As I said previously, there shouldn't be any major disruption to list
subscribers as our lists migrate to Mailman. However, a few things will change and
I'd like to take the opportunity to cover these with you so no one is taken by
surprise.
1. The way the list name appears in your list mail will now look different.
Once the lists migrate to the new system, you will notice the "L" no longer
appears at the end of the list name. It will no longer be necessary to use the
"L" at the end of the list name to post to the list. So for example, if you
wanted to post to the CALLAGHAN list, you can simply address your email to:
CALLAGHAN(a)rootsweb.com
You can leave the "L" at the end of the address if you'd like. It will
still
work. However, it will no longer be necessary.
2. The email address that you use to sub/unsub from a list will change
slightly for those who are subscribed in List Mode. (List Mode is where you receive
each list post as a separate email.) You no longer need to add the "L" at
the end of the request address for subbing/unsubbing. You simply send your
sub/unsub request to:
CALLAGHAN-request(a)rootsweb.com
NOTE: This does NOT affect Digest subscribers. If you care to sub/unsub from
the Digest, you will continue to use this address:
CALLAGHAN-D-request(a)rootsweb.com
If you find this confusing, don't panic. Rootsweb has added the new
sub/unsub instructions to the taglines of each list message. So it will always be
there for reference.
3. How you sub or unsub from a list will also change slightly. Before, you
needed to put "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in either the subject line
of your
email or the body of the email. Under Mailman, you will have to put
"subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in the SUBJECT LINE.
4. The biggest change affecting list subscribers is to those who subscribe to
both the List version and Digest version of list mail. Mailman will not
allow one email address to be subscribed to both versions of one list. So if
you're subbed in both modes, once a list migrates, Mailman will automatically dump
the Digest subscription.
If you'd like to continue receiving both the List and Digest versions of list
mail, you will need to subscribe in Digest form under a different email
address than the one you use for the List version.
NOTE: This does NOT affect anyone who is subbed to a list in just Digest
form. This only affects those who sub to a list in BOTH List and Digest versions.
5. All Digests will be sent out in Plain Text format. (This means that the
all list posts contained within one Digest will appear inline, as one long
email.) If you'd like to receive your Digest in MIME format, please contact your
list admin privately and they can change it for you once the list migrates.
If you're using Outlook or Outlook Express, you may wish to receive your
Digest in MIME format.
6. If you filter your list mail, you will need to make some adjustments.
Here is a list of the basic filtering options and whether or not you will need to
make any edits:
If you filter on Prepends - there should be no need to edit
If you filter on the List Address - you will need to edit this. Remember,
the "L" at the end of the List Address is going away.
If you filter on the X-Diagnostic Lines within the Headers - this may
require editing, depending on which X-Diagnostic you filter on.
If you have any questions pertaining to the list migration, please don't
hesitate to contact me. List admins will be tied to their computers for the next
two weeks as the lists migrate. Most changes that will occur will affect list
admins and not subscribers.
There is a Rootsweb mailing list set up for the discussion of the list
migration where you can pose any question on this issue that you want. It is called
List Update and it's already migrated to Mailman. Here is the sub info:
Send an email with "subscribe" [minus the quotes] in the SUBJECT LINE to:
LIST-UPDATE-request(a)rootsweb.com (List Version)
If you're going to sub, I highly recommend the Digest Version. This is an
extremely busy list, with subscribers, admins and Rootsweb staff alike. To sub
to the Digest Version:
LIST-UPDATE-D-request(a)rootsweb.com
I will keep you posted as the list migration progresses.
Thank-you for your attention.
Take care,
Tracy
CALLAGHAN list admin