Help Mailing List Procedure

Changing Your Password in Sympa

1. Login to Sympa at vancouvercommunity.net/lists See Logging into Sympa for more info.
2. Click on “Preferences”
3. Under “Changing your password”, enter your new password into the 2 text fields labelled “New password :” and “Re-enter your new password :”.
4. Click the “Submit” button below.

Your password change is successful if you see this message at the top “setpasswd : action succeeded”

Help Mailing List Procedure

How to Log into Sympa

You need to have a Login from Sympa already to login. See Getting a Login in Sympa (Above) for more info.

1. Go to vancouvercommunity.net/lists
2. Click on “Login”
3. In the popup window, type in your email address and your password. If you don’t remember you password, click the “Send me a password” button below and Sympa will send you your password.
4. Click the “Login” button.

If the homepage of Sympa doesn’t reload, click the “Reload” or “Refresh” button of your browser.
If you get the message “Sympa could not set a cookie for login. Your should setup your navigator to accept cookies” or you do not get logged in, make sure your browser is setup to accept cookies.
In Netscape:

1. Click on “Edit”, then click “Preferences”
2. In the “Category” window, double click on “Advanced”
3. In the Cookies section, make sure “Accept all cookies” 4. Click OK 5. Login to Sympa again.

Help Mailing List Procedure

Getting A Login in Sympa

1. Go to vancouvercommunity.net/lists
2. Click on “Login”
3. In the popup window, click the “Send me a password” button
4. Enter your email and click the “Send me my password” button.

You will be sent an initial password to login into Sympa. Once you have logged in you can change your password. See ChangingYourPasswordInSympa and LoggingIntoSympa for more info.

Changing how you recieve messages in sympa(need link)

Email commands(need link)

How to Log into Sympa

You need to have a Login from Sympa already to login. See Getting a Login in Sympa (Above) for more info.

1. Go to vancouvercommunity.net/lists
2. Click on “Login”
3. In the popup window, type in your email address and your password. If you don’t remember you password, click the “Send me a password” button below and Sympa will send you your password.
4. Click the “Login” button.

If the homepage of Sympa doesn’t reload, click the “Reload” or “Refresh” button of your browser.
If you get the message “Sympa could not set a cookie for login. Your should setup your navigator to accept cookies” or you do not get logged in, make sure your browser is setup to accept cookies.
In Netscape:

1. Click on “Edit”, then click “Preferences”
2. In the “Category” window, double click on “Advanced”
3. In the Cookies section, make sure “Accept all cookies” 4. Click OK 5. Login to Sympa again.

Help Mailing List Procedure

Mailing Lists: Getting Started

We use a mailing list and shared web application called Sympa to provide a simple yet sophisticated set of tools for you and your group to manage your email lists and communication strategies. A full Reference manual is available at http://www.sympa.org/manual/ To create a new mailing list:

Get a Password:

1. Go to vancouvercommunity.net/lists. You will see a selection of public mailing lists. To see private mailing lists you are subscribed to, you must login Click on the “Login” button at the top left of your screen
2. Click the “Send me a Password” button
3. Type in your email address
4. Click the “Send me my Password” button
You can also use this feature if you ever forget your password
` 1. Open your email with your regular email program. You will find new mail to you from Sympa with a temporary password (copy this to your clipboard) and links to: password changes, mailing lists service and a help page
2. Click the “Changing your password” link Paste in your temporary password
3. Enter an easier to remember new password (write it down!)
4. Re-enter your new password
5. Click the “submit” button

This password will also work for any other VCN list subscriptions you have.
Configure your account:

  • Go back to the login screen and use your full email address and password
  • You are now logged onto the Mailing list services The “Your environment” page is where you can change other details of your account like your full name, language and other email addresses you may use occasionally

Create your mailing list:

1. Click on “Create list” on the top menu bar Fill in your mailing “List name” (either put a hyphen in it or make it longer than 8 characters)
2. Often lists are identified as such to avoid their confusion with regular email addresses (eg. planning-list, or planning-l)
3. Choose the type of list that best reflects you intentions. You can make adjustments to the configuration once you are using it 4. Type in a “Subject” for your mailing list that briefly identifies what it is for
5. Select a “Topic” (you can add more later)
6. Type in a “Description” of your list to be sent to all new subscribers with the information they need to use it effectively. Here’s a rather elaborate sample(need link – http://vcn.idealogy.ca/help/mailing-list/)

Configure your list:

1. Click on “Submit your creation request”. The list will not be active until VCN validates it, however you can modify its configuration
2. Click on the “List admin” button on the left-hand side of the screen Using the choices on the “List administration panel”,
3. You can now add and remove owners, moderators and subscribers to the list.(warning: if you add email addresses to the list without the “quiet” mode activated, they will be notified of their subscription – even though the list is not functional)
4. Add your own address as a subscriber – it will help you find the list later!
5. You can create a “Shared web” to store documents and links. And you can develop texts to be sent to subscribers and others.

For information on using your mailing list effectively you should consider studying “From Workplace to Workspace” http://www.idrc.ca/books/848/

Add a Subject Tag Line
Go to “List Admin” for the particular mailing list

1. Click on “Edit List Config” from the “List Administration Panel”
2. Choose “Sending/reception setup” from the list of options
3. Type in your abbreviated list name under “Subject Tagging”
4. Click “Update” to save your changes

View list archives:

1. After logging in, click on the list name you want to view
2. Click in the ‘archive’ button in the left hand column B
3. Browse the archives by month, or use the ‘advanced search’ link to search by keyword (there are lots of options to narrow down a search). Some archives have been transferred from our previous list Manager, Majordomo.

View a list shared web space:

1. From the left hand column, click on ‘Shared web’ You’ll may see a number of types of documents posted, they can be text, html, links, subfolders or files created with proprietary software (remember, only those with appropriate software will be able to view them)
2. To view a document, either click on the link or use the edit link. It’s easier to view text files using the edit link, and to view html files using the file name link (a new window will open).
3. To make changes, click on the ‘edit’ link. Make the desired changes and then hit the ‘publish’ button.
4. To upload an existing file from your hard drive, use the ‘browse’ and ‘publish’ buttons at the bottom of the screen.
5. To add a new document you’re creating from scratch, enter a file name in the box to the left of the ‘create a file’ button. Then fill in the info on the next screen and hit the ‘publish’ button. These will be plain text files (unless you add html tags).
6. You can also create subdirectories within the ‘shared web’ folder and store docs there. I haven’t found an easy way to move docs around from folder to folder, other than re- uploading.

Moderating a mailing list:

1. After logging in, click ‘list admin’ link on the left hand column.
2. On the next screen, click on the ‘moderate’ link on the list administration panel to see any messages for distribution or rejection.

Events

SPAM Cop

Spamcop can be used with any email system, however VCN squirrel mail is set up to report spam to them as described below

  1. Click on “sign up page” or go to http://spamcop.net/anonsignup.shtml to register for a SpamCop account.
  2. Read the rules for using SpamCop. Abusing SpamCop will permanently block you from their service.
  3. Wait for an email titled “SpamCop authorization” to find your SpamCop username and password.
  4. Login at http://www.spamcop.net/mcgi?action=loginform
  5. Look for the line “Forward your spam to: [email protected] or”.
  6. Copy or write down the AUTHORIZATION_CODE that is between “submit.” and “@spam.spamcop.net”. AUTHORIZATION_CODE is filler. It will be a letter and number combination that is unique to your account.
  7. Go to “Options” at the top on Squirrelmail/webmail.
  8. Click on “SpamCop – Spam Reporting”.
  9. Change “Spam Reporting Method” to “Thorough email-based reporting”.
  10. Click on the “Save Method” button.
  11. Enter your authorization code from step 5
  12. Click on the “Save ID” button.
  13. It should now say “SpamCop link is: Enabled” at the top. If it is Disabled click on “Enable it”.
  14. If you want reported emails to be deleted click on “Enable it” for “Delete spam when reported”.
  15. When you read an email there should now be a link named “Report as Spam to SpamCop”. Click on this link to report SPAM.
  16. Click on “Send Spam Report” to send the report.
  17. The “SpamCop AutoResponder” will email you back once it analyzes the email
  18. The email will have the subject “[SpamCop] has accepted N email for processing”.
  19. Click on the link after “Use links to finish spam reporting (members use cookie-login please!):”
  20. Click on “Preview Reports” to see what will SpamCop send out.
  21. Click on “Send Spam Report(s) Now” to send the reports.

Email Help Procedure

Eudora

To set up filters:

  1. Select Tools/Filters (Windows) or Special/Filters (Macintosh)
  2. Click New.
  3. Under Match, do this:
    • Select Incoming.
    • Select which header item you wish the filter to find. Fill it in like the example above.
    • If you wish to filter on a second header, select and, otherwise select ignore. Fill in the details of the second header item you wish to filter on.
  4. Under Action, do this:
    • Choose what you want to do. If you choose Transfer To, you must then select an appropriate box to transfer the matching messages to.

When you’ve set up the filter, close the window. You’ll be asked to save the filter.

Events

Outlook 2002

  1. Go to “Tools”
  2. Click on “Rules Wizard”
  3. Under “Apply change to this folder:” select your VCN email
  4. Click on “New…”
  5. Select “Start from blank rule”
  6. Select “Check message when they arrive”
  7. Press “Next”
  8. Check off “with specific words in the subject”
  9. At the bottom click on “specific words” that’s underlined
  10. Under “Specify words or phrases to search for in the subject:” type “[SPAM]” without quotes
  11. Click “Add”
  12. Click “Ok”
  13. Click “Next”
  14. To move SPAM to a SPAM folder
    • Check off “move it to the specified folder”
    • At the bottom click on “specified”
    • Select the folder you want to move the SPAM to. If you don’t have a SPAM folder, click on “New…”
    • Under “Name:” type “SPAM” without quotes.
    • Click “OK”
    • Make sure the current folder is selected and click “OK” again
  15. Optional: To delete SPAM
    • Check off “delete it”
  16. Click “Next”
  17. Click “Next” again if you don’t want exceptions
  18. Under “Please specify a name for this rule:” type “SPAM” without quotes
  19. If you already have SPAM in your inbox, check “Run this rule now on messages already in “Inbox”
  20. Make sure “Turn on this rule” is checked
  21. Review the rule and click “Finish” when you’re done
  22. Click “OK”

Email Help Procedure

Outlook Express

  1. Open Outlook Express
  2. Click on Tools, then Message Rules, then Mail
  3. If “New Mail Rule” doesn’t appear, press the “New” button
  4. Under “1. Select the Conditions for your rule:” select “Where the Subject line contains specific words”
  5. Under “2. Select the Actions for your rule” select “Move it to the specified folder”
  6. Under “3. Rule Description” click on the link “contains specific words”. Type in “[SPAM]” and click on “Add”. Click on “OK”
  7. Under “3. Rule Description” click on the link “specified” folder. Select a folder or create a new folder. To create a new folder click on “Local Folders” first and then “New Folder”. In “Folder Name” type “SPAM” or a name of your choice. Click on “OK”. Press “OK” once you have the folder selected
  8. Enter “SPAM” as the name for the rule in “4) Name of the rule” then click on “OK”. You can repeat steps 3-7 to add more filters/rules

For more information on Rules, press F1 to access help, then go to “Index” and Search for “Rules”

 

Email Help Procedure

SquirrelMail

Using VCN Webmail or Squirrel Mail
To use the webmail program called ‘SquirrelMail’ log on to the address http://mail.vcn.bc.ca

SquirrelMail offers an interface to your mail inbox that has lots of features and options, including:

  1. Go to mail.vcn.bc.ca and login
  2. Click on “Folders”
  3. Under “Create Folder” type in “SPAM” for the folder name. Leave “as a subfolder of” as “[None]” and ” Let this folder contain subfolders” unchecked. Click on “Create”
  4. Click on “Options” then “Message Filters”
  5. Click on “New”
  6. In “Match:” select “Subject”
  7. In “Contains:”, type “[SPAM]”
  8. In “Move To:”, select the folder “SPAM” you just created
  9. Click on “Submit”
  10. You should now see “If Subject contains [SPAM] then move to SPAM”
  11. Click on “Done” when you are finished

Email Help Procedure

Receiving too much spam

Please see our section below on how to View and Training the SPAM filter, and also the section on Reporting SPAM