Need mailing list mgr. comparison

[Stewart Dean]

We have long used Majordomo as our Mailing List Manager in conjunction
with AIX Unix, procmail and sendmail. We're reincarnating the server
it has run on, and so we're giving thought to possibly replacing
Majordomo with an alternative MLM. I'd appreciate any informed
thoughts, experience & wisdom that people might contribute.
Yes, I've long used/read Schwartz's MML book, but it's old (1998)

This would be a good group discussion topic, but I ask you also to
mail a copy of any response directly to me: [email]sdean@ulster.net[/email]

[Jonathan de Boyne Pollard]

SD> we're giving thought to possibly replacing
SD> Majordomo with an alternative MLM.

Always start with the FAQ document for the newsgroup.

<URL:http://www.faqs.org./faqs/mail/list-admin/software-faq/>

However, that FAQ was last modified almost nine years ago and is woefully out
of date. It makes no mention of "ezmlm", for example.

<URL:http://ezmlm.org./>
<URL:news://news.gmane.org./gmane.mail.ezmlm>

[Alan Connor]

On 22 Apr 2004 08:03:56 -0700, Stewart Dean <sdean@ulster.net> wrote:

>
>
> We have long used Majordomo as our Mailing List Manager in conjunction
> with AIX Unix, procmail and sendmail. We're reincarnating the server
> it has run on, and so we're giving thought to possibly replacing
> Majordomo with an alternative MLM. I'd appreciate any informed
> thoughts, experience & wisdom that people might contribute.
> Yes, I've long used/read Schwartz's MML book, but it's old (1998)
>
> This would be a good group discussion topic, but I ask you also to
> mail a copy of any response directly to me: [email]sdean@ulster.net[/email]

[post to the Usenet -- read on the Usenet]

I run a mailing list with just procmail and it works fine.

Procmail allows me to send each mail out seperately so that
it is not apparent to my ISP that I am doing what I'm doing,
and allows me to have each subscriber include a unique pass-
word in their posts which is then stripped off before sending
out to the list, which makes it very difficult indeed for
spammers and trolls....


AC

--
Pass-List -----> Block-List ----> Challenge-Response
The key to taking control of your mailbox.
Design Parameters: [url]http://tinyurl.com/2t5kp[/url]
[url]http://tinyurl.com/3c3ag[/url] Challenge-Response links -- [url]http://tinyurl.com/yrfjb[/url]

[Jonathan de Boyne Pollard]

AC> Procmail allows me to send each mail out seperately so that
AC> it is not apparent to my ISP that I am doing what I'm doing, [...]

Does it coat them in charcoal, too ?

<URL:http://angel.1jh.com./nanae/kooks/alanconnor.html#PriorOffences>

Those who prefer a less completely derailed approach than Alan's may care to
read section 2.05 of the newsgroup FAQ document.

<URL:http://www.faqs.org./faqs/mail/list-admin/software-faq/>

To bring the newsgroup FAQ answer up to date somewhat:

"ezmlm" does the same thing as MajorDomo. "ezmlm-send" passes all of the
subscriber mailbox names to a single "qmail-queue" process. _However_, since
"qmail" uses an "always-queued" model of processing (like "zmailer", MMDF, and
Postfix do), rather than a "foreground/background/queued" model (like "exim"
and Sendmail do), this _doesn't_ cause the problem that the FAQ answer
ascribes to MajorDomo and Sendmail. The message will _not_ be sent in a
strictly serial manner without any attempt to send to different destinations
in parallel.

<URL:http://ezmlm.org./faq-0.32/FAQ-4.html#ss4.6>

[Chuck Yerkes]

Stewart Dean wrote:

> We have long used Majordomo as our Mailing List Manager in conjunction
> with AIX Unix, procmail and sendmail. We're reincarnating the server
> it has run on, and so we're giving thought to possibly replacing
> Majordomo with an alternative MLM. I'd appreciate any informed
> thoughts, experience & wisdom that people might contribute.
> Yes, I've long used/read Schwartz's MML book, but it's old (1998)
>
> This would be a good group discussion topic, but I ask you also to
> mail a copy of any response directly to me: [email]sdean@ulster.net[/email]

"I need a new car, which one should I get?"

With the detailed information you've offered, I know that you
have 1 list, with 4 peopel on it and it gets a message every month,
rain or shine.

I'd suggests aliases.


My point made (I hope. it was: offer details of your needs and advice
will be more useful), I'll offer that I've been looking for (or two
whack in) an MLM taht speaks LDAP.

Mailman is compelling from the front end, but Python's LDAP support
was nill; it's a bit strident about being python (I don't care about
the language, really. Stop jamming it at me.).

What's nice is a clear key=value configuration file.
That translates nicely into LDAP.

Majordomo *could* work, but "version 2" has been "beta" for
almost a decade.

I'd like:
- Web UI for admins and for users
- CLI UI for admins (to add users/change settings)
- Configuration and members stored in LDAP (multiple servers can
be the "exploders").
- Options for unique From lines, or not. (sending 5,000 messages that
are the exact same is pretty easy, less with unique messages/from
lines).
- Automatic bounce handling (this user has bounced thrice in N days,
move him to a "pending status" and periodically send a "are you ok"
message. If bounces for P days, then remove from all lists.

- Other misc includes being able to set a "expire list on DD/MM/YYYY"
for all those lists that are "just needed for a few months" which
never get noticed and removed.

[Dave Hinz]

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 16:46:13 GMT, Chuck Yerkes <Newsboy@April2004.NOSPAMsnew.com> wrote:

> Stewart Dean wrote:

>>
>> This would be a good group discussion topic, but I ask you also to
>> mail a copy of any response directly to me: [email]sdean@ulster.net[/email]

>
> "I need a new car, which one should I get?"

"...and I'm not willing to exert enough effort to check back for answers,
so send them to my email instead..."

Sheesh. At least it isn't homework.