The SmartList install service is nice, but all that does is get your
list up and running. You still have to compile the software, and they
will not come in and fix things when they break. Also, this "service"
should be taken with a grain of salt rather than looked upon as a
standout feature compared to other products; it is indicative of the
complexity of the procmail-based rules. The other products do not
have such a service because they are not quite as difficult to
configure.
IMHO, you either invest the time to install a list server and learn
how to operate and maintain, or you pay a mailing list service to do
it for you. There is no magic bullet or one-click installation. There
is obviously free software, but none is without some administrative
burden. There are free services out there (advertising underwritten),
but everything I have heard indicates unreliability and a basic
feeling of "you get what you pay for".
There must be some cost involved, whether that cost to you is $$
for product (Lyris, ListServ Lite), $$ for service (majordomo.com,
mailinglists.org), or a time investment in installing/supporting
the freeware products. Other points:
o majordomo.com is not affiliated with Majordomo the product.
The .com site is a list provider (sparklist.com) that may *use*
Majordomo, but it is not directly involved in the development & support
of the actual product.
o ListProc is not free. ListProcessor is free, but not the
same as the CREN ListProc.
o Listserv Lite is not free. Listserv Free Edition is free, but
your requirements (1400 users) eliminate it from contention: the
freeware version can only be used for 10 lists of up to 500 members
[and must also be for non-profit]). Listserv Lite costs depend upon
your amount of use.
o I don't know how accurate my perception is, but I have
always viewed ListProc/ListProcessor/Listserv as VAX/BITNET era
dinosaurs. Majordomo and SmartList are more "modern" in my mind.
o If you go the route of commercial software, I have heard
good things about Lyris. Runs on NT or UNIX, has Web interface, etc.
www.lyris.com
Technical experience is easy to get. If you are tentative about taking
the freeware products on, I might suggest you go the provider route.
Otherwise, do-it-yourselfers have no reason the be wary of products
such as Majordomo.
--bill
Rainmaker said:
>
> At 04:55 PM 9/30/98 -0700, Bill Houle so eloquently stated:
> >Rainmaker said:
> >>
> >> Anybody have experience setting up majordomo? Is there a
> >> "Dummies" book available? I have the resources on the Net, and
> >> we are looking at implementing it now.
> >
> >O'Reilly's "Managing Mailing Lists" is highly recommended.
> >O'Reilly's "Managing Internet Information Services" touches on
> >Majordomo briefly, but thankfully the chapter is excerpted and
> >included in the Majordomo source tree, so you don't need the book
> >unless you also want a reference on FTP, Web, and other Internet
> >services.
> >
> >If installing on Linux or FreeBSD, check the ports archive from your
> >vendor. FreeBSD and Debian offer pre-made Majordomo/MajorCool
> >packages, and there is a (slightly broken) RPM for RedHat.
> >
> >My best advice to you:
> >
> >Read the docs and FAQ twice and three times before giving up on the
> >install. The answer is in there, just not organized well. The FAQ
> >especially. Read it cover to cover. It is unlike most other FAQs in
> >that it is not very recipe oriented. You might scan the Q section
> >and not see yours, when in fact your question and its answer are
> >buried within a long diatribe about another less obvious topic.
> >
>
> OK, and update on my research. yesterday I bought "Managing
> Mailing Lists" and read it cover-to-cover (261 pages, well done).
> Now I'm not sure what to do. they identify four list servers --
> Majordomo, Listproc, Listserv Lite and SmartList -- all free.
> Each has its plusses and minuses. Each seems overwhelming to do,
> except for SmartList (using Procmail). they will set up the list
> for you and you host it on your site. You send them the full
> path to your server and the server you are on and they send you
> the configured file. My type of service.
>
> Maybe if I tell you what I need, and experience level, it may
> help. I am trying to put E-Tailer's Digest on a new list server
> that we can control. The digest is sent to retailers every M-W-F
> in a digest format and there are approx 1,400 subscribers. List
> members post to the list, which are compiled and digested and
> sent out. We will probably add a second list shortly thereafter.
>
> Technical experience is minus none. Understanding of the list
> serve process is excellent.
>
> What would be nice is if something were available like SmartList
> where you fill out a form, and the configured file is returned to
> you to be ftp'd to the site and ready to run. No compiling, no configuring.
>
> So, does anybody have any suggestions?
>
> TIA
>
> George
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________________
> George Matyjewicz, C.M.O. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> GAP Enterprises, Ltd. http://www.gapent.com/
> Moderator of E-Tailer's Digest http://www.gapent.com/etailer/
> Your Resource for Retail on the Net
> Moderator E-Marketing Digest http://www.webbers.com/emark/
> Marketing Your Web http://www.gapent.com/myweb/
>
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