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Configuration
List configuration
This section is about the options to be selected for the automatic management of your forum by the Sympa system. They are recommendations, but if you feel comfortable with the tool, you can set your own parameters, knowing that you can alwaysl change your parameters later. For items for which there are no recommendations, we suggest that you leave the default values.
Setting the technical parameters
- Go to http://www.forums.[your domain name], for example, http://www.forums.alliance21.org and log in.
- Click on the "admin" box to the left of your newly created forum under "Your Lists" in the left-hand column.
- Click on "Edit list config" under "Admin" in the left-hand column, and select the following options in the following sub-sections. Please note: The sub-section names below are those found in the list under "Admin" in the left-hand column, which do not always have the same name in the list provided at the top of the page when you click on "Admin".
List definition
- Subject of the list
Describe the list in 5 to 6 words; you will have already done so when creating your list, but you can make changes now if you like. Example: "Public debate on fair trade - debate público sobre el comercio justo."
- Visibility of the list
This decides whether the existence of the list can be known to everyone (by being included in the list of lists/forums having the same domain name).
- For forums that are designed to be public, choose "noconceal (noconceal)".
- If the list is for a workgroup and you woud prefer it to remain confidential, select "conceal except for subscribers (conceal)." However, even if your list is private, it could still be useful for all your partners to know that it exists (first option).
- Owner
This identifies the list owners, who can manage subscribers and modify the basic features of the list; there can be a maximum of 4 owners.
Your e-mail address is already entered. Complete the information by entering your name. Choose "mail" for "reception mode."
You can add other people’s names and addresses. This could be useful, especially if you are away of if there is a problem with your email address, but you will remain the only “privileged” owner. As long as you are in charge of owner rights, you may select "no mail" for additional owners.
- Moderators
This identifies the technical moderators; they receive messages that need to be screened or modified (changes in the layout, the addition of an abstract and/or translations) then post them on the forum.
Enter the e-mail address and name of the moderator(s). It is not useful to have more than one person receiving messages for moderation, but you can change the name and/or address of the moderator whenever you wish. For a moderator to be able to manage subscriptions and unsubcriptions, s/he also needs to be registered as an owner.
Instead of the moderator’s name, we recommend that you put the name of the forum, for example, "Fair Trade", "Forum Artistes" or "Foro Educación".
Select “mail” as the reception mode for the acting moderator to receives the messages to be moderated directly in her/his mailbox.
If you want to add one or more extra moderators, you need to validate your confirmation by clicking "Update" at the bottom of the page. Each time you validate, a new field will be displayed where you can register another moderator. You need to validate again after each modification. Select "no mail" for moderators who are not actually working on the forum, and change to "mail" if they are called upon to replace the acting moderator.
- Topics for the list
This is the general topic of your forum. You selected it in the creation stage, but you may change it here if you like.
- Language of the list
This iindicates the default language of the forum interface, but which can be changed by any participant. The language chosen does not in any way affect the forum configuration.
Click on "Update" to save your options.
Sending/reception
- Who can send messages
This defines the people recognized by the server as authorized to post messages on the forum (moderators only, or moderators and participants).
- For moderated lists, where messages do not go directly to the list but first to the moderator, choose "Moderated, even for moderators (editorkeyonly)." This means that every message sent to the forum, even by the moderator him/herself, will be presented for to the moderator for validation to be posted on the forum, or to be rejected. It is a safety net for the moderator to be able to make sure that whatever message even he/she sends, is fit for publication. This option is good for all discussion lists, where moderators change the message before posting it, as well as for public discussion lists, where moderators do not change the messages but will either validate them as such, or reject them.
- For non-moderated lists, where messages from participants are posted directly on the forum without any checking, choose "restricted to subscribers (default)." This option is convenient for a work list where there is a single working language and the members are careful to apply netiquette rules for their discussions to be as easy to follow as possible.
- We do not recommend selecting any option that is not restricted to subscribers. Message tagging
Make sure the option selected is "optional."
- Reply address
This specifies if, when you click on "reply" in responding to a message on the forum, the reply message is sent to the list or to the private address of the "real" sender of the message.
- value: select "list" from the menu if it is not already selected by default, or, in the case of a non-interactive list (a newsletter, for instance), select "other_email" and enter in the field below, the contact e-mail address for the forum or the moderator's e-mail address, so that reactions to the information sent are received.
- respect of existing header: select "forced" from the menu.
- Subject tagging
This defines the "tag" which will appear automatically at the beginning of the subject line of all the forum messages, in square brackets, for example, [awele-users].
Use this function: it allows subscribers to see that the message is from the forum as soon as they read the subject line. Keep the letters to a minimum, in lowercase, in order not to take up too much room on the subject line, but make it explicit and distinctive.
Click on "Update" to save your options.
Privileges
- Who can view list information
This determines if the home page of the list can be seen by everyone.
Choose "for anyone (default)". Even if your list is private, it can be useful for all your partners to know that your list exists and what its purpose is.
If you have reasons for keeping the very existence of your list strictly confidential, choose "restricted to subscribers (private)."
- Who can subscribe to the list
For public forums, choose "requires authentification then owner approval (auth_owner)." This means that when someone asks to subscribe, the potential subscriber will first be asked to confirm his/her e-mail address (this excludes automatic spamming machines) and then the owner must validate the subscription; you thus know who is subscribing and can, if necessary, reject subscription requests.
For a private list, you may prefer to use the option "subscribe is impossible (closed)", where all subscription requests are rejected automatically.
- Who can unsubscribe
Choose "authentication requested, notification sent to owner (auth_notify)". This means that participants who want to unsubscribe first receive a message asking them to confirm that they have asked to be unsubscribed, then you are informed of unsubscription.
- Who can review subscribers
This defines who can consult the list of forum subscribers (names and e-mails).
This is a delicate question. The more accessible the list is, the more exposed it is to spammers and people sending out information indiscriminately, etc. The option "only owner (and listmaster) (default)" avoids this problem, but prevents subscribers from knowing who is subscribed to the list. So long as you are the one validating the subscriptions, you may prefer to opt for "restricted to subscribers (private)." If you then see that a subscriber is using the list for spamming purposes, you can identify him/her and try to correct the problem.
- Shared documents
This defines who has the right to view and/or edit any document that may be stored in the "Shared documents" section of the forum Web site.
You can, for example, decide that the documents are public and only subscribers can add, delete or modify documents.
Click on "Update" to save your options.
Archives
- Web archives
This determines who has access to messages posted on the forum and stored in the "Archive" section of your forum.
If you are happy with everyone accessing the messages, choose "public (public)". If your discussions are confidential, select "subscribers only (private)". e-mail address protection method
Select "javascript."
Click on "Update" to save your options.
Bounces
Leave all default values
Data sources
Unavailable
Miscellaneous
- Secret string for generating unique keys
This is the "cookie" that you will need for your list so that you can use our internal method that allows the moderator to modify the message received (adding a summary, formatting, translations, etc.) and send it to the list under the name of the author’s message.
- Status of the list
This indicates if the list is "technically" open or not (depending on whether its creation has been approved or not). If the list is already active, the value displayed will be "open", if not it will be "pending".
Each time you modify the options in one of the "Configuration" sub-menus, don’t forget to click on the "Update" button on the bottom of each page so that you save your changes
For changes that you make later on, for example, adding or deleting a moderator or owner (the “privileged owner” can never be changed, do not try to modify it as this can disrupt the entire configuration), you need to revalidate the parameters by clicking on the "Update" button. In the first sub-menu, List Definition, each time you validate a moderator or owner, a new field for adding a moderator or owner appears. So if you are adding several elements, you will have to validate several times.