Mac-Mgrs FAQ
Macintosh Managers (mac-mgrs) FAQ.
Written by the mac-mgrs list mom.
Updated 24-December-2000
Section 1: Subscriptions
1.1) How do I subscribe (or unsubscribe)?
1.2) Is there a digest version of the list?
1.3) I swear I am on the list, but I can't unsubscribe.
Majordomo or CommunigatePro keeps telling me that I'm not on the list. What's going on?
1.4) I am going on vacation, can I suspend delivery?
Section 2: Interacting with the list and general list rules
2.1) How does the list work?
2.2) Some additional info came in after my summary to the list. What do I do?
2.3) I sent a post to the list and it hasn't shown up yet.
Should I send it again?
2.4) I sent a post to the list and I got a bounce. What do I do?
Send it again?
2.5) Why does my reply bounce when I reply to questions in the digest?
2.6) I send posts to the list, but they never show up. What's going on?
2.7) What are acceptable content and questions for the list?
2.8) I have a great app/utility/whatever that will solve a problem
posted on the mac-mgrs list. Can I post it?
2.9) I need to hire a Macintosh Manager. Can I post a job opening?
2.10) I am a developer and I have a cool new product to sell. Can I
advertise or send a press-release to the list?
2.11) I just read a hot tip about something really useful on a Mac-news
Web site. Can I post it as an FYI to the list?
2.12) HELP! I JUST DISCOVERED A NEW VIRUS ON MY NETWORK/MAC/ETC.
I MUST SPREAD THE WORD FAR AND WIDE! AHH PANIC!!!!
2.13) I just heard a GREAT Mac/computer/Windoze/network/whatever joke.
Can I pass it along to the list just to lighten things up a bit?
2.14) I want to send a holiday wish to the group as a whole, can I?
2.15) Really?...
2.16) I have a really ugly problem, can I cross-post it to many mailing
lists to get as much feedback as possible?
2.17) I am *REALLY* ticked off about this stupid product that failed
and made my life a living hell. I'm starting a boycott drive and
want to broadcast my maniacal ravings to the world, including the
mac-mgrs list. Is that OK?
2.18) I'm a fashion-conscious mac-mgr. What should I wear to let the world
know how smart, talented, and cool I am, as well as helping me find my
equally smart, talented, and cool peers at trade shows?
1) Subscriptions
While the title says "list mom" I am not *your* mother, I'm the list's
mother. Please do not ask me to pick up your dirty socks or handle routine
subscription tasks for you. You are a professional computing and network
manager; using mailing list software commands should be well within
your abilities. This is not rocket science, and you are an intelligent adult.
There are thousands of you and only one of me. Get the picture? That said,
here are the answers to the frequently asked questions about subscriptions to
mac-mgrs:
1.1) How do I subscribe (or unsubscribe)?
A: All of your subscription questions are answered on our subscriptions page.
After you subscribe, our list server software will send you a
message telling you how to unsubscribe. Don't lose it.
1.2) Is there a digest version of the list?
A: Yes. The digest is sent out once a day (twice if the list is very busy)
and contains all the posts since the last digest was sent. The digest is
great for people who don't want to manage a lot of incoming mail. The
digest is managed as a separate list and you must subscribe/unsubscribe
from it separately from the regular list. Again, the subscriptions page
tells you how to get on and off it.
1.3) I swear I am on the list, but I can't unsubscribe. Communigate keeps
telling me that I'm not on the list. What's going on?
A: One of two things:
1. You are on the digest.
The digest is a separate list and you must subscribe/unsubscribe from
it separately from the regular list. Try sending an unsubscribe command
using the syntax: unsubscribe mac-mgrs-digest
For full sub/unsub directions see the subscriptions page.)
2. You are subscribed via a different address.
Remember that Communigate is software, and software is not able to make
the same leaps of logic and assumptions that humans can. If you were real
smart and saved the message that Communigate sent you when you subscribed, it
will tell you the address you subscribed with. Your email system may have
changed half a dozen times since then and your address may still work for
RECEIVING mail, but when you sent your unsub request to Majordomo your
identity/address may have been very different from the one you are listed
under as a subscriber. Those of you with long domain names including
subdomains and hostnames are the usual suspects here (.edu, .us, & .mil
domains especially). You may have subscribed as joe.blow@mail.company.com
but your email address is now jblow@company.com. Majordomo (rightly) sees
these as different addresses. The subscriptions page will help you figure
this one out.
1.3b) I swear I am on the list, but I can't unsubscribe. Majordomo keeps
telling me that I'm not on the list. What's going on?
If you are getting an answer from *majordomo* then you are talking to the wrong list server!
We left the old list server at 'lists.cerf.net' back in the spring of 2000. Since then
we are running on our own server. With many thanks to Stalker Software
for their kind donation of Communigate Pro, and digital.forest for donating
the colocation space and bandwidth, and of course Rus Pagenkopf for keeping the whole thing running.
1.4) I am going on vacation, can I suspend delivery?
A: Yes, but *only* by unsubscribing. The subscriptions page will give you
instructions on how to do that. PLEASE NOTE: If you use a "vacation"
program to auto-reply while you are away, either make sure it is configured
to NOT respond to list mail or that you unsubscribe for the duration of your
absence. If your auto-replies start responding to the list, I WILL UNSUBSCRIBE YOU.
2) Interacting with the list and general list rules
The full set of list rules can be found in my welcome message to you when you
joined the list, or here on the Web site. Here are some specifics on using the list:
2.1) How does the list work?
A: Answers to questions are to be mailed back to the *questioner* and are
NOT to be sent to the entire list. The person who originally asked the
question has the responsibility of summarizing the answers and sending the
entire summary back to the list. A summary should include attributions so
others can pick up conversations offline if necessary with original
posters. However, try not to simply dump all the replies into an email
message and send that to the list -- that is not really a summary! When a
summary is sent back to the list, it should contain the word "SUMMARY" as
the first word of the "Subject" line. Please try to briefly restate your
original question so that others have some clue as to what it was you asked
that generated all those replies!
Please do not use your mailer's "reply" capability to post your summary, or at
least remove the "RE:" from the subject line if you do. Our archive will not
automatically add your summary since it assumes that it is a reply. Besides,
many of us don't even bother to open list messages with "RE:" in the subject
line.
2.2) Some additional info came in after my summary to the list. What do I do?
A: Go ahead and post an ADDENDUM to your original summary. Your subject line
should look like "SUMMARY ADDENDUM
2.3) I sent a post to the list and it hasn't shown up yet. Should I send it
again?
A: Be a little patient. It can take up to an hour for the list server to
process and deliver your message, depending on how busy the server is and
where you are in the subscription file. If your post does not show up after
an hour, answers to those questions can be found below.
2.4) I sent a post to the list and I got a bounce. What do I do? Send it
again?
A: NO. If YOUR message bounces off the list server it goes to me, not back
to you. Please look at the bounce headers carefully. It is probably from the
server of a subscriber whose mail server is not configured properly. Bounces
are supposed to come to me, but some servers (CC:Mail is famous for this,
Exchange too) will misread the header and bounce it to you, the originator
of the message. Feel free to forward these (and vacation autoreplies) on to
me for processing. Wait a bit (see above) and your message should appear on
the list eventually.
2.5) Why does my reply bounce when I reply to questions in the digest?
A: The reply-to header of the digest is a null address, it *will* bounce if
you "reply" to the digest. Instead you must respond to questioners
"manually" by digging their address from the body text of the digest.
2.6) I send posts to the list, but they never show up. What's going on?
A: Check your "from" address
You are sending from the wrong email address.
Communigate will only send messages to the list from valid subscribers
and is blocking your posts. This keeps us from being spammed. Trust me,
this is a good thing. This feature stops about 3-5 random spams a week
from getting to you via our list. If this is the problem, wait.
I have an auto-reply that will respond to you next time I check my mail.
If you have multiple email accounts, and you know which one is your
subscribed address, then use that one for your list mail to avoid this
problem. Otherwise you'll have to wait for me to sort out what is going on.
2.7) What are acceptable content and questions for the list?
A: This list is intended to be a quick-turnaround troubleshooting aid for
those who administer and manage Macintosh systems. Its primary purpose is
to provide the Macintosh manager with a quick source of information for system
management problems that are of a time-critical nature. If it is not
specifically related to Macintosh or network management, then it does NOT
belong on this list. Requests for vendor recommendations are tolerated,
provided that the hardware/software in question is something that system
managers normally purchase.
2.8) I have a great app/utility/whatever that will solve a problem posted on
the mac-mgrs list. Can I post it?
A: No. Please do not attach files to messages either to the list or to list
members without asking them first. This is just common sense and good courtesy.
Attachments are a can of worms best left closed in a mailing list environment. If
you have written a script then copy it as ASCII text into your message.
PLEASE NOTE: This includes the use of "styled text", HTML, MIME, "WINMAIL.DAT"
and those irritating "VCards". You MUST turn off those features of your
mailer(s) to participate on the list. These "features" wreak havoc with
our digest and make it both significantly larger and largely unreadable.
We have a page that helps you properly configure your mailer.
2.9) I need to hire a Macintosh Manager. Can I post a job opening?
A: Yes, but it MUST go through the list mom for approval.
This policy was developed via a consensus vote of the list membership. The
reasoning is that the list should remain a troubleshooting tool and that
any other content should be moderated.
Since mid 2000 we have been compiling a Mac-Mgrs Jobs Digest that goes out once a week,
usually on Mondays. You can lists open Jobs, or post your resume/ad as a job seeker.
2.10) I am a developer and I have a cool new product to sell. Can I advertise
or send a press-release to the list?
A: NO. I have *no* problem with the mention of products or services,
especially with a URL in one's signature (so long as it is not screenfuls
of stuff!) but let's keep the posts themselves on topic. You are far better
off adding your knowledge and insight by participating in the problem
solving that goes on every day on the list. Vendor PARTICIPATION is
supported and goes much further toward maintaining and growing your customer
base than advertising on the mailing list could ever do. Besides, you would
anger most of your potential customers anyway. If you *really* want to show
your support of mac-mgrs you *are* welcome to buy banner ads on this Web site.
The site does a fair bit of traffic, especially the sources and archives
pages, and monies collected are used for site maintenance and payment of our
domain name bills. In-kind hardware and software donations are accepted as
well. If interested, please contact the Webmaster or the list mom.
2.11) I just read a hot tip about something really useful on a Mac-news
Web site. Can I post it as an FYI to the list?
A: NO. If it is not a question, it doesn't belong on the list. I realize
that is a little strict, especially with important news that needs to be
distributed to this group, but most if not all of us read those same Web
sites every day, and the mac-mgrs news and fast sources pages have links to most
of the best news sites already. If you find a great page that should be
but is not linked please forward it to the Webmaster.
2.12) HELP! I JUST DISCOVERED A NEW VIRUS ON MY NETWORK/MAC/ETC. I MUST
SPREAD THE WORD FAR AND WIDE! AHH PANIC!!!!
A: Well, do *not* do it on our list. First: calm down. Second: report it
to the usual, reliable virus information agencies and sites such as MacVirus,
CERT, etc. Somehow in the panic surrounding a new (or even old) virus
people wantonly violate list rules and disrupt our (usually) calm mac-mgrs
universe. Therefore, virus reports are BANNED from mac-mgrs.
Questions about virus MANAGEMENT and tools for such *are welcome* and
constitute a common thread on mac-mgrs. That is part of all of our lives.
It is just the panic-stricken screaming and noise that inevitably surrounds
virus reports that is not welcome.
2.13) I just heard a GREAT Mac/computer/Windoze/network/whatever joke. Can I
pass it along to the list just to lighten things up a bit?
A: No. Not even on April 1.
2.14) I want to send a holiday wish to the group as a whole, can I?
A: No.
2.15) Really? C'mon List Mom, it's Christmas/Yom Kippur/Ramadan/Chinese New
Year/St. Patrick's Day/Halloween/April Fool's/Steve Job's birthday/Super Bowl
Sunday/Stytendde Mai/4th of July/14th of July/1st of July/Guy Fawkes
Day/Passover/New Year's/Y2K/February 29th/Friday the 13th/Whatever Day.
A: No, but I bet the reason should be obvious to you by now.
2.16) I have a really ugly problem, can I cross-post it to many mailing lists
to get as much feedback as possible?
A: No. Feel free to post to many mailing lists, just don't do it with a
single email message. Why? Other lists, while in many ways similar to
mac-mgrs, may not have similar list rules and procedures to ours. In
particular, they may allow and encourage online discussion. Mac-mgrs keeps
all of our discussion offline and limits the list to questions and
summaries only. When you cross-post a question to multiple lists in the
same email, anyone who replies to your question could do so in broadcast
form to every mailing list you sent it to.
In mac-mgrs' case, either their answer will go to the list (if that person
is a mac-mgrs subscriber), which will make them an inadvertent violator of
list rules, or if the person is not a mac-mgrs subscriber it will generate a
bounce and set in motion a set of automatic measures to assist people to
make sure they are subscribed correctly... making a big mess for all of
the list moms to clean up. In a worst-case scenario a misconfigured
mailserver among any of the thousands of collective subscribers could start
bouncing mail back toward *all* of the lists. That would make life
miserable for *all* of the list maintainers involved. The last (well OK,
second-to-last) people you want to make angry are the list moms of all
these lists that you need for help. =)
2.17) I am *REALLY* ticked off about this stupid product that failed and made
my life a living hell. I'm starting a boycott drive and want to broadcast
my maniacal ravings to the world, including the mac-mgrs list. Is that OK?
A: I'm sorry, but I really cringe when I see warnings posted about companies
on mac-mgrs. I do not want any flamewars or background tensions to rise or
anyone to give anyone else a hard time. It's simply not appropriate to take
a company to task in a group like this based solely on one individual
experience of product failure, even if the problem seems somewhat ongoing.
Most vendors have thousands of clients, and we can all sit here and give
counter-examples (of good service) or corroborating experiences (of bad
service). The simple fact of the matter is that products fail and as
Information Technology professionals we have to plan for that. If we
demand accountability from our suppliers then we will get what we deserve.
Before posting articles that can damage a company's reputability, please
consider whether you've done *everything* in your power to exact the kind
of service and resolution that you deserve.
2.18) I'm a fashion-conscious Macintosh Manager. What should I wear to let
the world know how smart, talented, and cool I am, as well as helping me find
my equally smart, talented, and cool peers at trade shows?
A: A Mac-Mgrs button, of course!