[Mailman-Users] Information request

[Phydeaux]

At 02:10 PM 1/4/2001 -0500, Lady Tinor wrote:
>Subscribe/unsubscribe features: we would prefer that members subscribing to
>our list(s) would not have to use a password to subscribe.  It appears that
>we might be able to avoid this by using the  "mailto: " function. However,
>is there a way that the member would be able to unsubscribe WITHOUT using a
>password?  It is mentioned under the "feature information" on your website
>that the software uses "majordomo-style email based commands".  It is my
>understanding that with majordomo style commands one would simply need to
>write "unsubscribe" in the body of the message.  Can Mailman do the same.
>  We do NOT want our member to have to use a password for such functions AND
>we do NOT want them to receive any regular "password notification" at all.
>  The only information our member(s) should receive are our periodic
>announcement and nothing else.  Is this possible?

You can certainly configure lists to not have a monthy password reminder.
As far as subscriptions go, however, you have three choices -- none of which
involve entering a password:

confirm -- Does not require a password, but requires that a user reply
to a confirmation message in order to validate that he intended to subscribe

require approval -- An administrator checks off a box and submits a form
to confirm that the user is allowed to join

confirm+approval -- Both of the above.

Confirmation is a good thing (TM) because it prevents people from signing
each other up for unwanted mail.

As far as passwords go, at a minimum one is required for a user to
unsubscribe himself. An administrator can easily unsubscribe a user
by filling out a form.

After having used a number of other packages I'd say that Mailman
is the best I've seen.

You may not think you want passwords, confirmation, etc. but it really
does come in handy and prevent a lot of unauthorized subscriptions
and unsubscriptions.

reb