A list server (mailing list server) is a program that handles subscription requests for a mailing list and distributes new messages, newsletters, or other postings from the list's members to the entire list of subscribers as they occur or are scheduled. (A list server should not be confused with a mail server, which handles incoming and outgoing e-mail for Internet users.)
A listserver, at its most basic, works like an e-mail alias for a large group of e-mail addresses. If you send an e-mail to the listserver address, that e-mail is then relayed to everyone who subscribes to that list. Then one or more users read your e-mail and, if they choose, respond to it. That response is also distributed to everyone who subscribes to the list.
The term “listserver” has also become synonymous with the individual mailing lists hosted by a given listserver. That is, the term “listserver” can refer to a server hosting multiple lists, or to an individual mailing list itself.
What is the difference between an “announce-only” mailing list and a “user-to-user forum” mailing list?
Announce-only means that only list administrators can post to the list. The OAUG eNews newsletter is an example of an announce-only list.
User-to-user forum lists are discussion fora whereby any subscribed user may post to the list or respond to a post from any other user. OAUG Net and OAUG Net DBA are examples of user-to-user forum lists.
What is the difference between a “listserver” and “LISTSERV®?”
“Listserver” is a generic term for mailing list server software. “LISTSERV®” is a brand name of a listserver software package by L-Soft International, Inc.
Do I have to be an OAUG member to use the OAUG listservers?
No. The OAUG listservers and listserver archives are open to anyone with an interest in Oracle Applications.
We do, however, encourage and welcome all Oracle Applications users and applicable product and service vendors to join the OAUG. For more information, refer to the OAUG membership information page.
How do I subscribe to or unsubscribe from the OAUG listservers?
Your subscription mode determines the way you receive listserver e-mail traffic. Possible subscription modes include:
Feed: If you are subscribed to a list in “feed” mode, you will receive all list message traffic in individual e-mails as the messages are posted to the list. That is, as soon as someone posts a message to the list, you will receive it as an individual e-mail message (there is frequently a lag since the server must send thousands of individual e-mails for each message posted to the list). The main benefit of feed mode is that you receive list postings in real-time, as they are posted. The main drawback is that, on days of heavy list traffic, you may receive several individual e-mails.
Digest: If you are subscribed to a list in “digest” mode, you will receive list message traffic combined in a single daily e-mail (you may receive more that one digest per day — the list digestors are set to cut a digest if the day's collection of message traffic reaches a certain size or number of messages). The main benefit of digest mode is that you receive each day's list traffic the next morning in one compiled e-mail message. The main drawback is that you don't receive list postings until the next day.
Index: The “index” mode is similar to the digest mode (and indices are cut at the same time as digests — see digest above), except that list indices consist only of the subject lines of the messages posted to the list. In order to read the actual postings, you must visit the online listserver archives.
Null: Similar to “NOMAIL” in LISTSERV® and other listserver platforms. If you are subscribed in “null” mode, you remain subscribed to the list, but you will not receive any list traffic as e-mail. That is, you may post to the list (since only subscribers can post to the OAUG user-to-user forum lists), but you will not receive any e-mails from the list. In order to read list posts you must visit the online listserver archives.
If you will be away from your e-mail for an extended period (e.g. going on vacation) — especially if you are enabling an “out of office” autoresponder on your e-mail account — we encourage you to change your subscription mode to null, and then change it back to your preferred subscription mode when you return (e-mail autoresponders can possibly cause an infinite mail loop with the listserver — for more information, please read OAUG Listserver Autoresponder Issue).
Pending: If you have requested a subscription to a list, but have not confirmed that subscription, you are listed as a “pending” subscription. If you request a subscription status report while you are in pending mode (i.e. after you submit a subscription request for a given list, but before you confirm that subscription request), the status report will show you as “unsubscribed.”
Banned: Only the OAUG listmaster can set a user's subscription mode to or from “banned.” Users will be banned if they fail to adhere to the OAUG Listserver Terms of Use or if there are recurring technical problems with that user's e-mail address (such as an e-mail autoresponder causing a mail loop). If a user is banned, he or she cannot receive list traffic or post to the list.
How do I change my subscription mode to one or more of the listservers?
I used to manage my OAUG listserver subscription(s) by sending an e-mail to the server. Can I still do that or do I have to use the OAUG Listserver Subscription Manager?
In the past, users managed their subscriptions to the OAUG listservers by sending e-mails to special administrative e-mail addresses. You may still manage your subscription via e-mail, if you know how, but we recommend you use the OAUG Listserver Subscription Manager, which essentially sends the e-mail, properly formatted, for you.
Rather than asking users to communicate with the listserver via specially formatted (and somewhat complicated) e-mail messages, we created the OAUG Listserver Subscription Manager to make it much easier for users to manage their subscriptions.
Why can't I change my OAUG eNews subscription mode to anything other than feed mode?
OAUG eNews is a low-volume announce-only newsletter mailing list. Unlike the user-to-user forum lists (OAUG Net and OAUG Net DBA), only list administrators can post to OAUG eNews. Since the only traffic from the eNews list will consist of the twice-monthly OAUG eNews newsletter and occasional, infrequent administrative messages (when necessary), all subscriptions to OAUG eNews must be in feed mode.
If you will be away from your e-mail for an extended period of time and wish not to receive the OAUG eNews newsletter, you may unsubscribe from the list via the OAUG Listserver Subscription Manager and re-subscribe when you return.
Why am I receiving multiple copies of list messages?
The most common reason users receive more than one copy of messages from a given list is that the user is subscribed to the list with more than one e-mail address. The listserver identifies users by e-mail address, and to it, each unique e-mail address is a separate, unique user.
Multiple subscriptions most often occur when a user's e-mail address is changed (from, for example, jdoe@example.com to john.doe@example.com) and the old e-mail address is set to forward mail to the new address. The old address remains valid and subscribed to the list as long as it does not bounce messages, and until it is explicitly unsubscribed.
Use the “request subscription status” function of the OAUG Listserver Subscription Manager to check each of your e-mail addresses to see if they are subscribed to any OAUG mailing lists. If you find that you are subscribed to the lists with more than one e-mail address, you are encouraged to unsubscribe the old e-mail address and use your new address.
You don't have to be able to send e-mail from a given e-mail address in order to unsubscribe that address from a list. You must, however, be able to receive messages sent to that address, in order to receive the unsubscribe confirmation message. For more information, refer to My e-mail address has changed. What do I need to do?
Why can't I unsubscribe or change my subscription mode?
The most common reason users run into problems managing subscriptions is that they are subscribed to the list with a different e-mail address than the one they are trying to change subscription status for. The listserver identifies users by e-mail address, and to it, each unique e-mail address is a separate, unique user.
Use the “request subscription status” function of the OAUG Listserver Subscription Manager to see if the e-mail address you are trying to manage is indeed subscribed to any OAUG mailing lists. If your e-mail address has changed recently, but you can still receive messages sent to the old address (such as when the old address is set to forward all messages to your new address) use “request subscription status” to see if the old address is subscribed.
If you are subscribed to an OAUG mailing list with an old e-mail address, you are encouraged to change your subscription to your new address. For more information, refer to My e-mail address has changed. What do I need to do?
I want to be able to post to the lists, but I don't want to receive any e-mails. Is that possible?
Several things can cause the listserver to stop sending e-mail to your address.
First, check to make sure your address is subscribed and in what mode it is subscribed by using the “request subscription status” function of the OAUG Listserver Subscription Manager. You will receive an e-mail from the listserver detailing the lists to which your e-mail address is subscribed and in what mode it is subscribed.
Not subscribed: If the server reports that your e-mail address is not subscribed to the list in question, it is possible that a malfunction somewhere between the listserver and your mail server caused list traffic sent to your e-mail address to bounce, thereby triggering the listserver to automatically unsubscribe your address. Users are automatically unsubscribed after a single “fatal” bounce error, or after a set number of “non-fatal” bounce errors (10 for OAUG Net and OAUG Net DBA, and 3 for OAUG eNews). Try re-subscribing to the list using the OAUG Listserver Subscription Manager.
Some spam filters will cause messages to bounce. Try re-subscribing to the list using the OAUG Listserver Subscription Manager. If you repeatedly become unsubscribed from the list, check your spam filter (if you have access to it) or check with your IT support department (if the spam filter is at the mail server level) and add “oaug.com” to the “whitelist” of domains that are allowed to pass through the spam filter.
If you repeatedly are unsubscribed from a list and cannot determine the cause, contact the OAUG Listmaster for help troubleshooting the problem.
Subscribed in null mode: If the server reports that your e-mail address is subscribed in null mode, you must change your subscription mode to receive list traffic as e-mail messages. If you did not change your subscription mode to null, it may have been changed by OAUG staff because your e-mail address was causing problems with the listserver (such as an autoresponder mail loop). Change your subscription mode using the OAUG Listserver Subscription Manager.
Subscribed in banned mode: If the server reports that your e-mail address is subscribed in banned mode, that address has been banned from the lists by OAUG staff. We will only ban addresses that cause repeating technical issues with the lists, or addresses that have posted messages in violation of the OAUG Listserver Terms of Use. Once banned, a user cannot change his or her subscription mode, nor can he or she post to the list or receive list traffic. Contact the OAUG Listmaster for assistance.
How do I post a message to the OAUG user-to-user forum lists?
To post a message to one of the OAUG user-to-user forum lists (OAUG Net or OAUG Net DBA), send the message in the body of a plain-text e-mail from a subscribed address to listname@oaug.com, where listname is the name of the list (oaugnet or oaugnetdba) to which you want to post your message.
Please note the e-mail message must come from a subscribed e-mail address and it must be in plain-text format with no attachments.
How do I post a message to OAUG eNews?
OAUG eNews is an announce-only newsletter mailing list, thus only administrators can post to it.
If you have an idea for content you would like to see in OAUG eNews, please contact the OAUG Communications Manager at
Can I post my question to the user-to-user forum listservers?
You might find it useful to first search the OAUG listserver archives to see if your question has already been asked and answered. You may search the archives directly from the archive pages, or include them in a general search of the entire OAUG Web site using the OAUG search engine.
Any subscribed user may post any question, answer, advice, or news pertaining to the implementation, use, or management of Oracle Applications to the OAUG user-to-user forum lists. Please refer to the listserver general information page to determine which list is best suited to your question. Please do not post a question to both lists simply to try to get a faster answer, unless your question is appropriate for both lists.
You may not post any sales or employment solicitation messages to the OAUG listservers, nor may you post any other message in violation of the OAUG Listserver Terms of Use. Messages in violation of the Terms of Use will be removed, and the poster will be warned or banned from the lists, depending on the violation. Please refer to the OAUG Listserver Terms of Use for more information.
Can I post messages with attachments to the user-to-user forum lists?
No. In the interest of protecting users from viruses and similar threats, the user-to-user forum lists only accept e-mail messages containing only plain text (refer to Why don't the OAUG user-to-user forum lists accept HTML, rich-text, or multipart e-mail messages? for more information). Any message with an attachment will be rejected by the server. This includes automatic attachments such as virtual business cards. E-mail signatures (text that is automatically added to the end of an e-mail message) should not cause a problem, as long as they consist only of plain text.
We are working on building a filter that can strip messages of all content other than plain text (and thereby allow the message to post to the list), but for now e-mails with attachments will bounce.
I deleted a message from my e-mail program that I need to refer to. How can I get a copy of the message?
All messages posted to the user-to-user forum lists are archived and available for viewing online in the listserver archives. Refer to OAUG Listserver Archives for more information.
Why do I have to enter a username and password to access the OAUG listserver archives?
The OAUG listserver archives and the pages therein are password-protected not to exclude anyone from accessing the archives, but to prevent automated e-mail collection programs (“spam-bots”) from accessing the archives to “harvest” e-mail addresses. Refer to OAUG Listserver Archives for more information.
Do I have to subscribe to a list to view the list archives?
No. The user-to-user forum lists are available to the public. However, the archives are password-protected and you must enter the username and password when prompted. Refer to OAUG Listserver Archives for more information.
My posts to OAUG Net or OAUG Net DBA are returned to me with an error message. What's wrong?
Several issues can cause the listserver to reject a message. These are the most common:
The e-mail address in the From: field of the message is not subscribed to the list. In order to post a message to the user-to-user forum lists, the message must come from a subscribed e-mail address. Make sure your e-mail address is subscribed to the list you want to post to (use the “request subscription status” function of the OAUG Listserver Subscription Manager), and make sure that you are sending the message from a subscribed address (the subscribed address is in the From: field of the outgoing message — this is usually only an issue if you manage more than one e-mail address with your e-mail software, or if your e-mail address has recently been changed).
The message is in HTML, rich-text, or multipart format. For security reasons, the user-to-user forum lists only accept e-mail messages with plain-text content (refer to Why don't the OAUG user-to-user forum lists accept HTML, rich-text, or multipart e-mail messages? for more information). Many e-mail programs allow you to format e-mails with colors, fonts, and images. This formatting is usually done with HTML or a similar markup language. If your e-mail program defaults to sending messages in a format other than plain text, you can probably force it to send messages in plain text on single-message basis (refer to How do I make my e-mail program send text-only messages?).
In rare instances, outgoing e-mail servers are set to send all e-mails in a format other than plain text, regardless of how the message is sent from the e-mail client software. This usually is only the case when the server is set to add a disclaimer or warning paragraph to the end of every outgoing e-mail. If you believe this might be an issue with your outgoing e-mail server, consult your IT support department.
Why don't the OAUG user-to-user forum lists accept HTML, Rich-Text, or multipart e-mail messages?
“Multipart” e-mail messages are messages that contain content other than plain text, such as HTML or Rich-Text markup or attachments. Plain-text messages contain only plain text.
Some aspects of multipart e-mail messages can subject users to having their e-mail addresses collected (“harvested”) by spammers. Worse, multipart messages can be used to distribute viruses and other malicious code.
To avoid these threats, the OAUG user-to-user forum lists are set to bounce any message that contains anything other than plain text. The OAUG staff apologizes for any inconvenience, but we feel it is necessary to keep instances of list abuse and outright malicious attacks at a minimum.
We are working on building a filter that can strip messages of all content other than plain text (and thereby allow the message to post to the list), but for now multipart e-mails will bounce.
How do I make my e-mail program send text-only messages?
Instructions for forcing your e-mail program to send messages as plain-text vary widely from program to program. Please consult the help files associated with your e-mail software or contact your IT support department.
I have an urgent issue and need help now! Why won't anyone answer my question?
The OAUG user-to-user forum listserver community is made up of users just like yourself. We do not pay subject matter experts to monitor the lists, and as such any and all responses you may get (or hope to get) to your post will come from volunteers. If an issue is urgent, you may note it as such in the subject line or body of your post, but realize that other users are in no way obligated to provide a quick response, or indeed a response at all.
If you have a truly critical and time-sensitive issue, you are encouraged to open a TAR with Oracle on MetaLink in addition to posting to the OAUG listservers.
Please note: OAUG listserver administrators are not Oracle users and cannot answer questions about Oracle Applications or other products.
Why did I receive a warning message saying that there is a problem with my subscription?
Sometimes a malfunction somewhere between the OAUG listserver and your mail server or scheduled or unscheduled server maintenance downtime may cause messages sent by the listserver to your e-mail address to bounce back to the listserver. The listserver is set to monitor bounces and unsubscribe users after a certain number of bounced messages (refer to I stopped receiving list messages. What happened? for more information).
When the listserver detects a bounced message, it will follow up by sending an e-mail to your address alerting you to the bounce. Most likely, if you receive the warning message, it means that there was a temporary issue that has since righted itself. Follow the instructions in the warning message to reply to the listserver and reset the bounce counter (if you ignore the warning message, the bounce counter will reset automatically as soon as the listserver sends you the next regular list message as long as that message doesn't also bounce).
If you continue to receive warning messages, it is usually because your e-mail address has been changed and your old address has been set to forward mail to your new address, while at the same time sending a “bounce” message saying that your e-mail address has changed. If this is the case, please unsubscribe your old e-mail address and subscribe the new one (refer to My e-mail address has changed. What do I need to do? for more information).
My e-mail address has changed. What do I need to do?
If your e-mail address changes, you are encouraged to unsubscribe your old e-mail address from all OAUG mailing lists and re-subscribe with your new address even if your old e-mail address is set to forward mail to your new address. The OAUG listserver identifies users by e-mail address, and you will eventually run into problems trying to use an old e-mail address.
Using the OAUG Listserver Subscription Manager, check to see to which lists your old e-mail address is subscribed using “request subscription status”, and unsubscribe from all lists (alternatively, you can just enter your old e-mail address in the Subscription Manager and click “unsubscribe” next to every list). You may then subscribe your new list to any OAUG mailing list in your choice of subscription mode.
Please note: You do not have to be able to send mail from your old e-mail address in order to unsubscribe it. You do, however, have to be able to receive mail sent to that address in order to respond to the confirmation e-mail that results from subscription change requests.
I think a user is in violation of the OAUG Listserver Terms of Use. What do I need to do?
If you believe a user is in violation of the OAUG Listserver Terms of use (e.g. a user has posted sales or employment solicitations or offensive material), please forward the post to the OAUG listmaster (and only the OAUG listmaster). Please do not comment on the offending post by sending a message to the list. Such comments only serve to further clutter the list.
I have a problem using the OAUG listservers. What do I need to do?
First and foremost, please read this FAQ thoroughly. OAUG staff has compiled the most frequent user issues here to avoid repeatedly answering the same questions.
I have a problem managing my subscription to the OAUG listserver. What do I need to do?
First and foremost, please read this FAQ thoroughly. OAUG staff has compiled the most frequent user issues here to avoid repeatedly answering the same questions.
Before contacting the OAUG listserver administrators, please thoroughly read this FAQ document to see if your question is answered here. If you contact the listmaster with a question that is answered here, you will simply be directed to this page.
If:
your issue is not addressed in this FAQ document
your issue requires the assistance of an administrator
please contact the OAUG listmaster at
Please allow up to two weeks for a response.
When contacting the OAUG listmaster, please be sure to include all pertinent information, such as the text of error messages and your e-mail address (including any and all e-mail addresses with which you may be subscribed to a list). Missing or incomplete information will delay a response to your issue.
Please note: OAUG listserver administrators are not Oracle users and cannot answer questions about Oracle Applications or other products.
