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Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What was/was not converted from ListProc to ListServ?
2. What differences will users see?
3. What differences will I see as a list owner in the short term?
4. How do passwords and authentication work with ListServ compared to ListProc?
5. How to I moderate/control/manage my list?
6. What happened to the archives for my list? Some are missing!
7. Where can I find the ListServ manuals?
8. What happened to my ListProc aliases?
9. My digests are unreadable. What do I do?
10. How to I send email commands to change to digest and vacation mail modes?
11. Where can I get more help?
12. What should I tell my subscribers about this upgrade?

1. What was/was not converted from ListProc to ListServ?

   All list subscribers, list subscriber settings, info and welcome files have been migrated to the new system.  All list configurations were migrated to their correlates on ListServ.  The archives will be migrated fully once all lists have been migrated to the new system.  List aliases were not migrated, since they are not supported in ListServ.  See below for directions on what you can do to adjust for this.

2. What differences will users see?

   This will be transparent to most users, the important thing for an average user to know is:

   1. To use ListServ@shamash.org for email commands
   2. To use http://listserv.shamash.org/archives/ for most everything else.

3. What differences will I see as a list owner in the short term?

   Changes to expect when moving to the new system:

   1. ListProc@shamash.org will continue to point to the old system for a while, so you will need to use ListServ@shamash.org once your list is on the new system.
   2. In the past you could contact the list owner of a list at the address: listname-request@shamash.org. Once we have completed our migration, this will work again, but in the mean time, you will have to use listname-request@listserv.shamash.org to contact the list owner. (replace listname with the name of your list)
   3. Email commands for setting subscriber mail options are different, so any software you have which creates these commands needs to be adjusted to the new setup.  See below for the "old" and "new" commands.
   4. You will find it easiest to maintain/configure your list via the web interface at http://listserv.shamash.org  instead of via email commands.  Suggest your users try the web interface also.
   5. Please make sure that cgi's on your web site are fixed to reflect these changes!

4. How do passwords and authentication work with ListServ compared to ListProc?

   With ListProc, our old system, you had a different password for each list.  If you were a subscriber on 6 lists and a list owner on another 4 lists, you had to keep track of 10 passwords, some of which were created by the software.  List owners had to share a list password also. 

   With ListServ, our new system, forget about your multiple passwords. Follow these simple steps to set up a new single password that will enable you to access all the lists you manage and are subscribed to via an intuitive web interface:

   1. Go to http://listserv.shamash.org/cgi-bin/wa?GETPW1=LMGT
   2. Type in your email address and select any password you want. This password remains attached to your email address and belongs to no one else. 
   3. Shortly you will receive an email.  Follow the directions in the email. This confirms that the email address that you typed into the web interface is indeed your email address. 
   4. This completes your authentication process for your email address. (you will never have to do that again for any mailing list you join on the Shamash system).
   5. Now, go to the web interface and find the web page you want to go to. When the system asks you to log in, please do so with the email address and password you have just established. You may now use the web interface to update any settings you would like or to view the archives of your list.

5. How to I moderate/control/manage my list?

   Please go to http://listserv.shamash.org/archives/ then click on your list.  If you don’t see your list name, then type out http://listserv.shamash.org/archives/yourlist.html but replace “yourlist” with the name of your mailing list.  For example, the jewish-announce mailing list, would use the web address http://listserv.shamash.org/archives/jewish-announce.html

   Our web interface makes it much easier for you to control your list, without memorizing commands or sending lots of emails to our computer system.  Just follow the directions and helpful hints on that web page to configure your list.  The WIZARD section allows you to easily make changes to your list configurations.  The SUBSCRIBERS section allows you to make changes in your subscribers.  The BULK section lets you update your subscriber information en masse.   The TEMPLATES section lets you customize what messages ListServ sends under different situations.  (the WELCOME and INFO messages are the most important for you to update).

6. What happened to the archives for my list? Some are missing!

   Archives from Feb 2004 to the present have not yet been migrated to the new system.  They will be moved after all lists have been migrated.

7. Where can I find the ListServ manuals?

   If you'd like more information, feel free to download the list owner’s manuals from LSoft, the company which makes our ListServ software.  The list owner's manual is located directly at http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8e/ownerindex.stm

   Feel free to review other manuals by going to http://www.lsoft.com and clicking on SUPPORT and then DOCUMENTATION.

8. What happened to my ListProc aliases?

   ListServ does not support aliases in the same way as ListProc.  We suggest you add each email address to the list that you want to be able to post to the list.  If people have multiple addresses on the list, set some of them to NOMAIL so that they do not get copies of the list messages on that address.  Thus, they will be subscribed to the list at each of their addresses, and allowed to post to the list from each of their addresses, but they will only get mail sent to the one address which is not set to NOMAIL.  If you would like a list of your old aliases file, contact us at help@shamash.org and provide your lists’ name and request the old aliases file.

9. My digests are unreadable. What do I do?

   The software offers 6 different types of digests, in order to create a digest which works best with *your* email software:

   Digest type	Command	Explanation
   Regular	NODIGEST	Get individual messages.
   Digest (traditional)	NOMIME DIGEST	Show the text and all hidden characters ( good for old, text-based email programs. ) NOT recommended.
   Digest (MIME format)	NOHTML MIME DIGEST	Show text, but interpret the hidden characters and attachments ( good for modern email program. s) Recommended.
   Digest (HTML format)	HTML DIGEST	Show colorized text, web graphics, and interpret the hidden characters and attachments. ( good for modern email programs ) Recommended for the fanciest looking email.
   Index (traditional)	NOHTML INDEX	Get a list of the subjects covered, but not the messages. You may read the messages from the Web Interface.
   Index (HTML format)	HTML INDEX	Get am index of subject covered in colorized text with web graphics, but not the messages. You may click on the subject, and the message will appear in the Web Interface.

   If you get mail in a "once-a-day" digest, please log into the web interface, and select the digest option you like the best. You may want to try a few different ones until you find the one you like the best. Shamash picked the digest format that was most similar to the format you used on their old software, but if this does not work well for you, please change your digest format to one that works the best for you.

10. How to I send email commands to change to digest and vacation mail modes?

    We encourage everyone to use the web interface to change their options, but if you need to know the email commands, especially for your cgis, here is the conversion information. Because our old software did not handle MIME correctly, many users selected the ListProc DIGEST-NOMIME format for digests. ListServ, our new software, does handle MIME correctly, so we urge you to try the "DIGEST NOHTML MIME" mail mode.

    The old ListProc command was:	The new ListServ command is:
    set listname mail digest	set listname digest nohtml mime
    set listname mail digest-nomime	set listname digest nomime
    set listname mail postpone	set listname nomail
    set listname mail ack	set listname ack
    set listname mail noack	set listname noack

    Better yet, have the users log into the web interface, and let them pick among the many different mail options that listserv has, so they can experiment and see what works best for them, including "INDEX", "INDEX HTML", and "DIGEST HTML" options, described above.

11. Where can I get more help?
    1. Take a look at the ListServ manuals.   They provide lots of very helpful information.
    2. If you need extra help, look at our help section http://shamash.org/help/   This is an invaluable resource which will help you administer your ListServ list.
    3. If you'd like to discuss issues with other list owners at Shamash, please join our un-moderated discussion list for this purpose, called
       list-owner@shamash.org .  Many great ideas are discussed on this list, which frequently become new Shamash projects.  This is also a great place to receive assistance from your fellow list owners.  Frequently they have come across the same problem you are dealing with, and they'll be able to help.  Members of the Shamash staff also monitor that list, and frequently post replies to questions.  You may join this list at http://listserv.shamash.org/archives/list-owner.html
    4. If you don't feel comfortable raising your question in a public forum with other list owners, and you've tried to look up the answer in the ListServ owner’s manual and the help area of our web site, then feel free to contact us at help@shamash.org and a member of the Shamash staff will get back to you in a timely fashion.

12. What should I tell my subscribers about this upgrade?

    While you may provide your subscribers with whatever information you deem appropriate, Shamash suggests you tell your subscribers something like this (Replace listname with the name of your list):

    Shamash, the Jewish Network is upgrading their mailing list software. This will make our list, listname, easier to use for you and easier for me to operate. You will notice that email attachments, graphics and other HTML can now show up more easily. Also, digests (when configured correctly for your email program) will not have those extra annoying charachters that you have seen in the past. Shamash is upgrading to ListServ software, which is a modern, updated, mailing list software used by industry, universities, and government agencies since 1994. The new software has many features, including archives, that you can see through the web interface, at http://listserv.shamash.org/archives/listname.html To send mail to the mailing list, you will still send it to: listname@shamash.org There will be a few changes: 1. Please send list commands to ListServ@shamash.org instead of to listproc@shamash.org 2. To change any of your settings, subscribe or unsubscribe, please go to the web interface at: http://listserv.shamash.org/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=listname&A=1 You will need to type in your email address and pick a new password of your choosing. 3. To reach the list owner, please email listname-request@listserv.shamash.org 4. The software offers 6 different types of digests, in order to create a digest which works best with *your* email software. If you get mail in a "once-a-day" digest, please log into the web interface, and select the digest option you like the best. You may want to try a few different ones until you find the one you like the best. Shamash picked the digest format that was most similar to the format you used on their old software, but if this does not work well for you, Shamash and I would like you change your digest format to one that works the best for you. To learn more about this upgrade at Shamash, please go to http://shamash.org/help/ListProc-to-ListServ-FAQ.shtml Shamash has 750 list owners and tens-of-thousands of subscribers. In order to make this transition as smooth as possible, please contact me, your list owner, with questions, so I can coordinate with Shamash. Warmly, Your Name Your Email Address List Owner of the listname list

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