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Topic Overview

This document describes how to change list configuration information such as list ownership, editors, subscription options and more.

Listserv Password Required

You will need a Listserv password for the email address that owns your list. See document Listserv - Get or Replace a Password for more information on Listserv passwords. Note that while "people" are the formal owners, Listserv only knows about email addresses. Consequently, if you use multiple email addresses, listserv will only know you by whichever one(s) are listed in the configuration.

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Accessing the Listserv Configuration Information

1. Go to the web page of Listserv.
2. Click on the "List Management Interface" Link.
3. Login if necessary (if you have already used the Listserv web page, Listserv can be configured to automatically log you in).
4. Choose "List Management>List Dashboard: from the menu
5. Click on Configure underneath the list you will be editing.
6. Click on the Save button when you're done.

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Editing the List Configuration

Following is a sample list configuration with some common parameters- this is an incomplete list, and some may not apply to your list. If you need more information, please go here.

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• General information Keywords and Parameters are generally of the form:
  Keyword= Parameter, e.g. [answers31:Send=Private]
  • We recommend you put new keywords on a line by themselves. Although you may put multiple keywords, especially Owner, Editor, and Moderator lines can get cluttered if you do.
  • Keywords may be in any order, but we recommend putting Owner information at the end.
  • Listserv will usually not allow you to save incorrectly formatted information, and will catch most errors. You may not always get the result you expected, but you probably won't disable your list.
  • After typing your changes, click on the Save button. Reload will discard your changes (back to the last Update)

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Change

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Configuration

The owner line is as follows:

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• Default-options** This controls any subscription options for new subscribers. Most new lists are setup with Default-Options= Repro, which means people receive a copy of their own postings.
• Digest=: enable the option to receive one aggregate of all posting for a day, instead of all the individual postings. Note that this only enables the option- individual subscribers must select it.
  • Digest= Yes, Same, Daily
  • Digest= No
• Service=. Service Local limits subscribers to the Syracuse University community.
  • Service= *Subscribers may be from anywhere
• Editor: (option not shown in example above) controls who can send to a list configured as Send=Editor,Hold. It's formatted like owner information, and there may be multiple editors.
  • Editor= jeandoe@syr.edu (optional information)
• Moderator: (option not shown in example above) for Send=Editor,Hold lists, controls who may approve messages. Message submitted by anyone not an editor must be approved by a moderator. If no moderator is specified, it will default to the editors. The moderator is formatted like owner information.
  • Moderator= jeandoe@syr.edu (optional information)
    Messages are sent to the moderators in round robin fashion for approval- no moderator sees all of the messages. It's designed to distribute the load on busy lists so one person doesn't do all of the work.
  • Moderator= All, jeandoe@syr.edu (optional information)
    This is a special form, and the parameter "All" is on the first moderator. This causes every message to be sent to all moderators.

Example: How to add an owner to your list

• log into the Listserv web page at: http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LOGON
• select the "List Dashboard" option on the "List Management" drop-down menu
• this will show the lists you own, click on the configure link below the list you want to modify
• click the "edit manually" link on the right
• carefully make any changes (like adding an additional "owner=" line specifying the additional owner), and click the save button

Sources and Relevant Links

Listserv Home
Listserv - Get or Replace a Password

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Updating HDR and MSTP Settings (Messages Unreadable)

Some lists that have been used for a few years may still have a setting called shorthdr or shortbmstp. Newer lists have a default setting called fullhdr. Shorthdr or shortbmstp cause messages to display an abbreviated e-mail header and masks most of the detail that documents the path a message takes to go from the sender to the recipient. While this is usually a good thing, the settings are increasingly causing the problem described above. Here's why:

Briefly, when abbreviated headers are sent through Listserv, information that identifies the message format is also suppressed. If the message is written in plain text, this is not a problem, since that is the default format. However, if the message is specially formatted with such elements as Web-based e-mail packages or other e-mail agents, or includes formatted attachments, Listserv cannot identify the format and attempts to display the message in plain text. This results in a non-readable message.

To fix the problem, modify your list configuration. Here are the steps:

• Log onto the listserv list management page.
• Select the list: Choose "List Management>List Dashboard: from the menu
• Click on Configure underneath the list you will be editing.
• Examine the configuration that appears in the text box. If you see a line like this:Default-options= shortbmstp
  or
  Default-options= shorthdr 
  change the line to read: 
  Default-options= fullhdr
• Click the "Save" button below the text box.

Note: This change in the configuration will affect all new subscriptions to the list. It will not affect existing subscriptions. You must also reset all existing subscriptions. To do that, send an email to listserv@listserv.syr.edu from your owner e-mail address. In the body of the message, type:

quiet set <listname> fullhdr for *

Listserv will send you an e-mail with directions to confirm the change. Once you respond to the confirmation, Listserv will reset all subscriptions to fullhdr.

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Getting Help

Subscribers and list members should contact their list owner(s) for assistance by emailing <listname-request@listserv.syr.edu>. For example, if the listserv is clocks@listserv.syr.edu, send email to <clocks-request@listserv.syr.edu>.

Additional Listserv instructions, including how-to instructions and videos, can be found on the Learn Listserv page. 

For support of the information above, contact the ITS Help Desk by calling at 315-443-2677, by emailing help@syr.edu, or by stopping into 1-227 CST.