Kavi Help CenterKavi Mailing List Manager Help
| Chapter 13. Subscription Types and Subscriber Lists | ||
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Part I. Concepts | 
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Table of Contents
There are six Subscription Types in Kavi Mailing List Manager, each of which corresponds to a specific ezmlm Subscriber List: Regular Subscriber, Digest Subscriber, Moderator, Poster, Allow and Deny. Along with Cross-Posters and public senders (i.e., non-subscribers), these Subscriber Lists embody the ezmlm list user classification system. As described in Who's Who in the Concepts document on Access Control, the technical definition of "subscriber" is merely an email address that appears on one of these Subscriber Lists. Every mailing list has at least one kind of Subscriber List: the Regular Subscribers list. The existence of other kinds of Subscriber Lists is configuration dependent.
Subscriber Lists are created by the ezmlm mailing list software, so they exist only if certain options are enabled in the ezmlm-make argument string in the List Type on which a given mailing list is based. Most mailing list users are aware of only two types of subscriptions: Regular and Digest. These are the only Subscriber Lists to which a user can ever subscribe directly (i.e., add their email address) using ezmlm email commands or Kavi Mailing List Manager tools. The other Subscriber Lists are only accessible through Kavi Mailing List Manager Admin tools.
List user ability to subscribe via ezmlm commands is set in the List Type's ezmlm-make argument string, and the ability to subscribe through Kavi Mailing List Manager Member Tools is set at the list level when a mailing list is added or edited.
A mailing list uses a combination of factors when determining how to respond to email messages it receives, often applying rules differently based on which Subscriber Lists a subscriber is on. For example, a mailing list publishes posted messages in different formats to subscribers on the Regular Subscriber List versus those on the Digest Subscriber List. When a mailing list receives an email command or message submitted for posting, it may check to see which Subscriber Lists the sender is on before determining which rules to apply. Most mailing lists are configured to apply tighter restrictions on messages from public senders than those from subscribers, and to grant privileges to moderators that aren't enjoyed by ordinary subscribers.
The help uses the term "subscriber-level posting privileges" generically to describe whatever posting rules are enforced for subscribers on the Regular and Digest Subscriber Lists. These same posting rules apply to subscribers on the Poster and Allow Subscriber Lists, if these exist, and to these kinds of subscribers on mailing lists that have cross-posting privileges to this mailing list.
The mailing list sends messages to Regular Subscribers and applies whatever access rules are set for subscribers when processing ezmlm email commands. The ezmlm-make arguments that correspond to each particular condition are included in parentheses.
Table 13.1. Rules for the Regular Subscriber List
| Behavior | Description |
|---|---|
| Conditions for Existence | Configuration independent. Every mailing list has a Regular Subscriber List. |
| Publication | When a message is posted to the mailing list, it is forwarded to every Regular Subscriber. |
| Posting Access |
If this mailing list is configured to accept messages from subscribers (-mOuY, -Mu, -mu, -mOuy) it checks to see if the sender is on the Regular Subscriber List. If the sender is subscribed, the mailing list routes the post according to the rules that apply to subscribers. If this mailing list is configured to allow the anyone to submit messages for posting (-MU, -mOU), it ignores the Regular Subscriber List and routes all posts according to the same posting rules. If this mailing list is configured to accept messages from moderators only (-moU)), it ignores the Regular Subscriber List, and checks the Moderator List before fulfilling the request. |
| Archive Access | Assuming archives exist and are guarded but not blocked (-aBg), when the mailing list receives an ezmlm archive-retrieval command, it checks to see if the sender is on the Regular Subscriber List. If so, the mailing list returns the requested information. |
| Email Subscription Commands |
If this mailing list is configured to accept email subscription commands from the public (Sp), it adds or removes sender from the Regular Subscriber List. If this mailing list is based on a custom List Type with moderated email subscription (-sp), it adds or removes users from the Digest Subscriber List in response to specific digest subscription commands as long as the sender confirms the request and the moderator approves it. If this mailing list is configured to disallow all such requests (-P), it rejects the request. |
If this mailing list supports the digest feature, a subscriber on the Digest Subscriber List is sent a digest of email messages in batch format, with many email messages rolled into one. Slightly different email commands are used to subscribe and unsubscribe from the Digest Subscriber List, otherwise the mailing list handles Digest Subscribers the same way it handles Regular Subscribers. The digest feature is enabled in all Kavi default List Types.
The ezmlm-make arguments that correspond to each particular condition are included in parentheses.
Table 13.2. Rules for the Digest Subscriber List
| Behavior | Description |
|---|---|
| Conditions for Existence | The -d switch must be set in the ezmlm-make argument string. |
| Publication | A subscriber on the Digest Subscriber List is sent a digest of email messages in batch format, with many email messages rolled into one. By default, a digest subscriber receives the emailed digest after 30 messages, 48 hours or 64 KB of message body text have accumulated since the last digest. |
| Posting Access |
If this mailing list is configured to accept messages from subscribers (-mOuY, -Mu, -mu, -mOuy) it checks to see if the sender is on the Digest Subscriber List. If the sender is subscribed, the mailing list routes the post according to the rules that apply to subscribers. If this mailing list is configured to allow the anyone to submit messages for posting (-MU, -mOU), it ignores the Digest Subscriber List and routes all posts according to the same posting rules. If this mailing list is configured to accept messages from moderators only (-moU)), it ignores the Digest Subscriber List, and checks the Moderator List before fulfilling the request. |
| Archive Access | Assuming archives exist and are guarded but not blocked (-aBg), when the mailing list receives an ezmlm archive-retrieval command, it checks to see if the sender is on the Digest Subscriber List. If so, the mailing list responds with the requested information. |
| Email Subscription Commands |
If this mailing list is configured to accept email subscription commands (-Sp), it adds or removes users from the Digest Subscriber List in response to specific digest subscription commands. If this mailing list is based on a custom List Type with moderated email subscription (-sp), it adds or removes users from the Digest Subscriber List in response to specific digest subscription commands as long as the sender confirms the request and the moderator approves it. If this mailing list is configured to disallow all such requests (-P), it rejects the request. |
A moderator is a privileged subscriber responsible for reviewing and accepting or rejecting messages submitted to the mailing list for posting to ensure that unwanted messages aren't posted. In some custom List Types, moderators also moderate subscription requests. The mailing list consults the Moderator Subscriber List to find out whether the sender has moderator privileges before determining what rules to apply to posting, archives and moderation email commands. Moderators can always post, although they may have to approve their own message before it is posted, and moderators may be able to retrieve archives when other subscribers can't. Messages aren't published to subscribers on the Moderator Subscriber List, so these addresses have to be added to the Regular or Digest Subscriber Lists in order to receive list messages. For more information, see List Moderation.
The ezmlm-make arguments that correspond to each particular condition are included in parentheses.
Table 13.3. Rules for the Moderator List
| Behavior | Description |
|---|---|
| Conditions for Existence | Moderation must be enabled for this mailing list (-m is set in the ezmlm-make argument string). |
| Publication | Messages posted to the mailing list are not sent to the Moderator List. |
| Posting Access |
Moderators can always submit post, but under certain settings (i.e., -mOU, -moU, -mOuy), moderators have to approve their own posts. If anyone can post but all posts are moderated (-mOU), the mailing list doesn't check any Subscriber Lists, but simply forwards all messages to the moderation queue. If only moderators can post and all posts are moderated (-moU), the mailing list checks whether the sender is subscribed to the Moderator Subscriber List before sending the message to the moderation queue and rejects messages from all other senders. |
| Archive Access |
Assuming archives exist but are blocked (-ab), the mailing list checks whether the sender is subscribed to the Moderator List before accepting and fulfilling an archive retrieval request and rejects requests from all other senders. If archives exist, and are guarded rather than blocked (-aBg), the mailing list checks whether the sender is on the Moderator List before accepting and fulfilling an archive retrieval request. The mailing list also checks the Regular and Digest Subscriber Lists and will fulfill requests from these subscribers. If archives exist, and are neither guarded nor blocked (-aBG), the mailing list fulfills archive retrieval requests without checking any Subscriber Lists. |
| Email Subscription Commands |
List users can't be added or removed from the Moderator Subscriber List using email subscription commands. Only moderators are allowed to use moderation commands. If a moderated mailing list receives a moderation command, it checks whether the sender is on the Moderator List and if so, fulfills the request. If not found, the request is rejected. |
Subscribers on the Posters or Allow Subscriber Lists, or who are subscribed to a mailing list with cross-posting privileges, have the same posting privileges as a subscriber on the Regular or Digest Subscriber Lists.
The ezmlm-make arguments that correspond to each particular condition are included in parentheses.
A subscriber is added to the Allow List to confer the same posting privileges as a subscriber on the Regular or Digest Subscriber Lists. This user may be subscribed as a Regular or Digest Subscriber under their primary address but wants to be able to submit posts from an alternate address, a staff member who isn't authorized to receive mailing list messages but needs to be able to post, or a trusted member of the public who regularly contributes information that's of interest to this list's subscribers.
Users are added to the Allow List through Admin Area tools.
If the organization collects multiple email addresses for its account holders, non-primary email addresses are automatically subscribed as Posters.
The Posters Subscriber List is maintained automatically, so it isn't accessible through Kavi Mailing List Manager Admin Tools.
Cross-posters are users who are subscribed to other mailing lists that have cross-posting privileges to this mailing list. This isn't a separate Subscriber List; the software just consults the Subscriber Lists of cross-posted mailing lists when it receives a message for posting. Cross-posters have subscriber-level posting privileges.
Table 13.4. Rules for Cross-Posters, Posters and Allow Subscriber Lists
| Behavior | Description |
|---|---|
| Conditions for Existence | The mailing list must be configured to accept messages from subscribers but apply different rules to messages from public senders (i.e., -u is set in the ezmlm-make argument string). |
| Publication | Messages posted to the mailing list are not sent to these Subscriber Lists. |
| Posting Access | If this mailing list is configured to accept messages from subscribers (-mOuY, -Mu, -mOuy) it checks to see if the sender is on the Allow or Poster Subscriber List, or has subscriber-level posting privileges on a cross-posted mailing list. If any of these conditions is true, the mailing list routes the post according to the posting rules that apply to subscribers. |
| Archive Access | These Subscriber Lists are ignored when determining archive access. |
| Email Subscription Commands | List users can't be added or removed from these Subscriber Lists using email subscription commands. |
A subscriber is added to the Deny Subscriber List to block their ability to post, even if this address is subscribed to the Regular or Digest Subscriber Lists and would ordinarily have posting privileges. For example, this sender may be a vacationing moderator whose misconfigured auto-responder is automatically approving messages, a sender whose personal computer is infected by malware that is using it as a spam drone, or a subscriber who has had posting privileges temporarily revoked for a list policy infraction.
Administrators add subscribers to the Deny Subscriber List manually through Kavi Mailing List Manager Admin Tools.
The ezmlm-make arguments that correspond to each particular condition are included in parentheses.
Table 13.5. Rules for the Deny Subscriber List
| Behavior | Description |
|---|---|
| Conditions for Existence | The Deny Subscriber List is created if the ezmlm kill function is enabled (-k). |
| Publication | This Subscriber List is ignored. |
| Posting Access | Assuming this is enabled, the mailing list checks the Deny Subscriber List when a message is submitted for posting. If the sender is subscribed to the Deny List, the message is summarily deleted without notification. |
| Archive Access | This Subscriber List is ignored when determining archive access. |
| Email Subscription Commands | List users can't be added or removed from this Subscriber List using email subscription commands. |
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| Chapter 12. How Mailing Lists Work |  |
Chapter 14. All About Dynamic Members Mailing Lists |