[Mapserver-users] Things you should know

[Ranga Raju Vatsavai]

Hello MapServer Users,

More than 100 members are subscribed as of now and all of you must have noticed the
control mailman provides to customize your subscription. Especially lot of users are
now requesting for digested version. Let me know how that option is working for you.
Members (requesting digest option) should be getting the digested version once every
day and whenever the size of digested version exceeds 1MB.

Security:
1. We are using confirmation based subscription - so that 'somebody else' is not
subscribing you to the list without your knowledge.

2. Posting to the list is restricted to the list members - so that members can't
get SPAM mails easily (not a poolproof, but some thing is better than nothing).

3. Who can view subscription list - This option allows users to look at email
address of all the subscribed users. Rightnow I disabled this option to let
the users know the potential impact of this option. In the previous set up 
all subscribed users can have a look at the subscription list (i.e., email
address of all the subscribed users) through the 'who' command. Now we can do 
that through the web. This option is some what safe in the sense that
only subscribed users can do this, however, it can not prevent the
mail harvestor to subscibe himself and get this subscription list, though
the chances are less. However, by disabling totally, genuine users cannot
have access to the subsciber list (mostly to get a sense of how many
users are subscirbed or who else is subscirbed, etc). On positive side, 
mailman offers added security, so concerned users can 'hide' their email 
address if they wish. Here are the steps to do so -

1. Access the following page
http://lists.gis.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-users

2. Fill in your email address at the bottom entry and click on Edit Options
button

3. Answer the question "Conceal yourself from subscriber list' appropriately

4. Provide your password and click on 'submit my changes' button.


Please note: Starting from tonight, I am enabling the 'visit subscriber list'
option which allows any subscribed users to look at the email addresses of
all subscribed users (equivalent to previous who option). So if you don't want
to allow other subscribers to look at your entry in this list, please choose
'yes' to 'conceal yourself ...' question by this evening.


Let me know if you have any concerns or questions.

Best wishes,
Raju
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