Reception Modes
Reception mode? What does that mean?
When you are subscribed to a particular list, you can set a number of subscriber options. (Log in to the web interface, select a list from the 'Your Lists' panel on the left hand side, then click on 'Subscriber Options'). One of these options is your reception mode. Put simply, the reception mode controls how you receive mail from the list, whether in a digest form, in HTML form, as plaintext, or not at all (ie mail receipt is suspended).
The available options are mutually exclusive, which means that you can't set two different reception modes at the same time. Only some of the modes might be available for specific mailing lists depending on how the list has been set up.
Available reception modes
| Mode | Short Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| standard (direct reception) | The subscriber receives list mail as normal with no restrictions. This mode is normally used to cancel the nomail, summary, or digest modes. | |
| digest MIME format | DIGEST | Instead of receiving individual mail messages from the list, the subscriber will periodically receive batched messages in a Digest. This Digest compiles a group of messages from the list, using the 'multipart/digest' MIME format (where the individual messages will appear as attachments). |
| digest plain text format | DIGESTPLAIN | Similar to the DIGEST option in that the subscriber will periodically receive batched messages in a Digest. With DIGESTPLAIN the Digest is sent in a plain text format, with all attachments stripped out. This is useful if your email software doesn't display multipart/digest format messages well, or if there is a limit on the number of message attachments imposed in the mail system. |
| no mail | NOMAIL | This mode is used when a subscriber no longer wishes to receive mail from the list, but nevertheless wishes to retain the ability to post to the list. This mode therefore prevents the subscriber having to unsubscribe then re-subscribe later on. (You would set this mode to suspend list mail when going on vacation, for instance) |
| you do not receive your own posts | NOT_ME | This mode is used when a subscriber does not want to receive copies of messages that he or she has sent to the list. |
| text only mode | TXT | This mode is used when a subscriber wishes to receive mails sent in both HTML and plain text formats only in the plain text format. |
| HTML only mode | HTML | This mode is used when a subscriber wishes to receive mails sent in both HTML and plain text formats only in the HTML format. |
| summary mode | SUMMARY | Instead of receiving individual mail messages from the list, the subscriber will periodically receive a list of messages. This mode is very similar to the Digest reception mode but the subscriber receives only the list of messages. |
| notice mode | NOTICE | This mode is used when a subscriber wishes to not receive any attachments on messages. The messages are received but with any attachments stripped out. |
| urlize mode | URLIZE | Like the notice mode, this mode is used when a subscriber does not want to receive attached files, but in this case (more usefully), the attached files are replaced by a URL leading to the file stored on the list site. |
Setting your reception mode by email command
As well as using the web interface, you can set your reception mode by sending an email command to the list server at the address : sympa@newcastle.ac.uk. The syntax is :
SET listname mode
where listname is the list in question, and mode is the short name in the above table. For example :
From: "Joe Bloggs" <joe.bloggs@newcastle.ac.uk> To: sympa@newcastle.ac.uk Subject: SET sympa-users NOMAIL QUIT