[Mailman-Users] Maximum template size?
Carter Braxton
cbraxton at iname.com
Sat May 26 04:54:47 CEST 2007
"Patrick Bogen" <pdbogen at gmail.com> wrote:
> Doesn't look like a size limitation.
> Can you send your new template to the list so we can look at it?
Sure thing. The following is the invite.txt file in question (edited to replace identifying names with "test"). It contains a general introduction and an FAQ for prospective list members, most of whom are -- to be kind -- not very computer literate. Following the FAQ is the original system-supplied invitation which when used by itself works as expected.
The reason for the added material is that the first round of invitations resulted in mass confusion, making it apparent that some hand-holding was necessary.
I just tested this to be certain, and the variable substitution does not take place -- the invitation email that is sent contains the variable names rather than the values:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - CUT HERE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
***** YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE TEST MAILING LIST *****
This mailing list has been created as a test.
Via this mailing list, members can:
1. Share tips, strategies, and updates.
2. Communicate instantly with a group of like-minded individuals.
3. Request advice, tips, etc.
4. Post links to helpful documents.
5. Request assistance.
The benefits are unlimited. We ask, however, that this service not become
yet another outlet for jokes, etc.
Remember, this list serve is for TEST members *only*.
--> HOW DO I JOIN?
The simplest way is to simply reply to this message, leaving the subject line
intact. More detailed instructions follow.
--> I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, WHO DO I ASK?
A detailed FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions list) may be found below.
Technical questions regarding the list may be directed to:
test-owner at test.test
--> I REALLY DON'T WANT TO JOIN RIGHT NOW!
If you do not wish to join the TEST mailing list, simply disregard this
message and you will not be subscribed. (If you change your mind later and
wish to subscribe at a later date, contact us as specified above.)
===========================================================================
TEST Mailing List Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Version 0.1
Last updated 5/21/2007
Maintained by: TEST list system administrator
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: WHAT IS A MAILING LIST?
A: Email mailing lists are among the oldest methods of group interaction
available on the Internet. The first such list was the "MsgGroup" mailing
list which was created by Steve Walker, an ARPA program manager, in 1975.
Popular early mailing lists included "human-nets" (human factors and
networks), "network-hackers" (Internet programming), "sf-lovers" (science
fiction), and "wine-tasters" (wine tasting).
Although there have been many technological changes since that time, the
basic idea remains the same: A group of people interested in a particular
subject subscribe to a mailing list. Each email message sent by participants
to a central location is distributed to the entire group for the purpose
of conducting discussions and exchanging information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE TEST MAILING LIST?
A: The list was established to encourage the discussion of
test issues.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: HOW DOES ONE SUBSCRIBE TO THE TEST MAILING LIST?
A: Subscription to the TEST mailing list is restricted to TEST members and
is granted via invitation only.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: WHAT DO I DO AFTER I GET MY INVITATION?
A: Your membership needs to be activated for you to become a list
participant. There are a few ways to do this, but by far the easiest is
to simply reply to the invitation without changing the subject line.
After doing this you will receive a welcome message confirming your
membership.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I RECEIVED THE WELCOME MESSAGE, BUT I'M CONFUSED. WHAT ARE
ALL THESE ADDRESSES AND PASSWORDS THAT IT TALKS ABOUT?
A: The primary thing to be aware of is that it is *not* necessary to log
in or to use a password to post to the TEST mailing list. Once your
membership has been confirmed by responding to the invitation, you have
full posting privileges.
The web pages and passwords that the welcome message refers to are
used for changing your membership settings. (For example, you might decide
to receive messages in "digest mode" or you might need to change your email
address. This will be covered in more detail later in this document.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: SO HOW DO I POST A MESSAGE TO THE LIST?
A: Messages are distributed to the list by sending them to:
test at test.test
That's all there is to it!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: WHAT ARE THE GROUND RULES FOR POSTING MESSAGES TO THE LIST?
A: In general, messages should be kept to the topics of testing.
The list should not be used as an outlet for jokes, personal messages,
etc. Reasonable manners and conduct should be adhered to. Personal
attacks on other participants and/or intentional disruptions may be
cause for suspension of the offender's subscription.
It is also important to note that while every effort is made to insure
that only TEST members have access to the list, email is *not* a secure
medium. As there can be no guarantee that messages will not be read by
outsiders please do not post information that is best kept private.
The preferred format for messages sent to the list is plain text.
If possible, please configure your email software to send plain text to
the list's posting address.
Attachments are not permitted and a size limit of 40 kilobytes is imposed
for each message.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: WHY CAN'T I SEND ATTACHMENTS? HOW COME MY MESSAGES TO THE LIST
DON'T COME THROUGH WITH THE FONTS AND COLORS THAT I USED?
A: There are a number of reasons for these restrictions:
Internet email was designed for the efficient exchange of relatively
short messages using plain text. Formatted email uses HTML encoding
(which was designed for web sites) to make possible changes in text size,
style, color, fonts, etc. For this to work, both the sender and receiver
must be HTML compatible.
The problem is that HTML encoding can dramatically increase the size
of a message and can carry potentially malicious scripts, yet it
rarely adds any real substance to message content. Particularly when
sending messages in bulk, this bloat eats into server and bandwidth
resources. However, since so many email programs send HTML by default
and not everyone knows how to selectively disable that "feature," such
messages are accepted by the list but are converted to plain text
before being distributed.
Attachments have the potential for being very large and may well carry
viruses or spyware. If attachments were accepted, a single subscriber
with an infected computer could spred their contagion to every list member
who uses a Windows-based computer. Depending on the type of attachment
the entire message will be rejected or the attachment will be deleted.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I'M HAVING TROUBLE RECEIVING LIST MAIL AT MY AOL (OR HOTMAIL,
YAHOO, ETC.) ADDRESS. EVERYONE ELSE CAN MAIL TO ME, WHAT'S GOING ON?
A: The anti-spam measures that have been taken by many major ISPs and email
services also place roadblocks in the way of legitimate mailing lists,
which (like spam) are technically bulk mail. The reason for these measures
is that spam has become such a pervasive problem, accounting for at least
75% of email traffic on the Internet, that it threatens the usefulness
of email for many people.
All we can suggest is that if your service provider rejects list mail
that you try another service, possibly using a free web-based email account
at services like www.fastmail.fm, www.mail.com, www.gmail.com, etc., and
see if messages are accepted there. (Some of these services allow you
to forward incoming messages to another address. We have done some limited
testing with gmail.com, which has the forwarding feature, and it appears
to accept TEST list mail.)
More details on this problem may be found here:
http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/faqw-mm.py?req=show&file=faq03.042.htp
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: SINCE SPAM IS SUCH A PROBLEM, WHAT WILL STOP SPAMMERS FROM SENDING
THEIR JUNK MAIL TO THE LIST? WILL THEY BE ABLE TO GET MY EMAIL ADDRESS?
A: The TEST mailing list does not accept messages from non-subscribers,
and subscriptions are granted by invitation only. This precludes spammers
from sending junk mail to the list should they manage to obtain its
mailing address. The addresses of list members is available only
to the system administrator.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: ARE THERE ARCHIVES KEPT OF TEST MAILING LIST MESSAGES?
A: No, we do not maintain archives of mailing list traffic. Subscribers
are of course are free to save messages of interest using their own
email system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: CAN I GET LIST MESSAGES GROUPED TOGETHER INSTEAD OF INDIVIDUALLY?
HOW DO I CHANGE MY EMAIL ADDRESS? CAN I TEMPORARILY STOP DELIVERY WHEN
I GO ON VACATION? HOW DO I UNSUBSCRIBE?
A: All of these, and more, are configured in your personal options.
Your welcome message includes short instructions on how to set your
personal options for list mail. There are two ways to interact with the
list software, a web interface (using your web browser), and an email
interface (comands sent to a special address). Here we will cover
the web interface since most users will probably be most comfortable
with it.
The following is fairly lengthy and is broken up into subsections:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
HOW DO I ACCESS MY ACCOUNT SETTINGS?
The following information in your welcome message is the key to
accessing and modifying your account settings:
1. The web address for accessing your account.
2. The password needed for you to log into your account.
(This is provided in your welcome message.)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I'M STILL CONFUSED. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH ALL THIS?
1. The web page address for changing your account options will
look something like the following:
http://www.test.test/cgi-bin/mailman/options/test/name%40domain.com
The part that reads "name%40domain.com" is based on your email
address. For example, if you signed up with an email address of
"foo at bar.com," you would point your web browser to:
http://www.test.test/cgi-bin/mailman/options/test/foo%40bar.com
Since this address may be difficult to remember, you will probably
want to bookmark it in your browser for future use.
2. On the login page you will see a place near the top to enter
your personal password which was provided to you in your welcome
message. Enter the password and click on the "Log in" button below
it to go to your account options.
Near the bottom of the page there is a "Remind" button. If you
have lost your password, click on this button and it will be
emailed to you.
In the middle of the page there is also an "Unsubscribe" button
that can be used to remove your address from the list. This will
mail to you a confirmation message with further instructions.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
OK, I'M IN THE "MEMBERSHIP CONFIGURATION" PAGE. NOW WHAT?
That depends on what you want to do. There are a fair number of
options that can be set. Not all are applicable to the TEST list.
(Since we currently host a single mailing list, those options
referring to "other mailing lists" are not used.)
Here are some of the most common, from top of page to bottom:
1. To change your email address, simply enter it (twice) in the
areas indicated on the screen and click on the "Change my address
and name" button. You will be sent a confirmation message to your
new address with instructions on activating the change.
2. To unsubscribe, click in the confirmation checkbox and click
on the "Unsubscribe" button. THIS ACTION IS TAKEN IMMEDIATELY
WITH NO OTHER CONFIRMATION!
3. To change your password, enter it twice where indicated and
click on the "Change My Password" button.
For all of the following options, set them as desired then click
on the "Submit My Changes" button near the bottom of the page:
4. To stop mail delivery without unsubscribing, select "Disabled"
for the "Mail delivery" option. (You can re-enable mail delivery
at any time.)
5. To set "Digest Mode" (batch multiple messages together instead
of mailing individually), select "On" for this option. Most users
will also want to turn the "MIME" option On.
6. Normally you will receive a password reminder and the latest
version of this FAQ on a monthly basis. To turn this off, select
"No" for the "password reminder" option.
When finished, click on the "Log out" button at the top-right
part of the options page.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
WHAT IF I WANT TO TRY SETTING MY OPTIONS VIA EMAIL?
Those wishing to try the email method should send an email to the
address "test-request at test.test" containing only the word
"help" in the body of the message. The subject line does not matter.
You will be mailed back a message detailing the available commands.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: IS THE LIST SERVE ALWAYS UP AND RUNNING?
A: The server running the TEST mailing list normally runs 24/7. It may
on occasion be necessary to take the server offline to do updates or
perform other maintenance and repairs. It is also possible that the
server's Internet connection may experience problems from time to time.
List members will be informed prior to the server being taken offline
whenever possible.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SERVER IS DOWN OR THERE ARE OTHER PROBLEMS?
A: If the server or its Internet connection are down you will not be
able to connect to the web-based interface for changing your subscription
options.
If you send email messages to the list while it is down, your service
provider's mail system will retry for a period of time until either the
message is delivered or a preset time limit expires. (This time limit and
any notification messages can vary between service providers. Typically
message delivery is retried every 4 hours for a period of four days.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH MY OWN EMAIL ACCOUNT?
A: The server tracks the number of "bounces" (delivery failures)
received for each subscriber's address. The list software has a formula
that it uses to track bounces, when the maximum is exceeded that
member's subscription is disabled.
This has the effect that if your email service is experiencing
temporary problems your subscription remains in effect. An extended
problem (such as changing email addresses and not updating your
your personal options) will ultimately result in your subscription
being cancelled.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: WHAT SOFTWARE IS USED TO RUN THE TEST MAILING LIST?
A: The operating system is Ubuntu Linux. The application software that
actually runs the list is GNU Mailman. Information on these may be found at:
http://www.ubuntu.com
http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I STILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION ON
USING THE MAILING LIST?
A: There is a user manual for Mailman available here:
http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member.pdf
(Features that would otherwise permit the general public to subscribe
have been disabled on the TEST list server.)
You can also contact the list administrator by sending email to:
test-owner at test.test
===========================================================================
Your address "%(email)s" has been invited to join the %(listname)s
mailing list at %(hostname)s by the %(listname)s mailing list owner.
You may accept the invitation by simply replying to this message,
keeping the Subject: header intact.
You can also visit this web page:
%(confirmurl)s
Or you should include the following line -- and only the following
line -- in a message to %(requestaddr)s:
confirm %(cookie)s
Note that simply sending a `reply' to this message should work from
most mail readers.
If you want to decline this invitation, please simply disregard this
message. If you have any questions, please send them to
%(listowner)s.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - CUT HERE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
=
Fleet Software & Solutions
TSD brings technology and solutions for managing business, increasing profits, and improving customer service and efficiencies. TSD's products can be accessed directly over the Internet.
http://a8-asy.a8ww.net/a8-ads/adftrclick?redirectid=627a284c857756a91b84e5fe59f5ce11
More information about the Mailman-Users
mailing list