Note: SPAM is forbidden on our network, and you are responsible for who you send mail to with our mail list software. Use it wisely, as sending advertisements to people without their permission is SPAM and could lead to the suspension of your account.

[Some advanced features require SSH / Telnet access]

How do I set up a new mailing list?

If you don't already have the mailing list program (SmartList) installed, click on the "Mailing List" button on your control panel to install it. Then set up a new list by following these directions:

1. Click on the "Mail Manager" button in your control panel.

2. Create a list in Mail Manager by clicking on "New List".

3. Add the name of the list. DO NOT USE ANY SPECIAL CHARACTERS, SPACES, OR CAPITAL LETTERS IN THE NAME OF YOUR LIST. Then enter the maintainer e-mail address and password.

The maintainer is the e-mail of the person in charge of the list.
The password is the list password.

Then select the list type - see below for a description of how each type of list works.

Click the "Add List" button and you'll see a page with mailing list instructions. You'll find these same instructions repeated below.

4. Click the "Home" link, then click the "Edit List" link in the left hand column, choose your list, and click the "View Details" button.

5. Now you can add/remove addresses to/from your list, or change your list type, or the number of archived messages.

The "Archived History" field shows the number of the most recent "back-issues" to be saved and sent when someone requests the most recent e-mails sent to your mailing list.

When you finished making changes, click on the "Save Changes" button.

6. Your list is ready to start working!

How do the different list types work?

NOTE: descriptions of the list types are also visible by rolling the mouse over the list type in the Mail Manager (see step 4 above for directions on getting to the screen where this function is available)

Open list: any one can post to the list; they do not need to be on the list in order to post to it. This the default type of list that is set up when you create a new list.

Closed list: this list is also known as a "subscriber only" list. This list will accept posts only from those who are subscribed. Posting to the list does not subscribe an address. Posts from foreign addresses (addresses not on the list) go to the list maintainer.

Newsletter: only the maintainer of the list can send to it. Noone on the list can send to the list. They can only receive from the list. You must send from the address of the list maintainer in order for the list to receive the message. If someone other than the maintainer sends to the list, only the maintainer will receive the mail.

Moderated list: anyone can send to the list (even if they're not subscribed to the list), but their message will only go to the maintainer and the moderater, who can then determine if the message is appropriate for the list. The moderator or maintainer can then send to the list from their moderator/maintainer address and everyone on the list will then receive the message. NOTE: when the moderator or maintainer sends to the list, they must put the following text as the first line of the message, followed by a blank line prior to the text of the actual message:

Approved: moderator_email@domain.com moderatorpassword

Example, for a list with a moderator joe@joescars.com that has a list maintainer password "523hhu":

Approved: joe@joescars.com 523hhu

How do I subscribe to the list?

To subscribe to the mailing list, simply send a message with the word "subscribe" in the Subject: field to the -request address of that list:

To: listname-request@domain.com
Subject: subscribe

An e-mail will be sent to the subscribing e-mail address. You must reply back to that e-mail with the authorization code in the subject line.

Once added to the list you will receive an e-mail confirmation confirming that you have been added.

To subscribe the digest, simply send a message with the word "subscribe" in the Subject: field to the following address:

To: listname-d-request@domain.com
Subject: subscribe

(A digest sends all messages at once, in one big message each day, rather than sending each message individually.)

How do I send an email to the list?

To send email to the mailinglist, write to the following address:

To: listname@domain.com


How do I unsubscribe to a list?

To unsubscribe from the mailing list, simply send a message with the word "unsubscribe" in the Subject: field to the -request address of that list:

To: listname-request@domain.com
Subject: unsubscribe

To unsubscribe from the digest, write an e-mail like this:

To: listname-d-request@domain.com
Subject: unsubscribe

I already have a list of addresses for my mailing list. How can I subscribe the entire list?

The 'dist' file is the distribution list -- the list of recipients. To add a pre-existing list of recipients, copy it into the dist file, found here:

/home/username/domainname-mail/listname/dist

You can navigate to this file using your File Manager, and edit it right from there as well.

You can add a short list by hand or by cut-and-paste. For a really long list, you may want to download the dist file, edit it using a word processing program, save it as text or ASCII, and then upload the edited file.

The following conditions apply:

1 - the first 2 lines in the file should be:

listname-d@domain.com
(Only addresses below this line can be automatically removed)

2 - One subscriber per line.
3 - Empty lines are allowed.
4 - The mail address of the subscriber must be the first word on the line. Comments may follow the address (but separated from the address by at least one whitespace character).
5 - Everything preceding the line containing:

(Only addresses below this line can be automatically removed)

is write-protected from changes (i.e. these addresses can never be automatically/accidentally unsubscribed).
6 - If the line:

(Only addresses below this line can be automatically removed)

is not present at all, automatic unsubscriptions to this list are impossible.

7 - New subscribers will always appear on the line immediately following the last filled entry in the dist file.

Some sample entries

(the preferred format):
joe@some.where
joe@some.where (some comment)
joe@some.where (some comment) (some more comments)

Depreciated, but allowed:
<joe@some.where>
<joe@some.where> some comment
<joe@some.where> (some comment)

Not allowed:
(some comment) joe@some.where
some comment <joe@some.where>

Where can I get more information about SmartList?

The official SmartList FAQ has moved to
http://www.hartzler.net/smartlist
You can look at the history of smartlist by going to the SmartList Archive
http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/~casterln/smartlist-arc/maillist.html

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