Mailman Request Form Help

Last updated: January 25, 2024
Audience: StudentsInstructorsStaff

This information applies to: Old Mailman New Mailman

Learn how to fill out the Mailman List request form.

Use the Mailman List Request form to request a standard Mailman list. Customizing the configuration and adding the list subscribers are done after the list has been set up on the Mailman server. When you complete and submit this form, it is sent via email to UW Technology. You’ll be notified by email when the list is set up or if there are any questions.

Primary Mailman List Owner

The primary Mailman owner is responsible for the list’s use and operation and is the default manager of the list. Once the list is created, the owner can add more owners and delegate certain responsibilities to different owners. One owner must be a current student, faculty, or staff at the UW, and all owners must have a valid UW NetID.

If the list is moderated, the owner will receive and moderate all messages sent to the list. However, the owner may designate someone else to be moderator.

By default, the Mailman List Request form will fill in the NetID you signed in with and use your phone number from the directory. You may change either of these.


How to Choose a Mailman List Name

Choose one word that conveys the purpose of the list and meets the following conditions:

  • The name must not begin with a number.
  • The name must contain only alphanumeric characters, hyphens “-” and underscores “_”.
  • The name must not contain a space or spaces. For example, use “my_list” or “my-list”, not “my list”.
  • The name cannot end in “-admin”, “-owner”, “-request”, “-subscribe”, “-unsubscribe”, “-bounces”, “-confirm”, “-join”, or “-leave” (but ending in those words without the hyphen is OK).
  • The name cannot begin with “a_”, “c_”, “g_”, “r_”, “u_”, “og_”, “uw_”, “course_”, “eadm_”, “sadm_”, “site_”, “tadm_, “wadm_”, “uwtel_”, or “medtel_”.
  • The name must be unique for the mailman@u server.
  • The name must not match any existing UW NetID.
  • List names are NOT case-sensitive.
  • The name may contain a maximum of 32 characters.

Examples:
SOC_GRADS
RETIREMENT
GREEKS

Email sent to the list you create goes to the name of the list, in the ‘uw.edu‘ domain. For example:

retirement@uw.edu

When you fill in the name of the list, the form will automatically check to see if this name is available.  Choose another list name if yours first choice name is already is in use.


A Brief Description of the Purpose of the List

The list description will be available on your list’s Information page.

Your list description should describe the purpose of the list in 50 characters or less. For example:

Sociology graduate student discussions
Persons planning to retire soon
Greek Council Planning Committees


A Moderated Mailman List

A Mailman list can be configured to be moderated or unmoderated. Moderation means that messages sent to the list address first go to someone who has the power to approve them before they are distributed to the list subscribers.

By default, the list owner is the moderator, but the owner can designate another person to be moderator. The list owner can add and remove moderators at any time.


Mailman Message Archives

A Mailman list can be configured to store messages posted to the list in an online archive. The messages will be organized by month (by default), and you can download a compressed file of the month’s archived messages.

Note: Your list’s archives may be considered public records. For more information, see our Mailman policy page.


Comments or Additional Information

Use this section to add any additional comments, ask questions, or provide additional information. You can also use this section to request a new name for a current list; list the new name at the top of the form.