[Mailman-Users] FW: RE: mailman (HW#1473427)

[Odhiambo Washington]

* David Bowman <dbowman at ucstrategy.com> [20020806 22:57]: wrote:
> 
> 
> David Bowman
> Principal
> Universal Competitive Strategies
> DBowman at UCStrategy.com
> 616/720-5480
> 
> I did get in, thank you.  However, I am very confused about the purpose
> and use of Mailman even (especially?) after going to their website.


What confusion did you get into after reading their website?

> I currently have an act database of contacts that I use through Outlook
> to send a periodical newsletter.

That is the bad way ... tsk I hate it.


> Outlook then sends me a whole host of undeliverable recipients that I
> wade through and manually re-send to those that did not receive an e-mail
> the first time.

I don't understand. If M$ Lookout! failed to deliver them, how do you (as
a human) manage to deliver them? You modify the addresses??


> How do I replace what I am currently doing with Mailman?  How do I
> import/export my current database?

I took the pain to see how you can do this (I don't use any Microsoft products):
In Outlook Express v5.x, the following clicks will do:

File-->Export-->Addressbook
Choose the opition for Text File (comma separated values), you get a screen that
asks the filename to export to (Save File As), there is a button for Browse.

There you select the file extension/Location, Choose the extension TXT, click save,
click Next then **Deselect** all fields that will be displayed, leaving only the field
for e-mail address.

This will give you a file (I'll call it addressbook.txt) with all the e-mail
addresses listed ONE PER LINE.
Edit the file to make sure _only_ e-mail addresses appear and nothing else.
Export the file to your unix box (somehow).

Now you can run the command to add them to your list

 $prefix/mailman/bin/add_members -n /path/to/addressbook.txt -w y listname

ps: You have to know the options you want on that command.


> And, how do I maintain the confidentiality of my mailing list?

1. Don't advertise the list (see the Privacy Options) from the web UI.
2. Restrict posting to Members Only
3. Restrict the people who can view the members list to Members Only
4. Restrict the archives access to Members Only (or just don't archive)


Have you looked at mailman's list options on the web interface??


Cheers!



-Wash

-- 
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