Getting Started with LISTSERV (Subscribers)

This document will cover the basics of using LISTSERV lists specific to the University of Hawai‘i’s centralized servers. List owners, editors and moderators are encouraged to also read "Getting Started with Managing a LISTSERV Mailing List (Owners)".


General Information

Using LISTSERV

Getting More Help


General Information

What is a Mailing List?

A mailing list is a tool that provides users with the means to disseminate information via email to groups of people. Rather than manually entering many individual email addresses on the message, you need only enter a single email address: that of the list. This list will contain the email addresses of those in the intended audience, called subscribers, thus simplifying the task of reaching all members of the group. Making use of a mailing list is especially useful when messaging to a particular group of people is frequent.

Individual mailing lists can be set up within email client software such as Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird, Mac Mail, etc. However, these lists are specific to one account, and are only available from this account and possibly the specific email software Other people cannot use the list to send to the same group of people, unless they manually enter the group members’ email addresses or import the list from the source computer. Due to their disparate nature, these types of mailing lists can be difficult to use, share, maintain, and manage - especially at a larger scale. To address these issues, UH offers a mailing list service called Listserv.

UH Listserv mailing lists are stored on the UH Listserv server. To send a message to a group of email addresses, you would only need to send the message to the Listserv list’s email address. When the UH Listserv server receives the message, it will distribute the message to the members (subscribers) of that list. Other people besides the list's creator/owner may also be given permission to use the list's email address to distribute a message to subscribers of the list. When sending to a UH Listserv mailing list, it does not matter what computer or what email software you are using. Management and maintenance of a UH Listserv list can also be performed from any device with access to the internet, and management duties can be shared among many users if desired.

The owner(s) of a Listserv list can configure it to behave differently according to their needs. The owner(s) may set specific permissions using keywords and/or templates to create different types of Listserv lists. The following are some common uses of Listserv lists:

·         One-way announcement – The list owners/administrators are the only people who are allowed to send messages to the subscribers. This type of list is primarily used for newsletters, announcements, and dissemination of information that does not require feedback from the list's subscribers.

·         Two-way discussion – The list administrators and subscribers are all permitted to send messages to the list. This type of list is primarily used for discussion groups engaged in the exchange of ideas and information centered around a specific topic or for members of an organization to discuss ideas and information related to that organization.

·         Moderated – The list administrator(s) will review all incoming messages. The list administrator(s) decides whether or not to allow the message to be sent to the subscribers of the list. Moderated lists can be used to control the discussion by keeping inflammatory, inappropriate, spam, or other unwanted messages from the reaching subscribers.

To use a Listserv list you would type the name of the list in the To: field of the outgoing email message. When you send the message, it will go to everyone who is subscribed to the list. For example, if there are twenty people that you normally send email to, you could create a Listserv list named "group-l" and add the twenty people as subscribers. The email address of this list would be group-l@lists.hawaii.edu. Once this list is created, instead of sending a message to twenty addresses:

TO: user1@hawaii.edu, user2@hawaii.eduuser20@hawaii.edu

CC:

You would send the message to the list address:

            TO: group-l@lists.hawaii.edu

Everyone who is subscribed to the group-l list will receive a copy of the message. This becomes especially helpful when the amount of people you need to email is very large. Rather than typing in the addresses of everyone individually, you can create a Listserv list and enter just one address. Using a Listserv list may also help prevent messages sent to a large number of individuals from being flagged as "spamming" behavior by Google or other email service providers.

For a more detailed description of the different features of using a mailing list, please refer to the online documentation available at: https://listserv.hawaii.edu/

 

Using LISTSERV

How Can I Access LISTSERV?

You can perform actions in LISTSERV by sending a command through email or using the Web interface. Some commands are only available to LISTSERV administrators and list owners while other commands are available to subscribers and non-subscribers as well.

Using Email to Communicate with LISTSERV

There are two main email addresses that are used to work with LISTSERV lists. One is to communicate with the LISTSERV program — a “command address.” The other is used to post mail to the list — the “list address.” If you want to change a list configuration or subscription setting, you would email listserv@lists.hawaii.edu. If you want to post a message to the list, you would email the list address (ex: examplelist-l@lists.hawaii.edu). 

Using the Web Interface to Communicate with LISTSERV

Sending email messages containing commands to LISTSERV and posting messages to the list is sometimes confusing for people who are new to mailing lists. To simplify this process, the Web interface provides a centralized location for interaction with LISTSERV. You can use the Web interface to issue commands directly to LISTSERV and post simple messages to the list.

To access the Web interface, visit https://listserv.hawaii.edu/ and sign in using your email address (example@hawaii.edu). First time users must submit an account request by registering a password.

What is the "OK" Confirmation?

To increase security, there are a number of actions for which LISTSERV requires confirmation before proceeding. In some cases, LISTSERV will accept a password-based validation. In other cases, email confirmation is required. When the latter happens, LISTSERV sends an email message with a subject line such as:

Subject:           Command confirmation request (787EF897)

The string of letters and numbers in parentheses (“787EF897” in the example) is called a “cookie” (sometimes referred to as a “confirmation code”) and is different for each request.

Once an “OK” confirmation request is sent out, you must confirm it within 48 hours in order for the corresponding command to be executed.

There are three methods of confirming a command:

  1. To confirm using the Web interface, click on the link provided in the email message sent to you.
  2. To confirm via email, reply to the email message keeping the Subject line and cookie intact. In the body of your reply, type “OK” (without the quotes).
  3. Alternatively, you can send a new email to listserv@lists.hawaii.edu with a blank subject line and the body of the message containing the text “OK xxxxxxxx” where “xxxxxxxx” is the cookie from the original confirmation request email.

The cookie is the most important part of the “OK” confirmation. LISTSERV randomly generates a new cookie for each action that requires validation. All privileges within LISTSERV are tied to an email address. Only someone with access to your email address can make changes to your LISTSERV account.

Caution: Never “OK” a cookie blindly. Make sure you are confirming a command that you initiated or a message that you want distributed to the list. Several cases of list “hijacking” or spam sent to well-secured lists have been tracked back to a list owner or moderator absent-mindedly clicking an OK link that they should not have clicked.

Accessing LISTSERV via the Web (Subscribers)

This section provides a quick tour of the subscriber view of the Web interface. For more information about each page, you may refer to the online help by clicking on the ? in the top-right corner. Some common tasks have been detailed in the following sections.

Getting Started

To get started, direct your browser to https://listserv.hawaii.edu and click Log In in the top-right corner. If you have already registered with UH LISTSERV, enter your email address and LISTSERV account password and click Log In.
 
 
If you do not yet have a LISTSERV account or do not remember your password, click on Register Password or Forgot Password respectively and fill in the requested information. A command confirmation request will be sent to your email address for verification. Click on the link in the email to confirm your request. Your request will be processed once this confirmation is received.
 
Note: Your password for the LISTSERV must be a minimum of 5 non-space characters. This password is independent of your UH username password. Like any password, you should take care in creating one that is unique and should not distribute it to others.


Once the above has been completed, return to the log in page and sign in using your email address and newly registered LISTSERV password. The University of Hawai‘i LISTSERV home page will be displayed with a variety of menu options available from the navigation pane on the left. The selections available to you will depend on your role – Subscriber or List Owner.

Navigating the Web Interface


The navigation pane is located on the left side of the LISTSERV Web interace (y
ou may need to click on the > in the top-left corner to make it visible). This menu generally stays the same from page to page and contains links to various areas of the Web interface you have access to.



In LISTSERV 17.0, you can choose between two modes for the web interface. 
  • Basic - Only the most common options are shown. This is best for users who are not experts and do not need to use more advanced features. This is the default setting.
  • Expert - Certain pages may contain advanced options that are not available in Basic mode. Expert mode is recommended for users who are very familiar with LISTSERV and/or need access to advanced settings.

To change interface modes, click on your email address in the top-right corner. Then, click on Edit Profile and, using the Mode drop-down menu, select the mode type you would like to use. Finally, click Save.

Subscribe/Unsubscribe to a LISTSERV list.

To Subscribe to a List via Email

  1. Using the email address you would like to subscribe with, send an email to listserv@lists.hawaii.edu with no subject and the body of the message containing the "subscribe" command followed by the list name and your first and last names (e.g., subscribe testlist-l John Doe). Make sure that the subject line is empty and there is no other text in the body of the message, including your email signature.
  2. Some lists may require you to confirm your subscription request; simply click on the link within the email to confirm your request. If the list is set up to require owner approval, you will receive a notice that your request was forwarded to the list owner(s).
  3. You will receive a message from LISTSERV indicating that you have been subscribed.  Alternatively, you will receive an error message if the list you entered does not exist or you typed the command incorrectly.

To Subscribe to a List via the Web

  1. Go to https://listserv.hawaii.edu and log in to LISTSERV (see Accessing LISTSERV via the Web)
  2. After logging in, click on Subscriptions in the LISTSERV menu on the left. You may need to click on the > button in the top-left corner to unhide the menu.
  3. Click on Customize Report, select Show All Lists from the drop-down menu, and click Update.
  4. Check the boxes next to the lists that you want to subscribe to.
  5. From the drop-down menu at the bottom of the List Name column, select the Subscribe option and click Update.
  6. Some lists may require you to confirm your subscription request; simply click on the link within the email to confirm your request. If the list is set up to require owner approval, you will receive a notice that your request was forwarded to the list owner(s).

To Unsubscribe from a List via Email

  1. Using the email address you subscribed with, send an email to listserv@lists.hawaii.edu with no subject and the body of the message containing the "signoff" command followed by the list name (e.g., signoff testlist-l).  Make sure that the subject line is empty and there is no other text in the body of the message, including your email signature.
  2. You will receive a message from LISTSERV indicating that you have been unsubscribed.  Alternatively, you will receive an error message if the list you entered does not exist or you typed the command incorrectly.

To Unsubscribe from a List via the Web

  1. Go to https://listserv.hawaii.edu and log in to LISTSERV (see Accessing LISTSERV via the Web)
  2. After logging in, click on Subscriptions in the LISTSERV menu on the left. You may need to click on the > button in the top-left corner to unhide the menu.
  3. Check the box next to each list you want to unsubscribe from.
  4. From the drop-down menu at the bottom of the List Name column, select the Unsubscribe option and click Update.

To Manage Your Subscription

  1. Go to https://listserv.hawaii.edu and log in to LISTSERV (see Accessing LISTSERV via the Web)
  2. After logging in, click on Subscriptions in the LISTSERV menu on the left. You may need to click on the > button in the top-left corner to unhide the menu.
  3. Check the box next to each list you want to modify settings for.
  4. Using the drop-down menus at the bottom of the table, select the Mail Style and Mail Status settings you would like applied to each list you checked off in Step 3 and click Update.

Searching the LISTSERV message archive.

Messages sent to a LISTSERV list that has web-archiving turned on, are saved on the server and can be viewed from the Search Archive page. The Search Archive page can be accessed by clicking the link within the navigation pane on the left side of the LISTSERV Web interface.

Note: Not all LISTSERV lists have archiving enabled. This is commonly configured when a list is first requested. If you own a list that does not currently have archiving enabled and would like to enable it, please contact the ITS Help Desk for assistance.

To search the archives:

  1. Go to https://listserv.hawaii.edu and log in (see Accessing LISTSERV via The Web)
  2. Under Subscriber Options in the navigation pane on the left, click on Search Archives
  3. Using the table below, check off the box next to each list archive you want to search through
  4. Specify search criteria by filling in the fields under the Archive Search heading
  5. When you are finished, click on Search

 

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Article ID: 1099
Created: Mon, 14 Dec 2009 4:06pm
Modified: Mon, 03 May 2021 8:14am