Mailing Lists

In addition to providing each user with an email address, RPI provides mailing lists for clubs, classes and other organizations having some interest to the Rensselaer Community. All RPI mailing lists will have @lists.rpi.edu in the "from" address.

If you wish to unsubscribe from an RPI mailing list, login to the Web Interface. Select Subscriber and Click the Show Selected Lists button. You will now be shown a list of the mailing lists to which you are subscribed. Click the list you with to unsubscribe from, then Click Unsubscribe. Now you should no longer receive messages from this list. If you continue receiving mail from this list, contact the VCC Help Desk by emailing consult@rpi.edu or calling 518-276-7777. Please forward the message or have it available so that we may resolve the issue more quickly.

If you wish to subscribe to an RPI mailing list, login as described above and Click the list you wish to which you wish to subscribe, then Click Subscribe. You will be prompted to enter your name. Type your name, then Click Subscribe. Depending on the settings for the list, you will either be subscribed, or your request will be sent to the list moderator for approval. The page should indicate whether approval was needed, and if so who the appropriate contacts are for the specific list to which you are attempting to subscribe.

Creating a Mailing List

Creation of a mail list is much more efficient in terms of mail server resources than sending the same message to many people or typing each userid individually.

All new mailing lists are being created using ListProc software. This software allows mailing list (mail group alias) owners to manage and maintain their own mailing lists; list owners control how users join the list, and also how list members post messages. Using ListProc, lists can be archived (for 3 months), a useful feature for class lists.

To request a mailing list, send a message to listmgrs@lists.rpi.edu. In your message, please specify the following four pieces of information:

send-by-owner (owners only can send to the list) or send-by-subscriber (anyone subscribed can send to the list)
closed-subscription (only owners can add/remove subscribers) or open-subscription (anyone can subscribe to/remove themselves from the list)
preferred list name (something brief, but descriptive and unique)
brief description of the purpose of the list

The ListProc Web Interface allows you to subscribe and unsubscribe from lists and, if you are the owner of a list, to manage the mailing list.

All list attributes can be changed with the configuration command examples of which are in the owner manual. (See http://www.cren.net/listproc/docs/index.html.) We urge all list owners to print a copy of the manual to facilitate list maintenance.

ListProc mail group names have the naming convention of name-l@lists.rpi.edu. Course lists will use the course name and then -l@lists.rpi.edu, for example, ASTR2050-L@lists.rpi.edu. If you do not provide the course catalog name list creation may be delayed as email is sent back and forth for clarification. Likewise, lists names for clubs and departments should start with the club or department's name. List names occupy global namespace, and so should be as unambiguous as possible. It may help if you review the names of existing lists at the Listproc Web Interface.

It is not necessary to send the userids because the owner of the List will subscribe and unsubscribe members.

Last modified: October 25, 2007