribeack.txt to this directory.
BAW> Then edit the file for your specific wording. Mailman will
BAW> always this specialized template for the English welcome
BAW> messages.Pity the normal list owner without shell access?
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participants (4)
-
barry＠python.org -
jam＠jamux.com -
Jim Hodson -
Matthew Davis