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UNOFFICIAL Listowners' Manual
LIST HEADER INFORMATION

THE ANNOTATED GENERIC LIST HEADER:

* List Name and short description description (1)
* Af List
*
* Errors-to= Owner (2)
* Review= Private (3)
* Subscription= open,confirm (4)
* Send= Private (5)
* Notify= Yes Reply-to= List,Respect Files= No
* Confidential= No (6) Validate= No X-Tags= Yes
* Stats= Normal,Private (7) Ack= No
* Default-Options= Repro,ShortHDR
* Notebook= Yes,LISTS:[LISTNAME],Monthly,Public (8)
* Mail-via= Distribute
* Auto-Delete= yes (9)
* Renewal= 6-Monthly, probe (10)
* Sizelim= 100 (11)
* Daily-threshold= 50 (12)
*
* Listinformation (13)
*
* Owner= Email Address Full Name
* Owner= Quiet:
*Owner= SoInSo@That.Com (14)

These are the explanations of the selected defaults. (The actual list header will not have the parenthized numbers.) These defaults are suggested and the listowner is free to make the changes appropriate to the particular list. A completed list header in good format is given further down in this document.
Unless you have very specific reasons do not change (9) and (10)

(1) This line gives the full name of the list.
Back to Annotated List Header

(2) This is the person who is responsible for dealing with bounced mail. It is usually the listowner, but anyone may be designated.
* Errors-to= Owner Errors only primary listowner (First owner listed below)
* Errors-to= Owners Errors to all listowners listed before * QUIET Owners below
* Errors-to= userid@that.domain Errors sent to the address listed
Back to Annotated List Header

(3) This indicates who may get the names of subscribers to the list. Private means only members of the list, and public means anyone can see the subscribers. If the list is set to private, anyone asking for a review will only get the header of the list.
* Review= Owners Only List's Owners Can see List's subscribers
* Review= Private Only Subscribers Can see List's subscribers
* Review= Public Anyone Can see List's subscribers

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(4) This indicates whether subscriptions to the list are automatic (open) or forwarded to the Listowner who does the actual subscription (by owner). The latter provides more control, but considerably more effort. Confirm means that subscribers are not added to the list until they return a confirm message. This shows that mail gateways are open in both directions and eliminates error messages in the case of one-way gates.
* Subscription= open Listserv handles subscription requests. No confirmation required
* Subscription= open,confirm Listserv handles subscription requests and confirmation
* Subscription= owner Subscription requests sent to primary owner
* Subscription= owners Subscription requests sent to all non-quite owners
* Subscription= thisid@domain.com Subscription requests sent to a specific address
* Subscription= Closed Listserv Refuses Subscription requests
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(5) This details whether anyone can send to the list (public) or only list members (private). If the list is to be moderated or is meant to be a newsletter or journal, send should be set to a third option--owner.
* Send= Private Only subscribers may post to the list
* Send= Public Anyone may post to the list
* Send= Editor,Hold For moderated lists. All posts to the list held by the "editor" until "editor" confirms, then post is forwarded to the list
* Send= Editor,Hold,Confirm For moderated lists. Poster needs to confirm email, then posts to the list are held by the "editor" until "editor" confirms, then post is forwarded to the list.
More on Moderated lists - NOT UP YET
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(6) If the list is marked confidential, it will not appear as a List if Listserv is queried as to lists at the node.
* Confidential= No List can be found by queries to listserv@maelstrom
* Confidential= Yes List can not be found listserv@maelstrom
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(7) The list statistics can be made available to anyone (public) or only to list members (private)
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(8) The archives of a list can be stored weekly or monthly depending on the list activity. If the monthly average is greater than 10,000 lines a weekly log is suggested. The archives can be public or private, but the default is public since these archives are meant to be an Internet resource. If privacy or sensitivity of material are issues, the archives can be made private.
Be sure to substitute the name of your list for [LISTNAME] in the example.
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(9) Auto-delete allows Listserv to delete some users who consistently bounce mail with such errors as "no such user" or "no such node".
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(10) With Renewal set, subscribers will be sent a message periodically asking them to verify they wish to remain members. This eliminates subscribers who are "on the books" but not actually reading mail. They may have set themselves to nomail and have forgotten about the list. The probe option allows Listserv to eliminate bounced mail. Do not change this line, unless you have a very specific reason as it is important to the efficient operation of the system.
Back to Annotated List Header

(11) The default limit has been set to 100 lines. Longer messages are typically ignored. This limit also discourages indiscriminant quoting of previous messages and encourages intelligent summarization. But you as Listowner have the final say in the Philosophy of your list. You may want to create a list that is a forum for long discourses, pointed comments, or anything in-between. Change your line limit accordingly.
Back to Annotated List Header

(12) Daily-threshold refers to the number of messages that can be sent in a day. This, too, is flexible and should be based on the needs of the Lists and their subscribers.
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(13) The List Info is a short summary of the list and will be sent to anyone who requests the List Header in the Review command.
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(14) Dr.Z is named as a listowner on every list to handle emergencies that may arise. Note that he is a "quiet" owner meaning he will not get any administrative messages sent to listowners. Other "quiet" listowners can be added.
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s sent to listowners. Other "quiet" listowners can be added.
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