MailServ is an Internet tool that helps you join electronic mailing
lists. Since MailServ works with several of the most popular mailing
list systems, you can point and click instead of trying to remember
cryptic e-mail commands.
MailServ helps you subscribe to or unsubscribe from mailing lists in
three easy steps:
- Enter your e-mail address in the first field:
.iso/web/miracles/advicom.net/~fitz/www/mailserv/help/pics/from.gif)
- Verify the list name and the list request address, and make
sure the Send commands option is set to
immediately (it should be, by default):
.iso/web/miracles/advicom.net/~fitz/www/mailserv/help/pics/send_c~1.gif)
- Click the button next to the Subscribe or
Unsubscribe command:
.iso/web/miracles/advicom.net/~fitz/www/mailserv/help/pics/subscr~1.gif)
With some mailing lists you might have to enter your full name
in the field provided.
After you click the button, MailServ sends a specially-formatted
e-mail message to the mailing list request address, asking to
subscribe or unsubscribe your address. After sending the request,
MailServ displays a screen that says Your commands have been
sent!
If all goes well, you should receive an e-mail message to confirm your
request. If you do not, see the section
If You Have Problems below.
The commands that are available depend on the mailing list - MailServ
supports several types of mailing lists, and each type has different
capabilities. With some you can only subscribe or unsubscribe, but
with others you can change various settings for your subscription.
Most of the mailing lists offer a Help command: use it to
learn about the available commands.
Sending Multiple Commands
Most mailing list servers let you send multiple commands in a single
message. When you start MailServ, it assumes you want to send only a
single command:
When Send commands immediately is selected, MailServ sends a
command as soon as you click a command button:
However, if you select Send commands after multiple commands
and click a command button, then MailServ displays the commands you
have already selected, and waits for you to click another command
button:
.iso/web/miracles/advicom.net/~fitz/www/mailserv/help/pics/multi.gif)
If you decide you do not want to send one of the commands, simply
un-select the checkbox to the left of the command. When you
are ready to send the selected commands, click Send my
commands now!
First, keep in mind that e-mail is not meant to be a form of instant
communication. Many factors can contribute to an e-mail delay, so be
sure to wait long enough for your commands to get to the mailing list
and to travel back to you. You should receive a response within a few
minutes, but longer delays are common (sometimes an hour or more).
If you have waited and still have not received a message, go back to
the MailServ screen and make sure you entered your e-mail address
correctly, and verify that the list request address is correct.
Try submitting the the commands again, and select the CC:
yourself checkbox, to send a copy of the mailing list commands to
your address.
If you are sending commands to a ListProc mailing list, see
the next section.
To use MailServ with a ListProc list, the ListProc
software must have been patched. Here is some information from the
MLM FAQ:
Sometimes the MLM needs to be sure the person sending it a
command is truly who he or she says. Forging mail is trivial,
so the From: line really can't be trusted -- even so it's the
only identification most MLM's require. Three exceptions:
1. ListProc 6.0c uses the envelope "From_" line, which is
annoyingly different (the distribution does include a patch to
make it use "From:" like everyone else). [...]
If ListProc is not correctly patched, then when you attempt
to subscribe, instead of adding your address, it adds the address of
the MailServ owner (that is, it adds my address instead of
yours, which is very annoying!)
If this happens, rest assured that I will get upset and will track
down the mailing list owner and ask them to patch their software.
Until the software is patched, I will also add the mailing list
address to the "locked out" addresses, and MailServ will no longer
work for the mailing list (see the next section for more information).
If you start MailServ and it tells you that the mailing list is
"locked out", then you cannot use MailServ to subscribe to the mailing
list. You should subscribe manually - usually by sending an e-mail
message to the list request address with the text "subscribe
listname" in the body of the message.
The most common reason for a mailing list to be locked out is because
of problems with the mailing list software.
- Symptom:
- You start MailServ, and all of the input fields are empty. For
example, there is no mailing list request address or list
name.
- Cause:
- The referring page (the page that contained a button or link to
start MailServ) might be misconfigured.
- Solution:
- Notify the owner of the referring page to correctly configure
the form or link to MailServ.
The most probable cause is that the form or link contains the
server name "iquest.com". This is no longer a valid server,
and should be changed to "advicom.net".
For more information, refer to the MailServ documentation:
Linking to MailServ on this
Server.
MailServ is a free service. If you run a mailing list, or if you want
to create links to your favorite mailing lists, you can easily create
buttons to run MailServ from your web pages. If you have CGI program
access on your web server, you can install
MailServ and customize it for your site; otherwise, you can link to MailServ and run it from my web
site.
Refer to the MailServ home page for more information.
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Patrick Fitzgerald
<fitz@advicom.net>