Information for the operation of DFN mailing lists

General information

The website https://www.listserv.dfn.de is available for the administration of DFN mailing lists.
You can use this website to manage your mailing lists and subscribe to mailing lists or unsubscribe from mailing lists.
To use this website, you can log in with your e-mail address and a password, which you must set before logging in for the first time.

Important: You must always log in with the exact e-mail address with which you are registered as the owner, moderator or subscriber of a list.

Logging on to the DFN mailing list server website

1. Go to the website https://www.listserv.dfn.de.
2. Click on the "Login" button at the top right.
3. Enter your e-mail address and the corresponding password for the DFN listserv service and click on "Go"

Don't have a password yet or forgot your password?

• Click on "Login" in the top right-hand corner and then on "First login?” or “Lost password?”
• Enter your e-mail address and click on "Request first passwd" or "Request new password"
• Confirm that you really want to request a first or new password.
• You will then receive an e-mail with a link that you can use to set a new password.

Change your e-mail address and other user settings

1. Log in with your e-mail address and password.
2. Click on "My preferences" at the top right under your e-mail address.
3. Enter your new address under "Changing your e-ail address" and confirm the process with the "Change Email" button.
4. You will then receive an e-mail at the new address.
   Click on the confirmation link in this message. Only then will the new address be permanently adopted.
5. Further settings (optional)
   On the same page you can change your name (optional), the language or your password, for example.

Request a new mailing list

Previous process

• After logging in to the website,all users can select "+Request a list" from the blue menu at the top.
  To create a new list, please proceed as described in the section "Procedure for creating a new mailing list".
• DFN will check the request and the listmasters will approve or reject the list accordingly.
• This procedure is still active in most institutions.

New process

• Only authorized users of an institution may create new lists.
  All other users of this institution will not see the "+Request a list" item in the blue menu on the website.
  If you do not see this item after logging in with your e-mail address, please contact the helpdesk of your institution.
  The process is different for each participating institution and is documented by the institutions themselves on their websites.
• The e-mail addresses of the authorized users of an institution are stored in an authorization list that is maintained by the institutions themselves.
• The lists created by the authorized users of an institution are directly active and no longer need to be released by DFN and Listmaster.
• This procedure is currently only active in a few institutions and has been agreed with these institutions.

Procedure for creating a new mailing list

Call up the request page
After logging in to the website, click on + Request a list in the blue menu at the top to access the request page.
If you do not see the"+ Request a list" item in the blue menu at the top even after logging in to the website, the new process is probably already active for your institution (see above).

Select procedure

• Creating a list using a template - suitable if you need a new, independent list.
• Copy an existing list - useful if you want to copy the configuration of an existing list.

Enter details (for "Creating a list using a template")

1. List name
   • Short, unique and consisting only of the characters A-Z, 0-9 and hyphen.
   • Example: ag-bioinformatics → the list can then be accessed at ag-bioinformatics ∂does-not-exist.listserv dn de .
   • When referring to an institution, a prefix is recommended (e.g. wiwi- for the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics).
2. List type (template)
   • Public discussion list - for discussion lists to which anyone can subscribe
   • Hotline list - for lists via which those responsible for a service can be reached
   • Newsletter - for pure information distribution.
   • Private workgroup - for closed discussion lists.
   • All parameters (who can write, subscribe, archive) can be changed later.
3. Subject
   • Short title describing the topic or purpose of the list.
4. Description
   • Text that is displayed on the start page of the mailing list.
   • At least one short sentence is required.

Copy list (for "Copy an existing list")

1. Select the source list from the drop-down menu.
2. Enter the new list name.
3. Click on Copy list configuration.
4. Then check and adjust the title and description of the new list.

To be able to copy an existing list, you must be entered as the owner of the existing list.
Please note:
When copying, the automatic integration of subscribers is also transferred.
Lists that automatically include subscribers should therefore not be copied.

Renaming a mailing list

Previous process

• All (privileged) owners of mailing lists can rename lists.
• To do this, log in with your e-mail address and your DFN listserv password and open the administration page of the list in question.
• There, click on the"Rename List" button.
• On the following page, enter the desired new list name and click on"Rename this list".
• The list must then be released by a list master under the new name before the list can be used again.
• This procedure is still active in most institutions.

New process

• In future, the renaming of mailing lists can also only be carried out by authorized users of an institution who are entered in the authorization list.
  They must also be entered as (privileged) owners of this list.
  If you have logged in with your e-mail address and your DFN listserv password and do not see the"Rename List" button (below "Remove  list") on the administration page of the list in question, even though you are entered as the privileged owner of the list, the new process is probably already active for your institution.
• In this case, please contact your institution's helpdesk and ask which e-mail address you need to temporarily enter as an additional owner so that they can rename the list.
• The lists that are renamed by the authorized users of an institution are directly active and no longer need to be released by DFN and Listmaster.
• This procedure is currently only active in a few institutions and has been agreed with these institutions.

Deleting a mailing list

• Log in with your e-mail address and your DFN listserv password and open the administration page of the list in question.
• There, click on the"Remove list" button.
• You will then be asked whether you really want to close the list.
  If you answer this question with OK, the list will be deactivated and permanently deleted after 14 days.

Tasks as list owner and moderator of a mailing list

1. What you can do as a list owner
   • Change configuration - adjust all list settings (e.g. access rights, archiving, moderation).
   • Manage subscribers - add new members or remove existing subscribers.
2. What you can do as a moderator (with moderation activated)
   • Approve posts - check incoming messages and approve them for the entire list.
   • Reject posts - prevent unwanted messages from being sent.

(The moderation rights must be explicitly activated in the list configuration. Only if no moderators are entered do the owners automatically have moderation rights).

How to access the administration interface

1. Overview of your lists
   • After logging in to the Sympa website, click on "My lists" .
   • You will be shown an overview of all lists for which you are a subscriber and/or owner.
2. Quick access
   • List subscribers - as the owner, you can see all current members via the "List subscribers" link.
   • Archives - use the "Archives" link to open the news archive of the respective list (if you have the authorization).
3. To the list page
   • Click on the list name. This will take you to the main page of the respective mailing list.
   • If you are the owner, the most important administration options are displayed on the main page (e.g. "Manage subscribers", "List configuration").
4. Administration menu
   • For a complete list of all available functions, click on "Administration" in the left-hand navigation area.

Changing the subject of a list

• Log in with your e-mail address and your DFN listserv password and open the administration page of the relevant list.
• Select the value"List definition" in the red bar under"Edit List Config" and click on it.
• On the following page, enter the desired text under"Subject of the list" and click on the"Apply modifications" button to activate the change.

Changing the visibility of a list

• Log in with your e-mail address and your DFN listserv password and open the administration page of the relevant list.
• Select the value"List definition" in the red bar under"Edit List Config" and click on it.
• Select the desired setting under"Visibility of the list" and click on the"Apply modifications" button to activate the change.

Available visibility options

Changing the description of a mailing list

• Log in with your e-mail address and your DFN listserv password and open the administration page of the relevant list.
• Select the value"List description/homepage" in the red bar under"Edit List Config" and click on it.
• On the following page, click on"Edit" to the left of"List description"
• In the window that opens, enter the desired text and click on the"Save" button.

This text will be displayed as a description on the main page of the mailing list by default and will also be sent to new list subscribers as part of the welcome email.
If you want to display a different text (e.g. in HTML format) on the main page of the mailing list, click on"Edit" to the left of"List homepage" and enter the desired text on this web page.

Displaying and editing mailing list owners and moderators

Manage owners

• Log in with your e-mail address and your DFN listserv password and open the administration page of the relevant list.
• Select the value "Owners" in the red bar under"Users" and click on it.
  Alternatively, click on"Modify owners or moderators" on the main page of the list to go to the same web page.
• Add owner
  • Enter the desired e-mail address in the "email address" field under "Add owners".
    Optionally, you can also enter the person's first name and surname here.
    Under "reception mode" , select whether this email address should receive the emails that are sent to the owners of the list (<list name>-request∂lists kit edu).
    Under "visibility", select whether the name or local part of this email address from the website should be displayed as the owner.
  • Click on"Apply modifications" to enter the email addresses as owners
• Remove owner
  • Place a tick in the small square to the right of the address to be removed
  • Click on "Apply modifications" and confirm in the dialog that appears that the selected owners should really be removed.

Note: According to the guidelines for operating mailing lists, at least one email address from an authorized institution must always be registered as owner.

Manage moderators

The procedure for adding and removing moderators is identical to managing owners.
Select the value "Moderators" in the red bar under"Users" and click on it to access the website with the moderators.

Note: If no moderators are entered, all owners automatically have moderator authorization.
As soon as at least one moderator is entered, only these e-mail addresses have moderator authorization.

Display & edit subscribers to a mailing list

• Log in with your e-mail address and your DFN listserv password and open the administration page of the relevant list.
• Select the value"Subscribers" in the red bar under"Users" and click on it.
  Alternatively, click on"View the list of subscribers" on the main page of the list to access the same website.

Add a single e-mail address

• Enter the desired e-mail address in the "Add subscribers" field
• Optional: Check the box "Quiet (don't send welcome message)" if no automatic information mail should be sent.
• Click on the"Add" button to enter the e-mail address in the list

Add several e-mail addresses at the same time

• Click on the"Multiple add" button.
• In the next form, enter each e-mail address in a separate line or insert it using cut + paste.
• Optional: Check the box "quiet" if you do not want an automatic welcome email to be sent.
• Click on the"Add subscribers" button to add the email addresses to the list

Important: Subscribers are added without confirmation by the recipients. Make sure that the persons concerned have given their consent.
If you add the subscribers to the list silently, you must ensure that the users are informed of the entry by other means.

Remove e-mail addresses

• Check the box to the left of the email addresses to be deleted (individually or several at once)
• Click on the"Delete selected email addresses" button at the bottom of the page

Edit entry

• Click on the e-mail address to be changed
• On the following page you can customize
  • the address itself
  • the associated name
  • the reception mode
  • the visibility of this e-mail address
• Click on"Apply modifications" to save the change.

Archiving emails from a mailing list

Default setting

When setting up a new mailing list (from a template), the archiving of sent messages is deactivated.

Change archiving parameters

• Log in with your e-mail address and your DFN listserv password and open the administration page of the relevant list.
• Select the value "Archives" in the red bar under"Edit List Config" and click on it.

Switch archiving on or off

• Under "Store distributed messages into archive", select the value "enabled" or "disabled" and click on the"Apply modifications" button to activate the change.

Adjust access rights

• Select a value under "Archives -> access right" and click on the "Apply modifications" button to activate the change.
  The default value "subscribers only" means that only subscribers can access the website with the archive of the list and is a sensible setting in most cases.

Note on security
The archive should not be publicly accessible, as otherwise all contents of the mailing list can be viewed by anyone.
If you deliberately make the archive public, explicitly inform all potential senders that their messages will be publicly visible.

Moderation of a mailing list

If a message is sent to a moderated list, all moderators with the receive mode set to "Receive notification email" will automatically receive a mail.
This moderation mail contains the original message as an attachment, if it has not been marked as spam, and also the sender's e-mail address

Moderation by e-mail

• You can read the original message in the e-mail attachment.
• To forward the e-mail to the list, click on the forward link in the moderation e-mail - this will open an e-mail window that has already been filled in, which you only need to send.
• To reject the e-mail, click on the reject link in the moderation e-mail - this will also open an e-mail window that has already been filled out and which you only need to send.

Note:
If another moderator has already approved or rejected the message, you will receive an e-mail informing you that the action is no longer possible and that the message may have already been sent.

• As the moderator of a list, you can view the messages awaiting approval on the list's moderation page.
  You will also find the link to this website in the moderation email
  Alternatively, you can access the same page from the main page of the list via the left-hand navigation bar "Moderate → Message".
• On the moderation page, you will see a list of the messages to be moderated.
• In this list, click on the eye on the left to display the full content of a message.
• Place a tick in front of the desired message.
• Then select one of the two actions:
  • "Distribute selected e-mail " - Release message.
  • "Reject selected e-mail " - Reject message.
    When rejecting, you can decide whether the sender should receive a rejection notification.
    Recommendation: Do not send a notification for clear spam; a brief explanation may be useful for legitimate senders.

Passive moderators

Sometimes a user should have moderator rights but not receive moderation emails (e.g. a person with write authorization who should not actively moderate).
To do this, set the reception mode for the moderator in question to "No notifications" on the website with the moderators (see "Display and edit owners and moderators of a mailing list" above)

Optimize e-mail deliverability: Activate DMARC protection

To ensure that emails reach all subscribers of a list reliably, we recommend setting the "Protection modes" parameter under "DMARC protection" to "all" for existing lists.
This will:

• the from address of the original sender is replaced by the list address.
• a valid DKIM signature is added for the @listserv.dfn.de domain.

Advantages:

1. Better deliverability: mail servers no longer block emails that originate from external senders but contain an internal email address.
2. DKIM signature: Many mail servers only accept emails with a valid DKIM signature. Without this, emails could be rejected or moved to quarantine.

How to configure DMARC protection:

1. Log in with your e-mail address and your DFN listserv password and open the administration page of the relevant list.
2. Under "Edit List Config" (in the red bar), click on "DKIM/DMARC/ARC".
3. Under "DMARC protection" -> "Protection modes", select the value "all" and click on "Update" at the bottom of the page.

Notes:

• The Reply-To address remains unchanged. For lists with "From address" as reply-to address, replies are still sent to the original sender.
• Warning messages may appear for digitally signed emails as the sender and signer data do not match.
• It is no longer possible to reply to the sender and the list address at the same time by clicking on "Reply to all" in Outlook.

For new lists:
This setting is the default for newly created lists based on templates. For lists that are created by copying existing lists, the value of the original list is adopted.

Adding a footer to the emails of a mailing list

Note:
The Sympa mailing list server only adds footers to unsigned messages.
Adding a footer to a signed mail would invalidate the signature.

Setting up a footer

• Log in with your e-mail address and your DFN listserv password and open the administration page of the relevant list.
• Select the value "Message templates" in the red bar under"Edit List Config" and click on it.
• On the following page, click on"Edit" to the left of "Message footer"
• In the window that opens, enter the desired text and click on the"Save" button.

Personalized unsubscribe link

To provide each recipient with a personalized "unsubscribe link", insert the following line into the footer text, for example:

To unsubscribe from this list, please click here: [% wwsympa_url %]/auto_signoff/[% listname %]?email=[% user.email | uri %]

Prerequisites: Message personalization must be activated for the list.
To activate personalization:

1. On the administration page → "Edit List Config" → "Sending/receiving setup".
2. Under "Allow message personalization", select the "Enabled" option and click "Update" at the bottom of the page.
3. In the "Message personalization" section, select the value "Header and footer" under "Scope for messages from incomung email".

Note:
By default, the footer is attached as a MIME attachment.
In some clients (e.g. Outlook), it therefore does not appear at the end of the actual text, but in the attachment.

To attach the footer directly to the text, proceed as follows:

1. On the administration page → "Edit List Config" → "Sending/receiving setup".
2. Under "Attachment type", select the option "Append to message body" and click on "Apply modifications" at the bottom of the page.

Note:This setting only works reliably for messages in plain/text format. The result may vary for HTML mails.

Increasing the maximum message size

The default limit for sending messages via a mailing list is 5 MB.
If this value is not sufficient for your purposes, please contact listmaster∂listserv.dfn.de as the list owner.
We will be happy to increase the limit as required - especially if the list has only a few members.