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Quick Reference

Listserv

Listserv Quick Reference

Subscriber Quick Reference

Owner Quick Reference

Subscriber Quick Reference

I want to subscribe to a list, but I don't know its name. How can I find this information?

NUIT does not keep specific information about the content covered by each list, but you can receive a listing of the visible lists on this server.

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    LISTS LOCAL

You will then be able to subscribe to the list(s) of your choice by following the instructions found below. If you are still not sure which list you want to be on, contact your UNITS representative or someone in your department; many schools and departments have listservs that are not on this server; they could be using Yahoo! Groups or some other listserv program (which we have no control of).

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Is my @u.northwestern.edu account compatible with Northwestern listservs?

Yes. You should receive all listserv messages in your new @u.northwestern.edu account as long as you are subscribed to the listserv from:

  • @northwestern.edu address
  • @u.northwestern.edu address

NOTE: Delivery cannot be guaranteed if you use a mailbox address NetID@mailhost.it.northwestern.edu (casbah, hecky, lulu, or merle).

Sending Listserv Messages :
After your @u.northwestern.edu account is activated, it is imperative that you add your @northwestern.edu address to your @u.northwestern.edu account so you can send messages to "closed" University listservs to which you are subscribed.

When you need to send a message to a listserv or reply to a message that was received from a closed listserv, be sure to select the @northwestern.edu address from the dropdown list in the "From" field before sending any e-mail to the listserv. Also make sure that you have selected the "Reply from the same address the message was sent to" option.

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How can I find out if a listserv I'm subscribed to is open or closed?

Each listserv is unique and offers owners several customization options. Because of this uniqueness, listserv subscribers will need to send a test message to individual listservs to check if they are open or closed. If you do not receive the message that you sent to a listserv to which you belong, you can probably assume that the list is "closed" and you will need to use your @northwestern.edu nickname when sending a message.

Some users will receive an error message indicating that the message was not delivered while some users will receive no notification. This is a customization feature that listserv owners choose.

If you suspect that your listserv messages are not being delivered, contact the listserv owner.

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How do I subscribe to a list?

PLEASE NOTE: All listserv subscriptions require you to use an alias@northwestern.edu e-mail address. Delivery cannot be guaranteed if you use the mailbox address NetID@mailhost.it.northwestern.edu, where mailhost is either casbah, hecky, lulu, or merle.

The SUBSCRIBE command allows you to add yourself to a list.

Note: In order to successfully subscribe to a list, make sure HTML formatting in your e-mail is turned off, you are not using e-mail signatures, your commands are in English, and you send your commands to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu.

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    SUBSCRIBE listname Firstname Lastname

    where listname is the name of the list you would like to subscribe to. For example:

    Subscribe Example

    Subscribe Example

    Alfred wants to subscribe to the list named boguslist. He sends an e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu and types the command SUBSCRIBE boguslist Alfred Newman.

    Note: Sometimes your subscription will need to be approved by the list owner(s) before you can be subscribed. Your e-mail address listed in the From: field is the address that will be subscribed to the list when you send your message.

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How do I unsubscribe from a list?

The UNSUBSCRIBE command allows you to remove yourself from a list.

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    UNSUBSCRIBE listname

    where listname is the name of the list you would like to unsubscribe from. For example:

    Unsubscribe Example

    Unsubscribe Example

    Alfred wants to unsubscribe from the list named boguslist. He sends an e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu and types the command UNSUBSCRIBE boguslist.

    Note: Your e-mail address listed in the From: field will be unsubscribed from the list. If this e-mail address does not exactly match the address you used when you originally subscribed to the list, you will not be removed; in this case, please contact the list owners (see below), and they will remove you.

  3. If that does not work, send an e-mail to the list owners (the list owners are responsible for unsubscribing users), and ask to be unsubscribed. If your old e-mail address is subscribed, give the list owners that old e-mail address so they know which one to remove. You can reach the list owners by sending an e-mail to:

    listname-request@listserv.it.northwestern.edu

    where listname is the name of the list you're subscribed to.

  4. If that does not work, send an e-mail to list-help@northwestern.edu, and explain the situation.

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How can I find out which lists I am subscribed to?

The WHICH command allows you to obtain a list of mailing lists to which you are subscribed.

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    WHICH

    For example:

    WHICH command

    WHICH command

    Alfred wants to know which lists he is subcribed to. He sends an e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu and types the command WHICH.

  3. The message you receive back will look something like this:
    WHICH response window

    WHICH response window

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How can I find out who is subscribed to a list?

The REVIEW command allows you to obtain a list of subscribers to a particular listserv mailing list.

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    REVIEW listname

    where listname is the name of the list.

    For example:

    REVIEW window

    REVIEW window

    Alfred wants to know who is subcribed to the list boguslist. He sends an e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu and types the command REVIEW boguslist.

  3. A message will be returned with the list of subscribers.

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How do I keep from receiving list mail while I'm on vacation?

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    SET listname MAIL POSTPONE

    where listname is the name of the list.

To receive the list mail you missed and to receive new list mail after you get back:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    SET listname MAIL

    where listname is the name of the list.

See also Vacation Messages Rejected below.

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Is there a limit to the size of attachment that can be sent to a list?

The maximum size of a mail message is 300 KB.

The authors of the listserv software saw that it was possible to abuse, intentionally or unintentionally, listserv. Imagine what would happen if a 10 MB or even 5 MB document was sent to a list of 100 users; and most of the readers of the list did not need or want the 5 MB document. The authors of ListProc probably believed that it could be a extravagant use of resources.

Anyway, the authors had this in mind and set the limit of sizes to about 300K, then they created another facility in listserv: archives. This way, only users who want the large documents can subscribe to Automatic File Distribution (AFD). As the owner updates the archive with a large file, only users who are subscribed to AFD will get the file (or they can set it up to receive a notification that there is a new file). To find out about how to use AFD, please see the CREN Manual.

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Why was my vacation notification message sent to a list not delivered?

A message will not be sent to the list if the subject line contains a "suspicious" word or phrase. Instead it will be bounced back to the list owner as a rejected message.

The listserv program treats messages with certain words or phrases in the subject line as possible automatic messages. For example, you CANNOT use the phrase "on vacation" in the subject line sent to a listserv mailing list! Other taboo phrases include "out of the office" and "out of town." The listserv software will reject these messages, and they will not get posted to the list.*

This requires a little ingenuity in creating subject headings if you want to send one vacation message to a list. Some subject headings that will work and get the idea across include:

Subject: Not here next week
Subject: Vac days 8/14-8/18; returning 8/21
Subject: Gone 8/14-8/18
Subject: Outta town for a while

Of course you do not want to use these headings for auto-replying e-mails, since it will cause an e-mail loop.

* The reason listserv rejects vacation messages is because it can cause an e-mail loop. For example, your e-mail server sends out a vacation auto-reply e-mail to the listserv (in response to a normal listserv message). This auto-reply message then gets sent out to the entire listserv list, including your e-mail address. Then your e-mail server sends out another auto-reply. This greatly upsets list owners and subscribers.

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Why are my SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE commands not working?

Make sure HTML formatting in your e-mail is turned off, you are not using e-mail signatures, your commands are in English, and you send your commands to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu. Also, make sure your commands look exactly like the examples shown on like the Subscribing to a List section.

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How do I turn on/off digests for the list I am subscribed to?

It is quite possible that you have subscribed to a very active list which sends out a number of messages daily. If you would like to obtain all the messages contacenated together into a single digest:*

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    SET listname MAIL DIGEST

    where listname is the name of the list.

To turn off digest and send all of your messages individually:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    SET listname MAIL

    where listname is the name of the list.

* Note: If you are unsure if your list is configured for digests, you can check by using the REVIEW command. In the message that is returned to you, look for the line which begins with DIGEST:. If the line says no digests collected, then you need to write to the list owners and request that it be turned on. You can reach the list owners by sending an e-mail to:

listname-request@listserv.it.northwestern.edu

where listname is the name of the list you're subscribed to.

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Owner Quick Reference

I would like to have a list created. How do I request a list?

To establish a list, simply fill out the electronic application and submit it. If you do not already have an e-mail account, you will need to get one before filling out the application. Once the application is approved and processed, you will become the owner of the list you have requested.

The application will ask you a number of questions regarding list attributes. List attributes affect how a list operates and how much management it requires. Consider your answers to these questions carefully when you fill out the application, basing them on your needs; use the available online help for a detailed explanation of each question if you wish. You will find the operation of your list frustrating otherwise. While you should give serious thought to list attributes when filling out the application, these attributes can be changed at a later time.

Once your electronic application has been processed, you will receive an e-mail message from ListProc indicating that your list is ready for use. As a list-owner, you are not automatically subscribed to your list. You should subscribe yourself immediately to check that the list is operating correctly and see how others will experience the subscription process. To do so:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    SUBSCRIBE listname Firstname Lastname

    Where listname is the name of the list you would like to subscribe to, and Firstname Lastname is your first and last name.

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How do I retire a list once it is no longer needed?

Please do not abandon the list when you are done with it. Send e-mail to list-help@northwestern.edu requesting that the list be retired. The request must come from one of the owners of the list.

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Should I begin my listserv anew?

I am the listserv owner for the xxx listserv. I have had a great deal of problems with individual accounts whereby every message sent to the listserv prompts seven returned "demon" messages to my mailbox. I will be adding another 30 names/addresses and I would prefer to just begin anew, and retype all the addresses in correctly so that we do not have this problem any longer. Basically, I am asking to de-activate the current address of xxxx and begin anew with another listserv account address for my members. Can you guide me through this?

There is no need to start over. You just need to clean up the problems you have which is a straight forward and simple exercise. In the body of the error message that you receive are the bad addresses currently subscribed to your list. If the addresses are NU student addresses it is likely that the student is no longer enrolled. You may want to contact the subscriber directly to find out their correct address. If the student has left NU just use the "delete" command to remove them from your list.

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I am leaving the University and I want to keep ownership of my list

Our policy states that at least one owner of a list must be a current member of the Northwestern community (faculty, staff, or student). If you are the sole owner of a list and leave the University, you must either:

  • Find someone else at Northwestern to be a co-owner of the list, or
  • Move your list to another service provider.

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How do I add a subscriber to my list?

PLEASE NOTE: All listserv subscriptions require you to use an alias@northwestern.edu e-mail address. Delivery cannot be guaranteed if you use the mailbox address NetID@mailhost.it.northwestern.edu, where mailhost is either casbah, hecky, lulu, or merle.

Note: Be careful when you are adding subscribers. Remember it is against listserv policy to add subscribers without their permission. It's best to have users subscribe themselves by using the SUBSCRIBE command.

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    ADD listname password e-mailaddress firstname lastname

    Where listname is the name of your list, password is the password for your list, e-mailaddress is the subscriber's e-mail address, and firstname lastname is the subscriber's first and last names.

    For example:

    ADD boguslist boguspwd a-newman@northwestern.edu Alfred E Newman

    Adds Alfred E Newman to the list boguslist.

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How do I remove a subscriber from a list?

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    DELETE listname password e-mailaddress

    where listname is the name of your list, password is the password for your list, and e-mailaddress is the subscriber's e-mail address. For example:

    DELETE boguslist boguspwd a-newman@northwestern.edu

    removes a-newman@northwestern.edu from the list boguslist.

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How do I add multiple subscribers to my list?

PLEASE NOTE: All listserv subscriptions require you to use an alias@northwestern.edu e-mail address. Delivery cannot be guaranteed if you use the mailbox address NetID@mailhost.it.northwestern.edu, where mailhost is either casbah, hecky, lulu, or merle.

You can add multiple users is by stacking the ADD command. Remember to keep each command on a separate line.

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    ADD listname password emailaddress1 firstname1 lastname1
    ADD listname password emailaddress2 firstname2 lastname2
    ADD listname password emailaddress3 firstname3 lastname3

    For example:

    ADD boguslist boguspassword a-newman@northwestern.edu Alfred E Newman
    ADD boguslist boguspassword s-dog@northwestern.edu Spot T. Dog
    ADD boguslist boguspassword j-doe@northwestern.edu Jane Doe

    Adds Alfred E Newman, Spot T. Dog, and Jane Doe to the list boguslist.

If you do not want to type the listname and password for each entry you can use a different syntax for the command.

Note: The following command works best if you are adding 20 or fewer users at a time. Note the use of the curly brackets {} when using the ADD command and that only the last entry does not require the & sign. Remember to keep each address on a separate line.

To ADD 20 or fewer users:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    ADD listname password {emailaddress1 firstname1 lastname1} &
    {emailaddress2 firstname2 lastname2} &
    {e-mailaddress3 firstname3 lastname3}

    For example:

    ADD boguslist boguspassword {a-newman@northwestern.edu Alfred E Newman} &
    {s-dog@northwestern.edu Spot T. Dog} &
    {j-doe@northwestern.edu Jane Doe}

    Adds Alfred E Newman, Spot T. Dog, and Jane Doe to the list boguslist.

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How do I find out who is subscribed to my list?

The REVIEW command allows you to obtain a list of subscribers to a particular listserv mailing list:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    REVIEW listname

    where listname is the name of your list. For example:

    Alfred wants to know who is subcribed to the list boguslist. He sends an e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu and types the command REVIEW boguslist.

  3. A message will be returned with the list of subscribers.

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Is there some way for ListProc to delete subscribers whose mail bounces back as undeliverable?

Yes there is. Use the CONFIG command with the AUTO-DELETE-SUBSCRIBERS parameter.

Note: It is recommended that you keep the NO-AUTO-DELETE-SUBSCRIBERS configuration. It is possible to configure your list to automatically delete subscribers if their e-mail bounces. But if their e-mail server is temporarily not working (and e-mail to them doesn't go through), then ListProc will remove them from the subscriber's list. This frustrates subscribers because they will have to re-subscribe, and it will frustrate you because you will have angry subscribers bugging you. Therefore, have users unsubscribe themselves or unsubscribe them manually.

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    CONFIG listname password AUTO-DELETE-SUBSCRIBERS

    For example:

    CONFIG boguslist boguspwd AUTO-DELETE-SUBSCRIBERS

This allows ListProc to automatically delete any subscriber whose mail bounces. If a list is set to auto-delete-subscribers then the list owner should be aware of the fact that some list subscribers will occasionally complain of not having received any mail from the list recently. Users are not often aware when their home system is rejecting mail.

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How do I find out how my list is configured?

To find out how your list is configured, use the CONFIG command:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    CONFIG listname password


    Where listname is the name of the list, and password is the password for the list. For example:

    Alfred wants to know how the list boguslist is configured. He sends an e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu and types the command CONFIG boguslist boguspwd.

  3. A message similar to the following was returned to Alfred:

    Configuration of ListProcessor(tm) list BOGUSLIST@listserv.it.northwestern.edu

    VISIBLE-LIST
    OWNER-SUBSCRIPTIONS
    SUBSCRIPTION-MANAGERS [owners]
    SEND-BY-ALL
    STATISTICS-TO-OWNERS
    REVIEW-BY-OWNERS
    ARCHIVES-TO-SUBSCRIBERS
    ARCHIVE "" messages
    UNCOMPRESSED-ARCHIVES
    UNMODERATED
    DELIVERY-ERRORS-TO [owners]
    DIGEST daily 00:01 0 0
    NO-MESSAGE-LIMIT
    NO-COMMENT
    DEFAULT ADDRESS FIXED (system default) MAIL ACK (system default) PASSWORD .* (system default) CONCEAL NO (system default) PREFERENCE CCSUBSCRIBE CCUNSUBSCRIBE CCERRORS
    NO-AUTO-DELETE-SUBSCRIBERS
    DONT-FORWARD-REJECTS
    REPLY-TO-LIST-ALWAYS
    KEEP-RESENT-LINES
    REFLECTOR
    UNPUBLISHED-LIST
    DONT-CONFIRM-ALL-SUBSCRIPTIONS
    DONT-CONFIRM-ALL-UNSUBSCRIPTIONS
    NO-ALTERNATE-ADDRESS-COMMANDS
    DONT-ALLOW-EMPTY-SUBSCRIBER-NAMES
    MIME-MODERATION-MESSAGES
    LISTNAME-NOT-IN-SUBJECT
    OUTBOUND-MESSAGE-FILTER default (currently off)
    WEB-ARCHIVE default (currently off)
    OWNERS a-newman@northwestern.edu
    PASSWORD boguspwd
    THREADS 1
    MTA-HOST 129.105.213.30 (system default) 25
    OWNER-CONTROLLED

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How do I add or remove an owner?

To add an owner to your list, use the CONFIG command with the OWNERS parameter:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    CONFIG listname password OWNERS e-mail address

    Where listname is the name of your list, password is the password for your list, e-mail address is the owner's e-mail address.

    For example:

    CONFIG boguslist boguspwd OWNERS a-newman@northwestern.edu

    Adds a-newman@northwestern.edu to the list of onwers for the list boguslist.

 

To remove an owner from your list, use the CONFIG command with the REMOVE-OWNERS parameter:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    CONFIG listname password REMOVE-OWNERS e-mail address

    Where listname is the name of your list, password is the password for your list, e-mail address is the owner's e-mail address.

    For example:

    CONFIG boguslist boguspwd REMOVE-OWNERS a-newman@northwestern.edu

    Removes a-newman@northwestern.edu as an owner of the list boguslist.

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How do I change the password to my list?

Use the CONFIG command with the PASSWORD parameter.

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    CONFIG listname currentpassword PASSWORD newpassword

    where listname is the name of your list, currentpassword is the current password you use for your list, and newpassword is the new password you would like to use.

    For example:

    CONFIG boguslist boguspwd PASSWORD newpwd

    changes the password for the list boguslist from boguspwd to newpwd.

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How do I change my list from being a closed list to an open list?

If your subscribers are receiving messages indicating that the list is closed to subcribers, you will need to change the configuration of your list.

To configure your list so that users can subscribe to the list without having to be approved, use the CONFIG command with the OPEN-SUBSCRIPTIONS parameter:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    CONFIG listname password OPEN-SUBSCRIPTIONS

    For example:

    CONFIG boguslist boguspwd OPEN-SUBSCRIPTIONS

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I currently manage a list, but I receive any mail sent to it. Do I need to subscribe?

Yes. List owners must also subscribe to a list to receive mail sent to it. Please review the Subscribing to a List section.

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How do I change the welcome message that people receive when they subscribe to my list?

If you want to edit the existing message:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    EDIT listname password WELCOME -NOLOCK

    For example:

    EDIT boguslist boguspwd WELCOME -NOLOCK

  3. When you receive a reply from listserv, use the "send again" command. Replace the address in the To: field with listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu. Erase the subject line; leave it blank.
  4. In the body of this message, delete the phrase, *** Here is the welcome file (WARNING: file checked out for browsing only): and type: PUT listname password WELCOME Your welcome message

Or you can replace the entire welcome message that is there already.

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    PUT listname password WELCOME
    Your welcome message

    For example:

    PUT boguslist boguspwd WELCOME
    Welcome to the boguslist listserv. Enjoy your stay.

    adds the welcome message Welcome to the boguslist listserv. Enjoy your stay. to the list boguslist.

Note: Along with your welcome message your new subscribers will receive other information about the list, including their password, how to unsubscribe, how to post to the list, and how to access archives. Your welcome message is in this e-mail toward the bottom; it is impossible to change this portion of the message since it is hard-coded into the software. If you need your subscribers to get your welcome message in a separate e-mail, you will have to send it to them manually.

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How can a subscriber send e-mail to a listserv from different addresses without being subscribed as both?

You can add an alias to their subscribed e-mail address. That way the user can use two different e-mail accounts to send to a list without having to be subscribed using both addressess. Follow these steps to modify aliases for your list:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    ALIAS listname password newaddress address-as-subscribed

    where listname is the name of your list, password is the password for your list, newaddress is the subscriber's e-mail address you would like to add that will alias to their subscribed address, and address-as-subscribed is the subscriber's e-mail address as it is shown on your subscribers list.

    For example:

    ALIAS boguslist boguspwd a-newman@aol.com a-newman@northwestern.edu

  3. Repeat the previous step for as many people as necessary, with each alias command on a separate line. When complete, send the e-mail.

    Note: you should turn your signature off before you send the message. Aliases will be automatically deleted when the subscriber is deleted.

  4. To see what addresses are being aliased, use this command:

    EDIT listname password aliases -nolock

    For example:

    EDIT boguslist boguspwd aliases -nolock

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How do I change my list to be moderated to allow all messages to be sent with approval?

To make your list unmoderated, use the CONFIG command with the UNMODERATED parameter:

Note: This may allow anyone to send messages to your list; if you want to prevent others from sending messages to the list, you can use the SEND-BY-SUBSCRIBERS parameter.

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    CONFIG listname password UNMODERATED

    where listname is the name of your list, and password is the password for your list.

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How do I change my list to be moderated so that all messages are approved?

To make your list moderated so that you have to approve each message before it is sent to the list, use the CONFIG command with the MODERATED-NO-EDIT parameter:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    CONFIG listname password MODERATED-NO-EDIT e-mailaddress

    where listname is the name of your list, password is the password for your list, and e-mailaddress is the moderator's e-mail address.

    For example:

    CONFIG boguslist boguspwd MODERATED-NO-EDIT a-newman@northwestern.edu

    makes the list boguslist moderated and adds a-newman@northwestern.edu to the list of moderators.

To make your list moderated so that you can edit each message before it gets sent to the list, use the MODERATED-EDIT command:

Note:This may be harder to maintain than the moderated-no-edit configuration.

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    CONFIG listname password MODERATED-EDIT e-mailaddress

    where listname is the name of your list, password is the password for your list, and e-mailaddress is the moderator's e-mail address.

    For example:

    CONFIG boguslist boguspwd MODERATED-EDIT a-newman@northwestern.edu

    makes the list boguslist moderated and adds a-newman@northwestern.edu to the list of moderators.

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How do I turn on and off digests?

To configure your list so digests are turned on, you will need to use the CONFIG command with the DIGESTS parameter. Please see Managing when digests are sent using the DIGEST parameter for more information.

To configure your list so digests are not sent, use the CONFIG command with the NO-DIGESTS parameter:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    CONFIG listname password NO-DIGESTS

    Where listname is the name of your list, and password is the password for your list.

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How do I block junk e-mail from being sent to my list?

If your list is configured so that anybody can send to the list, but you want to stop particular unwanted messages from reaching your list, use the IGNORE command:

  1. Send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu without any subject line.
  2. Type the following command in the message:

    IGNORE listname password e-mailaddress

    Where listname is the name of your list, password is the password for your list, and e-mailaddress is the address that you want to block. For example:

    IGNORE boguslist boguspwd junk@junkmail.net

    Blocks any future messages sent from junk@junkmail.net to the list boguslist.

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I received an error message from ListProc. What do I do?

List-owners may receive ListProc generated error messages from time to time. These are generally the result of incorrect subscriber addresses or inappropriate use of ListProc commands. We encourage list-owners to resolve such problems on their own. Careful review of an error message and the offending list's subscribers and settings rarely fails to render a solution to most problems. A subscriber may have simply changed their alias, invalidating the alias-based e-mail address, alias@northwestern.edu, by which they were subscribed. A typo may have been made when entering a ListProc command or subscriber information.

Resolving errors quickly benefits list subscribers, as some may not receive important messages until they are corrected. If you cannot determine the source of an error and correct it, the error message should be forwarded to list-help@northwestern.edu. Be sure to include an explanation of how the message was received and an indication in the subject that the problem is ListProc-related. TSS staff will work to determine the source of and solution to ListProc generated errors.

Here is an example of a typical error message: 

    ---------------------------------------------------
    Received: (from mailnull@localhost)
    by iris.it.northwestern.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) id OAA10933;
    Wed, 26 Sep 2005 14:55:02 -0500 (CDT)
    Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2005 14:55:02 -0500 (CDT)
    From: MAILER-DAEMON
    Message-Id: <200449261955.OAA10933@iris.it.northwestern.edu>
    X-Authentication-Warning: iris.itcs.northwestern.edu: mailnull set
    sender to MAILER-DAEMON using -f 
    Reply-To: postmaster@northwestern.edu
    To: owner-listname@listserv.it.northwestern.edu
    Subject: Undelivered Mail Returned to Sender
    This is the Postfix program at host relay.it.northwestern.edu.
    I'm sorry to have to inform you that your message could not be be
    delivered to one or more recipients. It's attached below.
    For further assistance, please send mail to <postmaster>
    If you do so, please include this problem report. You can delete
    your own text from the attached returned message.
                The Postfix program
    <someone@northwestern.edu>: host
        host.it.northwestern.edu[129.105.###.###] said: 550
        <someone@northwestern.edu>: Recipient address rejected: User
        unknown in local recipient table (in reply to RCPT TO command)
    <anotherperson332@northwestern.edu>: host
        host.it.northwestern.edu[129.105.###.###] said: 550
        <anotherperson332@northwestern.edu>: Recipient address rejected: User
        unknown in local recipient table (in reply to RCPT TO command)
    Reporting-MTA: dns; relay.it.northwestern.edu
    X-Postfix-Queue-ID: 683901D77F
    X-Postfix-Sender: rfc822; owner-listname@listserv.it.northwestern.edu
    Arrival-Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2005 14:55:02 -0500 (CDT)
    Final-Recipient: rfc822; someone@northwestern.edu
    Action: failed
    Status: 5.0.0
    Diagnostic-Code: X-Postfix; host host.it.northwestern.edu[129.105.###.###] said:
        550 <someone@northwestern.edu>: Recipient address rejected: User
        unknown in local recipient table (in reply to RCPT TO command)
        550 <anotherperson332@northwestern.edu>: Recipient address rejected: User
        unknown in local recipient table (in reply to RCPT TO command)
    
    This error message was sent to the error address
    owner-listname@listserv.it.northwestern.edu for the LISTNAME list.
    (In most cases, this should be an error notification. However, some
    mail programs may incorrectly send message replies to this address.)

In this case, the addresses someone@northwestern.edu and anotherperson332@northwestern.edu should be removed from your list, since those addresses no longer work.

If you have any questions that the above information fails to answer adequately, send E-mail to list-help@northwestern.edu.

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Are there other configuration options I can change which aren't mentioned on this page?

Yes, there are many. The CREN ListProc manual covers most, if not all of the options.

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I get an error "no name given to subscribe", even when I include a name. How do I subscribe this user?

This type of error occurs when your e-mail client is set to wrap text when composing messages. The subscribe command is then truncated to two lines. For example, when sending the following command:

ADD VERY-LONG-LIST-NAME PASSWORD spike-the-dog@some.school.northwestern.edu Spike The Dog

... the command gets truncated and the command looks like this when the server receives it:

ADD VERY-LONG-LIST-NAME PASSWORD spike-the-dog@some.school.northwestern.edu
Spike The Dog

In order to correct this, you will need to turn off any text wrapping on your e-mail client. To do so:

For Outlook...

  1. From within the Message window, select Options... from the Tools menu.
  2. Select the View tab.
  3. Check the Wrap to window checkbox.
  4. Click OK to save your changes for this message.
    Note:     These settings need to be set every time you send a message.

For Thunderbird...

  1. Select Options... from the Tools menu.
  2. Click the Composition button.
  3. Type 0 into the Wrap plain text messages at field.
  4. Click the OK button to save your changes.

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Last Updated: 05 June 2008