[Nfb-web] *Important Alert* Be Aware of and Check Archiving and Other Privacy Options In Mailman Mailing Lists

[Mika Pyyhkala]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your note and thoughts.

One nuance I did not mention is that I was referring to Mailman lists
that one hosts on their own domain.  In other words, not NFBNet lists,
but just a local installation of Mailman in a web hosting account.

Its obviously a very simple setting to chage, but something you may
not think about or may inadvertintly overlook.

Best,
Mika


On 1/24/12, Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at visi.com> wrote:
> Mika,
>
> Since I've helped as a backup for Dave Andrews in the past and have looked
> some at options for our
> state's lists, I would like to raise a couple of points.  First, though, I
> am not a cheerleader for
> mailman.  However, I also think that most of your concerns can be managed.
>
> When A new list is set up on NFBNET, it is not necessarily set up as though
> it came "out of the box."
> We have lists that are "hidden" in that they do not show up on our general
> NFBNET page, and there are
> hidden lists that are also not archived.  Part of the reason for
> establishing NFBNET has been to provide
> a way to show the public what issues are important to blind people and to
> see how blind people think
> about such issues.  With the increasing number of lists over the years with
> specific purposes, though,
> this role is somewhat more complex now.  Dave Andrews is very familiar with
> the settings that can govern
> a list and he can be of help.
>
> While I do not think it is right for someone to believe a list is private
> when it isn't, I also think we
> have to be somewhat realistic about how private e-mail is.  Certainly one
> does not want controversial
> legislative plans to be immediately available on Google, but one always has
> to be aware of the fact that
> once written, something can be accidentally forwarded to the wrong place.
> Some care should be taken as
> to what is put in writing even if not archived.
>
> In looking at other list software, one has to be careful to not just look at
> what the software can do
> but also how well it can be managed.  I find it very frustrating, for
> example, that I do not seem to be
> able to simply change an e-mail address on Google Groups.  It appears I have
> to delete and add again.
> If any of you know that there is a better way, please let me know.  We have
> also tried to provide a
> system that one can count on to be accessible over the long haul.  More than
> one of us has experienced
> the frustration of managing a list only to find one day that we can no
> longer easily perform certain
> functions.
>
> Please understand that my intent here is not to be a commercial for Mailman
> or NFBNET, but rather just
> to explain some of what we try to do and to make the point that you are not
> the first to raise these
> concerns.  Your concerns are valid ones, but they are known issues when a
> new list is set up on NFBNET.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Steve Jacobson
>
> On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:26:06 -0500, Mika Pyyhkala wrote:
>
>>Greetings,
>
>>There are some settings and options in the widely used Mailman mailing
>>list program which you should be aware of, and verify that your lists
>>are appropriately configured.
>
>>Archiving Options
>>When a Mailman mailing list is set up out-of-the-box, the Archiving
>>Options are set such that the list traffic is searchable.  In other
>>words, the default setup is not private, and data can be searched via
>>search engines that is posted on these mailing lists.  This could be
>>an issue if you internally use Mailman mailing lists in your affiliate
>>or group for confidential discussions, or for items that are not yet
>>ready for public release.  It is simple to turn the search feature
>>off, but again, this is not the out of box default configuration when
>>you create a list, and the system does not readily prompt you that
>>this should be checked.
>
>>Other Options: There are other privacy options which you may want to
>>check that have to do with, for example, where list members can see
>>other subscribers.
>
>>I would also be curious if any of you recommend alternatives to the
>>Mailman mailing list solution.  While it has a lot of features, it is
>>somewhat cumbersome to use, and again I don't think its out-of-box
>>configuration is the best.  It also sends out the monthly reminders
>>which you may not need, especially if you have an announce only list.
>>I realize you may be able to turn these auto generated messages off,
>>but I have to think there is a better mailing list solution especially
>>for announcement based or internal use lists (as opposed to forum type
>>discussion lists) which Mailman originally was likely designed for.
>
>>Thanks,
>>Mika Pyyhkala
>
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>
>
>
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