Kavi Help CenterKavi Mailing List Manager Help
| Chapter 78. Edit a List Type | ||
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Part VI. Kavi Mailing List Manager Super Admin Tools | 
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Table of Contents
The Edit a List Type tool is used to edit a custom List Type (default List Types are not editable). List Types are preconfigured ezmlm templates on which mailing lists are based. Ezmlm options set at this level control the behavior of every mailing list based on this List Type, such as whether ezmlm email commands can be used to subscribe to these mailing lists or retrieve archives and rules governing the posting process. List Type settings also determine whether certain features are enabled in these mailing lists, such as digests and raw ezmlm-idx archives.
Editing a List Type can be a simple, straightforward operation or something quite the opposite, depending on which options are edited. Enabling or disabling subject prefixing is almost a no-brainer, except that you might want to warn subscribers first. But options that control access usually work in combination, so that editing a single option often affects the way that other options behave. Its particularly easy to introduce some unexpected nuance into list behavior when editing options that set access rules for ezmlm email commands, such as those that affect the ability to subscribe or unsubscribe, to post messages to the list or retrieve archives. This sort of change is especially risky if existing mailing lists use this List Type. List users don't appreciate being taken by surprise when some subtle or not so subtle change unexpectedly revokes their access privileges.
Important
Editing a List Type changes the configuration of every mailing list based on this List Type. The 'Existing Lists' field displays the mailing lists that will be affected by the new settings. Before editing any settings, make sure you thoroughly understand how your edits will affect list behavior and list features. It's usually a good idea to notify the subscribers of the affected mailing lists before implementing the change.
The Kavi Mailing List Manager uses ezmlm software to support its mailing lists. Ezmlm provides a rich and rather complex set of configuration options that have evolved in response to conditions that are unique to mailing lists. Many of these can seem counter-intuitive to users who don't have a lot of experience managing mailing lists. Before adding or editing any List Types, be sure you are thoroughly familiar with the Concepts documents on email, mailing lists and List Types.
Kavi Mailing List Manager interfaces and help documents include ezmlm arguments for use by individuals who have acquired expertise with ezmlm. Remember that the configured behavior is often dependent on how ezmlm arguments work in combination rather than how any one argument is set. To complicate matters, the behavior documented in the UI and help documentation may be overridden if the mailing list has a customized ezmlm-rc file, so if you notice that a list has a custom rule file you should not assume this list will behave in the same way as other lists based on this List Type.
The Ezmlm Arguments field displays the ezmlm-make argument string for reference. For a simplified overview of this List Type's configuration settings, click the View link. For a more detailed description of each argument and how it works in combination with other arguments, see Ezmlm Quick Reference Guide in the Appendix.
The ezmlm-make argument string can be edited directly. It does include some arguments that aren't presented in the web-based configuration options, but direct manipulation of this string is for experts only and is outside the scope of this documentation. The full array of ezmlm configuration options is documented on the ezmlm site: www.ezmlm.org.
All custom List Types are displayed. Select the List Type you wish to edit and click Edit. If you accessed this tool from the Manage List Types page, this step has already been performed.
Make the appropriate edits by resetting options on the Edit form, or if you are an expert on ezmlm and would like to edit the ezmlm-make arguments string directly, proceed to the Preview step where the string is exposed. Whichever approach you choose, be sure to review the 'Existing Lists' field to see which lists will be affected by these changes.
The ezmlm-make arguments field allows ezmlm experts to manually set the argument string for ezmlm-make. The applicable ezmlm arguments are displayed in parentheses following each option on the Edit form. Kavi Mailing List Manager does not provide all available ezmlm options on the Edit step.
Options
- Edit List Type
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Edit any available options as desired, and see which lists will be affected by your edits.
- Name
A plain-text name for this List Type.
- Description
A detailed plain-text or HTML description of this List Type. Administrators read this description when adding or editing mailing lists, so it should provide any important information about this List Type's configuration, especially posting rules and any restrictions on the use of email commands to subscribe or retrieve raw archives.
- Existing Lists
A complete list of all existing mailing lists based on this List Type. Changes to the configuration of this list type will immediately and permanently affect these lists.
- ezmlmrc File
The ezmlmrc rules file used for this List Type. If this is 'default', the ezmlm-make arguments in the List Type function as described in the help documentation. If this is not 'default', the default behavior described in the documentation may not apply, since an ezmlmrc file is used to specify custom behaviors for one or more of these arguments.
- Configuration Options
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Edit an options as desired. The ezmlm-make arguments are displayed in parentheses after each option for reference purposes. Kavi Mailing List Manager does not provide all available ezmlm options through this form. If you need to edit an option that isn't available here, proceed to the Preview and Save step where the ezmlm-make argument string can be edited manually.
- ezmlm-make Arguments
The ezmlm-make argument string containing this List Type's current configuration settings.
- Subscription Model
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This option is used to select whether mailing lists based on this List Type are open to public subscription requests or closed, in which case all subscription requests must be approved by a moderator. Regardless of whether a list is open or closed, both of these options include closed-loop email confirmation.
- Closed subscription model with confirmation (HJs)
Select this option to have mailing lists based on this List Type moderate all subscribe and unsubscribe requests submitted via email commands.
- Open subscription model with confirmation (HJS)
Select this option to have mailing lists based on this List Type use the open subscription model, allowing users to subscribe or unsubscribe via email commands without being moderated.
- Who can post to the list?
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Set who is allowed to post to mailing lists based on this List Type. Posting rules run the gamut from entirely open (anyone can post) to highly restricted (only moderators can post), but the majority of List Types allow some kinds of senders to post messages directly to the list while messages from lower-level list users (especially messages from public senders) are sent for moderation or rejected.
- Anyone can post (MU)
Select this option if mailing lists based on this List Type post all messages directly to the list.
- Anyone can post but all posts moderated (mOU)
Select this option if mailing lists based on this List Type allow anyone to submit messages for posting but send all messsages for moderation.
- Subscribers can post and all others moderated (mOu)
Select this option if mailing lists based on this List Type only allow subscribers, moderators and Allowed Poster to post messages directly to the list. Posts from unknown (i.e. public) senders are sent for moderation.
- Subscribers can post and all others rejected (Mu)
Select this option if mailing lists based on this List Type only allow subscribers, moderators and Allowed Posters to post messages directly to the list. Posts from unknown (i.e. public) senders are rejected.
- Subscribers can post, all others are rejected, and all posts are moderated (muy)
Select this option if mailing lists based on this List Type only accepts messages from subscribers, moderators and Allowed Posters, but sends these posts for moderation. Posts from unknown (i.e. public) senders are rejected.
- Only moderators can post (mo)
Select this option if mailing lists based on this List Type only accept posts from moderators and send these posts for moderation (i.e., each moderator must approve their own message before it is posted). This is the most restrive setting for posting rules.
- List Archives
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These settings apply to raw ezmlm-idx archives only, as opposed to MHonArc archives that have been processed for publication on the website. For more information, see archives in the List Features document.
- Do not archive list messages (A)
If this option is set, mailing lists based on this List Type will not have archives of any kind. Although archives are desirable for most mailing lists, lists without archives have lighter system requirements.
- Messages archived for moderator retrieval only (ab)
If this option is set, mailing lists based on this List Type accept archive retrieval commands from moderators only. The raw archives are not accessible to subscribers or to the public.
- Messages archived for subscriber retrieval (aBg)
If this option is set, mailing lists based on this List Type accept archive retrieval commands from subscribers, but not from public senders. The raw archives are accessible to subscribers but not to the public.
- Messages archived for public retrieval (aBG)
If this option is set, mailing lists based on this List Type accept archive retrieval commands from public senders, so the raw archives can be retrieved by anyone.
- Instant Archiving
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Configure whether new postings are added immediately or periodically to the web-viewable MHonArc HTML archives for this List Type. This setting is dependent on the existence of raw ezmlm-idx archives (i.e., the -a switch is set). If archives do not exist, this option is ignored. Raw ezmlm-idx archives are always updated instantly; this setting controls MHonArc updates.
- Archive incoming messages at arrival (i)
If this option is set, the web-viewable archives for mailing lists based on this List Type are instantly updated whenever a message is posted to the mailing list. This option is generally recommended so that email threads in the web-viewable archives are kept current.
- Archive messages periodically (I)
If this option is set, the web-viewable archives for mailing lists based on this List Type are updated periodically rather than instantly. The default interval for periodic updating is one hour.
- Add a prefix to the subject line
Select whether mailing lists based on this List Type have a prefix prepended to the subject line of posted messages. By default, the prefix is the name of the list enclosed in brackets, but this can be overridden in the Add a Mailing List or Edit a Mailing List tools. For more information on prefixes, see prefix in the List Features document.
- Yes, add a prefix to the subject line of each message (f)
If this option is set, mailing lists based on this List Type will have a prefix automatically added to the front of the subject line.
- No, do NOT add a prefix to subject lines (F)
If this option is set, mailing lists based on this List Type will not have a subject prefix.
- Add trailer to posted email
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Select whether mailing lists based on this List Type have a trailer automatically appended to each email before posting. For more information, see Trailer Text in the List Features document.
- Yes, add trailer text to the end of each message (t)
If this option is set, mailing lists based on this List Type have trailer text automatically added to the end of each plain text email message.
- No, do NOT add trailer text to the end of each message (T)
If this option is set, mailing lists based on this List Type will not use trailer text.
- Public subscription requests
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Select whether mailing lists based on this List Type accept administrative email commands from public senders; such as subscribe and unsubscribe requests. The P argument works in combination with other ezmlm arguments, For information on this subject, see Ezmlm Quick Reference Guide in the Appendix and public subscription requests in the List Features document.
- Yes, respond to public subscribe/unsubscribe requests (p)
If this option is set, mailing lists based on this List Type respond to administrative requests from public senders, such as subscribe or unsubscribe email commands. Even if this option is selected, the user will receive an email confirmation request that must be returned to the organization before the request will be fulfilled.
- No, do NOT respond to public subscribe/unsubscribe request (P)
If this option is set, mailing lists based on this List Type ignore email subscription requests from from public senders.
- Allow Attachments
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Set whether lists based on this List Type will accept email with MIME attachments or not. For most lists, set this value to 'Yes' to allow MIME content such as non-English character sets and binary files. If this is set to 'No', only plain text (i.e., 7-bit US-ASCII characters) email messages are accepted.
Although there are costs associated with allowing MIME attachments that are not incurred when only plain text is allowed (e.g., email with MIME attachments have larger file sizes than plain-text email, binary files have to be managed to guard against possible malicious content, etc.), limiting a list to plain-text email only is so restrictive that this alternative is only suitable for certain types of lists (e.g., a private list used by a group of Organization Admins who communicate with each other in a Western European language that uses the Roman alphabet).
- Yes, allow MIME attachments (X)
If this option is set, mailing lists based on this List Type accept non-text MIME type email attachments. Recommended for all List Types.
- No, allow only plain text messages (x)
If this option is set, mailing lists based on this List Type accept plain text 7-bit US-ASCII email only.
- Scan for Viruses
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This configuration option controls whether F-Prot virus protection is enabled for mailing lists based on this List Type. As mentioned in the discussion of the 'Allow Attachments' option, virus protection is especially important for list types that allow MIME attachments. This option applies only if F-Prot virus scanning is enabled on your website. For more information, see Virus Scanning in the Concepts section.
- Yes, enable virus scanning of incoming messages (z)
Select this option to have email and attachments sent to mailing lists based on this List Type scanned for viruses and other types of malware (e.g. worms, trojans, spyware, etc.). This option is ignored if F-Prot virus scanning is not enabled on your website.
- No, disable virus scanning (Z)
Select this option if mailing lists based on this List Type won't have virus scanning enabled.
The preview step gives you an opportunity to check your configuration settings and if necessary, edit the ezmlm-make argument string. When you are satisfied with your settings, click Save.
Your List Type edits have been saved and are displayed for you to review (including any edits performed on the ezmlm-make argument string in the previous step). These changes go into affect immediately for any mailing lists based on this List Type. If you want to edit another List Type, click Edit Another.
Concepts: How Mailing Lists Work
Concepts: Mailing List Configuration
Concepts: List Types
Appendix: Ezmlm Quick Reference Guide
Appendix: Default List Types
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| Chapter 77. Add a List Type |  |
Chapter 79. Delete a List Type |