>We are in need of purchasing and installing our own mailing list server. I
>know iMail has a built-in mailing list capabilities--but as you know it is
>very limited in operation.
yep, I would never recommend it as an "our-own-mailing-list-server".
>We need a powerful, robust and stable mailing list server that will be able
>to handle...
I've been very happy using Listar on postfix MTA + FreeBSD. I've
also set listar+postfix up for hire on Linux with deliriously
successful results. One co-lo guy replaced unlimited Lyris
($2500/month) with my installation of (free) Listar on (free) postfix
on his Linux box. 40K msgs/hour on a P500 with 512 megs RAM, and the
machine doesn't sweat. He's happy.
> - User choice of HTML or Plain Text e-mail messages.
hmmmm
> - User choice ot not receiving copy of their own e-mail sent to the list.
yep
> - Auto subscribe/unsubscribe through web links in list.
yep, plus auto-bounce management, vacation
> - E-Mail verification before allowing subscribe (to prevent people from
>signing up others against their wishes).
yep
>- Form-Mail capability (replacing special fields with information in
>database or addres book before sending to each person on list).
uh, no that's the application/content level, not the list server plumbing level
> - Web-based list and archive reading, option to use list strictly through
>web and not receive e-mails.
yep
>- The ability to disallow messages to list from non-members--
aka "closed-subscribe list"
>but at the same time be able to subscribe the same person with multiple e-mail
>originations (meaning, I could send to list as [EMAIL PROTECTED],
>[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], but only receive the list messages to
>one of them).
dunno about that.
>- The ability to categorize the subscribers, to multiple lists or to
>multiple categories, that can be used to send only e-mails they want to
>receive, but not information they do not want to receive.
nope
> - Full moderated features,
yep
>broadcast list features
??
>standard open list
dangerous, but yes
>digest list features.
yes
> - Preferable if subscribers were in SQL structure that could be
>programmatically changed through external scripting--to include contact
>information about user (name, address, phone, fax, etc).
Listar's members are just a text file like
[EMAIL PROTECTED] |admin|echopost|flagX|flagY|etc|
your app could write that out to the a list's directory, or with
Listar's secure email command language, your backend/database app
could send email commands to listar to add/remove users, change their
status, etc.
>- Ability to LOCK-OUT e-mail addresses and entire domains, to block e-mail
>addresses that have a problem of getting set-up against their wishes and
>therefore keep complaining about receiving our mailings as unsolicited SPAM.
Listar has an antispam feature, and postfix set up as IMGate has it's
own level of anti-spam.
>- And of course easy-to use, fool-proof, user interface for using system
>(especially unsubscribes) so as to prevent complaints of SPAM (which we will
>not be using it for).
Listar has CGI for web signup, self-admin
A free detailed program is available for postfix (the SMTP mailer
engine, ie, like LSMTP or sendmail)
>I would appreciate any suggestions. This will be used for our large
>web-hosting clients to keep track of their customers so they can send send
>specialized targetted announcements and newsletters. We would prefer NT,
You'll pay many $1000's, every year, for Lyris or listserv, both
best-of-class, excellent products.
But I suggest you look at an open source solution. It might just do
what you want, for free.
Len
http://MenAndMice.com/DNS-training : DNS training for USA and
Europe
http://BIND8NT.MEIway.com : Binary for ISC BIND 8.2.3 for NT4 & W2K
http://IMGate.MEIway.com : Build free, hi-perf, anti-spam mail gateways
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