Approving Messages for a Closed or Moderated List

Approving Messages for a Closed or Moderated List

Most lists at UO are 'closed', that is, only list members can post (this includes the list owner, if that address is not a list member!) At UO we have configured Majordomo so that for a moderated list, only the moderator(s) can post. In both types of lists, posts from everyone else are referred to the list owner for approval. Such referrals are sent to the email address of the list owner with a subject that begins 'BOUNCE' and is followed by the list address, the notation that it is an non-member submission (which for moderated lists is somewhat missleading since what it really means is that it is not from the moderator) and the address of the person who sent the original message. Here is an example 'Subject:' line:

Subject: BOUNCE testlist: Non-member submission from [<Rich> rhaller@x.uoregon.edu]

The following method of approval, while somewhat clumsy, is given because it can be used with virtually any mail program. It is adapted from chapter 25 of the book "Managing Internet Information Services" ISBN 1-56592-062-7, which discusses other methods as well, and is in general, perhaps the best source of information about Majordomo.

First, a copy of the original message, including its headers is created and addressed to the list.
Second, all the headers of the copy of the original message except the Date, From, To, and Subject, are removed.
Third, an 'approved:' header line is put at the top of the message, before the original message headers. This approved header contains the list password. Note: approved must be lower case and the password follows the colon with no space - approved:xxzzyy
Finally, the message is sent.

The body of the 'BOUNCE' referral contains not only the original message, but is prefaced by quite a few lines of mail headers which have been added by the various mail systems involved in delivering the message and which are normally hidden from you when you read a message. It is removing all but the From, To and Subject of the original message that is the hard part!

Create a copy of the original

If you are using pine or VMS MAIL as your mail program, then use the 'forward' command to begin the approval process (if you are using Eudora, then use the 'Send again' command; Eudora's 'forward' command adds a '>' to the beginning of each line which will foul up things). Address the message to the list, just as you would if you were sending one of your own. In this example we forward the message to 'testlist@lists.uoregon.edu'.

You should find that the original message and its headers now make up the body of your new message. Here is an example using pine as the mail program:

---------- Forwarded message -------

Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 10:13:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: owner-testlist@lists.uoregon.edu
To: owner-testlist@lists.uoregon.edu
Subject: BOUNCE testlist: Non-member submission from [Rich Haller <rhaller@netw...

>From rhaller@gladstone.uoregon.edu Fri Sep 27 10:13:03 1996
Received: from amber.uoregon.edu (amber.uoregon.edu [128.223.60.32]) by ...
Received: from lutetia (lutetia.uoregon.edu [128.223.33.94]) by ...
Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19960927171236.00936e98@ns.uoregon.edu>
X-Sender: rhaller@ns.uoregon.edu
X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32)
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 10:12:36 -0700
To: testlist@lists.uoregon.edu
From: Rich Haller <rhaller@network-services.uoregon.edu>
Subject: an announcement

This will probably require an OK from the moderator.

Rich

Edit the copy to remove unwanted header lines

Cursor down to the first line of the body (this line may be blank) and begin deleting lines until you come to the Date, To, From and Subject lines which immediately preceed the body of the message. For example:

Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 10:12:36 -0700
To: testlist@lists.uoregon.edu
From: Rich Haller <rhaller@network-services.uoregon.edu>
Subject: an announcement

This will probably require an OK from the moderator.

Rich

Insert the 'approved:' header

Finally, at the beginning of the message, insert the 'approved:' header containing your list password:

approved:xyxxy
Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 10:12:36 -0700
To: testlist@lists.uoregon.edu
From: Rich Haller <rhaller@network-services.uoregon.edu>
Subject: an announcement

This will probably require an OK from the moderator.

Rich

Send the message to the list

It will be distributed to the list with the 'From:' of the original sender rather than your own and also the original Date and Subject. If you would prefer it to bear the date at which you approved it instead, delete the 'Date:' header line in the forwarded copy:

approved:xyxxy
To: testlist@lists.uoregon.edu
From: Rich Haller <rhaller@network-services.uoregon.edu>
Subject: an announcement

This will probably require an OK from the moderator.

Rich


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