Mailman list owner reference

Before you start

Owning an ALIAnet e-list is a great way to gain some insight into how internet services work. List ownership isn't generally an arduous task, but there are many issues that need to be considered - you'll never look at e-mail the same way again.

ALIAnet e-lists are run subject to some simple rules that need to be read and understood before venturing into list ownership. They outline wo is responsible for what parts of an e-list, and the conditions under which lists are operated. As a provider of internet services, we adhere to principles of netiquette - again, fundamental stuff for list owners.

If you own a list already, it's a good idea to bookmark those pages and keep them handy as references.

ALIAnet e-list owners are all subscribed to an e-list for list owners - aliaLISTOWNERS. Belonging to that list is a condition of ownership, a great resource in time of need, and a contact point for other technologically-curious and active ALIA members. If you give up list ownership, you are automatically unsubscribed from aliaLISTOWNERS, too.

Getting a list going

Starting a list is as simple as sending an online request for a list to be created. Before doing so, we ask that you carefully consider the scope of your proposed list. Whilst a list with an intimate focus may be appealing, it will eventually become a loose end. Succesful lists invariably encourage topical discussion from a wide range of participants.

ALIAnet administrative staff will discuss the scope, naming and purpose of a proposed list if required - before it is created.

Once a list is created, ALIA National Office will let you know about it by e-mail, and as you'll be subscribed to your own list and aliaLISTOWNERS, you'll get welcome messages for both. Keep all those e-mails in a safe spot - you'll need some of the details later. A HTML version is also kept for your reference.

Now, all you need to do is add some subscribers - but remember: Never subscribe users without their explicit permission. Current privacy regulation prevents such activity, as do the principles of netiquette.

Keeping the list rolling

Now here's where the real fun starts. As an ALIAnet list owner, you have complete control over the subscriber lists and content of the list.

Guidelines for acceptable content can be found in the e-list rules and netiquette guidelines. There's a lot of flexibility, but there's one point which should always be considered: ALIAnet e-lists are wholly funded by ALIA members for the benefit of ALIA members and the wider LIS community.

We ask that you keep your subscriber lists tidy - from time to time you'll recieve error messages from e-mail address that have gone awry for one reason or another. If you continually get errors from an address, remove it from the list. If you get errors you can't understand, ask aliaLISTOWNERS or send a query to mailman-owner@lists.alia.org.au.nospam (remove the '.nospam' from address).

Those factors aside, e-lists usually run themselves quite happily. Ultimately the success of a list depends on the quality of the discussion - it's really up to the subscribers.

How to...

Now that we know something about e-list issues, let's do some e-listing! Your most useful tool is your e-list administration web interface. You can find it at:

http://lists.alia.org.au/mailman/admin/alianetlistname
[remember to substitute the full name of your list for 'alianetlistname']

..and if you get really lost, an index of all public ALIAnet e-list administrative links can be found at: http://lists.alia.org.au/mailman/admin/

You might also need to go to:

http://lists.alia.org.au/mailman/admindb/alianetlistname

This is a general administrative task page. If you run a moderated list, or if you need to approve subscriptions, Mailman will e-mail you to tell you when a post or subscription needs approval. Just follow the instructions that Mailman sends you.

You'll need your list owner password to access the administration pages. Once there, you can do almost anything. See the quick reference page to walk through some common tasks.

Another useful page is:

http://lists.alia.org.au/mailman/listinfo/alianetlistname

This is where individual subscribers can view their subscription details - a useful link to be able to pass on. As a list owner, you can pretend to be any subscriber on your list for certain administrative tasks.

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