Part 11: Discussion list settings

If you requested a discussion list, your list will already have the basic settings appropriate for that kind of list. Test your list, and see if these default settings are right for you. If there's something not quite right, you can use this section to help fine-tune your settings. Not all settings are covered here — just the ones that you'll find most useful.

If you have questions about any of the settings, click on the question mark in the corner of every list setting page.

How to adjust settings

Click on the Utilities tab, then List Settings:



You now have access to the numerous list settings that may be modified. See below for a description of the basic features and how you can adjust them.

"Hello" and "Confirm" Documents

"Hello" and "Confirm" documents may be selected in Utilities: List Settings: Basic Information: Documents. For more information about these documents and how they work, see hello and confirm documents.

Security: who can join the list?

You can change the Security status of a mailing list at any time by going to Utilities: List Settings: New Subscriber Policy: Security. By default, your list is Open, meaning anyone can join. Generally, list owners want their lists to be open so that they can get as many members as possible. If you'd like to limit who can join your list, you have a number of other options:
A Private mailing list prevents anyone from finding the mailing list from joining immediately. When they attempt to join, (either by email or using the web interface) a List Administrator will have to approve their request to join before the person becomes a member.

A Password protected mailing list allows anyone who finds this mailing list can join (either by email or using the ListManager web interface) and will be automatically approved only if they know the password.

A Closed mailing list is one in which non-members are not able to apply for membership. If a request for membership arrives by email, it will be automatically denied.

For instance, you can start out as an Open mailing list (so that anyone can join) and then become a Private mailing list (so that new members must be approved by a List Administrator).

Security: who can post to the list?

By default, a discussion list is set so that any list member can post to the list. Furthermore, an administrator must approve all mailings sent to the list before being sent. We STRONGLY recommend that you do not change this setting! By approving all messages, you can make sure members stay on-topic and don't "flame" (insult) other members. You can also stop people from joining your list just to spam it. However, if you would like to change this setting, go to Utilities: List Settings: Email Submitted Content: Approval.

If you don't want to approve all messages sent to your list, you might consider using Number Moderation to approve the first few messages sent to your list from new members. You can also set the Release Days to have the list to automatically approve messages after a certain length of time, in case you are not always available to moderate messages.

Mailing headers: From:, Reply To:, To: and Subject:

When you send or receive an email message, you'll notice that the message has information that helps you identify it, and helps the message get to you. This information is known as email headers. ListManager allows you to customize the header so that the message looks the way you'd like it to, and so that recipients' replies are routed correctly.

From:

This header identifies who the mailing is from. This setting may be changed in Utilities: List Settings: Email Submitted Content: Header Rewrites. By default, this field is left blank and the email address of the message's author is automatically inserted. If you'd like the message to look like it comes from someone else, enter that email address here.

If you create your message through the web interface, your email address will automatically appear in the mailing's From: field. You can then change it to another valid email address if you like. Note: You must have a legitimate email address in this field. Otherwise, many sites will not accept your mail because it looks like spam.

Reply To:

This setting identifies where replies to your mailing should go to. This setting may be changed in Utilities: List Settings: Email Submitted Content: Header Rewrites. The default setting is blank, which puts the list email address in the Reply-To:. That way, when people reply to list mail, their replies go to the list.

To:

This setting may be changed in Utilities: List Settings: Email Submitted Content: Header Rewrites. By default, this setting is blank, which merges in the email address of the list. If you like, you may put %%nameemail%% in this field personalize the message.

Subject:

By default, the Subject: line of email messages sent to your list is unmodified. If you like, you may modify it so that the list name is added to it by going to Utilities: List Settings: Discussion Group Features: Message Look.

Message wrapping (headers and footers)

Message Wrapping (Headers and Footers) is additional text that is automatically added to the beginning or end of your message when a mailing is sent to your list via email. You may edit this text in Utilities: List Settings: Email Submitted Content: Message Wrapping. If you change the message wrapping, you should also change the wrapping for digest messages in Utilities: List Settings: Discussion Group Features: Message Look, so that subscribers that receive mailings in digest form also see the right headers and footers.

You may add additional information in the message wrapping, but you must keep the unsubscribe information that is already in the footers.

The message wrapping will NOT automatically be added to your mailing if you create it using the ListManager admin web interface. You must add unsubscribe information to your message when creating a mailing using Content or Mailings.

Delivery and subscription reports

You can see delivery and subscription information about your list in Reports. However, if you'd like to have reports emailed to you, you may select them in Utilities: List Settings: Basic Information: Reports.

Users' web interface

By default, your list is configured so visitors (people who aren't members of your list) can read past messages sent to your list. You may block visitors by modifying Utilities: List Settings: Users' Web Interface: Message Reading.

What's next?

• Part 12: Adding your members
• Getting Started main page