Lyris Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about Administering E-lists

General Questions

How do I create a list?

This question is covered on our Creating a List page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).

How do I shut down a list?

The primary list owner should send an e-mail message to listmgr@cornell.edu, stating the name of the list and the date the list is to be shut down. CIT's E-list Group will contact you to facilitate shutting down the list.

How do I change primary ownership of a list?

The current primary owner should send an e-mail message to listmgr@cornell.edu, stating the name of the list along with the name, NetID, and e-mail address of the new primary owner. CIT's E-list Group will contact you and the new owner to facilitate the transition.

How do I change my list's name?

The short answer is, you don't. The only workaround is to create a new list with the desired name, then transfer all subscriber and administrator information to the new list, then tell everyone to start using the new name, then shut down the old list. As you can guess, this rarely works smoothly, which is why we encourage you to choose your list name carefully in the first place.

How do I get additional help (as a list administrator)?

Your first stop is the CIT Contact Center (HelpDesk). You can call them at 255-8990, e-mail them at helpdesk@cornell.edu, or visit them in person in room 119 of the Computing & Communication Center on the Ag Quad.

What's the deal with plain text?

Good question! E-list management software needs to receive commands in a plain text format (no HTML code, no colors or font changes, etc.). For the full story, please visit our Plain Text page.

Is a particular list hosted by CIT?

If a list has a basic e-mail address ending in "-L@cornell.edu" it is hosted by Cornell Information Technologies (CIT). See our Which Lists are CIT-hosted page for a more complete explanation. You can also check by using the Search Cornell page, typing in the name of the list in question.If the search doesn't find the list, it isn't hosted by CIT.

How can I find a list of all the e-lists hosted by CIT?

The short answer is, you can't. Making this information publicly available would expose our e-list service to increased spam and abuse. If you are interested in a particular topic, contact the department most likely to host a list on that topic, or ask someone who is in that field.

People Questions

How do I add a member?

There are actually three ways. You can use the administrator web interface, send Lyris an e-mail command, or tell the prospective member how to join.

How do I delete a member?

There are actually three ways. You can use the administrator web interface, send Lyris an e-mail command, or tell the prospective member how to leave.

How do I add an administrator?

This question is covered on our List Administration page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).

How do I delete an administrator?

This question is covered on our List Administration page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).

Configuration Questions

How do I change the way my list works (options / configuration / settings)?

The details are covered on our List Configuration page (and are too long to reproduce here).

How do I restrict membership to my list?

You can configure your list so that anyone can join, so that anyone can ask to join but an administrator must approve the request, or so that only administrators can add or remove members. The details are covered on our List Configuration page (and are too long to reproduce here).

How do I restrict who can post to my list?

You can configure your list so that anyone can post, so that only members can post, or so that only administrators can post. The details are covered on our List Configuration page (and are too long to reproduce here).

How can I review messages before they are posted to the list?

You can configure your list to automatically post submitted messages to the list or to hold them for administrative approval or rejection. The details are covered on our List Configuration page (and are too long to reproduce here).

Administrative Activities Questions

How do I send an announcement to my list?

Just address your message to the list. Be sure to identify yourself as a list administrator.

How do I change my password?

This question is covered on our Password Reset page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).

I forgot my password. What do I do now?

This question is covered on our Password Reset page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).

I accidently deleted myself from a list. What do I do now?

Send an e-mail message to listmgr@cornell.edu.

How do I find out what lists I administer?

The complete instructions can be found on our Web Interface page. First, you'll log in to the administrator interface. Then follow the directions to change lists, and you'll see the names of all lists where you have adminstrative rights.

(Outlook users only) I'm getting messages with something like owner-mylist-l@cornell.edu on behalf of ewe2@cornell.edu in the header. What does this mean?

Outlook shows you not only what list a message was posted to (this is the mylist-l@cornell.edu part of the header), it also shows you who posted the message to the list (this is the on behalf of part of the header).

I keep getting errors when I try to log into the administrators web interface. What am I doing wrong?

Hmmm, tricky question... Are you sure you're using the right password? You can always use our Lyris password page to reset your password.Are you sure you're using the right user name? For most people, it's your NetID@cornell.edu. Your browser may be automatically filling in just your NetID, which is helpful but wrong.

How can I get a list of all the people who have joined my list?

You can view information about your members through the web interface. You can also save the information in a file which can be opened by Excel (and other spreadsheets and database programs). Read the details on our Managing Members page.

I'm leaving (or have left) Cornell; can I still be a list administrator or owner?

Anyone in the world can be a administrator for a CIT-hosted list as long as they are appointed to that role by the primary owner of the list. List ownership, on the other hand, is restricted to current Cornell faculty or staff members, current Cornell students, and Cornell alumni. A legitimate Cornell NetID is also required. After you graduate (or otherwise leave Cornell), it might be hard for you to send messages from your Cornell e-mail address. In that case you will need to have the primary owner or another list administrator change the address associated with you.

Questions about Using E-lists

Basic Questions

How do I join a list?

This question is covered on our Joining a List page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).

How do I leave a list?

This question is covered on our Leaving a List page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).

How do I post to a list?

This question is covered on our Posting page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).

How do I reply to a post?

This question is covered on our Posting & Replying page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).

How do I find out what lists I'm on?

This question is covered on our Which Lists page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).

Why don't my messages get posted to the list?

There are three likely reasons. Some lists only let administrators post to the list, and you are probably not an administrator. Some lists only let subscribers post to the list, so check to see if you're subscribed (see our Which Lists page for help). Some lists allow the administrators to approve or reject messages before they are posted to the list. You can contact the list administrator for more information (see our Contact an Administrator page).

I haven't gotten any messages from a particular list in a while. How do I find out if something is wrong?

Follow the instructions on our Checking Your List Settings page. If you get the "Sorry, but no one with your name or email address is listed as a member" message, you aren't a list member. Either you left the list, or you were removed by a list administrator. If the membership status message says that your membership "held," there may have been problems delivering mail to your address. In either case, your best bet is to end an e-mail message addressed to owner-listname@cornell.edu where listname is the name of the list you are writing about. For example: owner-cit-alert-L@cornell.edu (The name of all e-lists at Cornell end with a hyphen and the letter "L". Don't forget to include these!)

How do I change my e-mail address?

Join the list (in the usual way) from your new address. Then leave the list (in the usual way) from your old address. (If you cannot send mail from your old address, contact the list's administrators and ask to have your old address removed. Be sure you're clear about which address to keep and which to remove!)

Configuration Questions

How do I get messages as a daily digest (instead of each one individually)?

This question is covered on our Customizing page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).

How do I get individual messages (instead of a daily digest)?

This question is covered on our Customizing page (and the answer is too long to reproduce here).

General Questions

What's the deal with plain text?

Good question! E-list management software needs to receive commands in a plain text format (no HTML code, no colors or font changes, etc.). For the full story, please visit our Plain Text page.

How do I contact the list administrator?

Send an e-mail message addressed to owner-listname@cornell.edu where listname is the name of the list you are writing about. For example: owner-cit-alert-L@cornell.edu (The name of all e-lists at Cornell end with a hyphen and the letter "L". Don't forget to include these!)

Is a particular list hosted by CIT?

If a list has a basic e-mail address ending in "-L@cornell.edu" it is hosted by Cornell Information Technologies (CIT). See our Which Lists are CIT-hosted page for a more complete explanation. You can also check by using the Search Cornell page, typing in the name of the list in question. If the search doesn't find the list, it isn't hosted by CIT.

How can I find a list of all the e-lists hosted by CIT?

The short answer is, you can't. Making this information publicly available would expose our e-list service to increased spam and abuse. If you are interested in a particular topic, contact the department most likely to host a list on that topic, or ask someone who is in that field.