Having problems making things work? Can't contact a list custodian? Instructions unclear? Need information about this site you can't find? This page contains answers to our most common technical questions about list operationand will help you get in touch with the site custodian. (But don't ask for help until you've read all the instructions.)
What's a FAQ?
A Frequently Asked Question. FAQ is a common abbreviation on the Internet; many newsgroups and email lists like this one have a list of FAQs (with answers) to assist confused subscribers.
What's an ISP?
An Internet Service Provider. The term usually refers to a commercial Internet service company. But for the purposes of this document, it refers to whatever company or organization is providing your email service. Many of the problems you may encounter here can not be resolved by the custodian of this list; you will need to contact whomever is responsible for supporting your email service, regardless of whether it's a commercial service, your employer, your school, etc. To simplify things, the term ISP will be used generically in these cases.
How do I subscribe to FOL?
Read the subscriber instructions, make sure you understand the rules, then follow the instructions for subscribing.
I followed those instructions and nothing happened. I got no response.
The most likely cause is an incorrect return address on the message you sent. If you're using somebody else's computer, or haven't configured your mail software properly, the server doesn't know where to send the confirmation response. It probably sent a response somewhere, just not to you.
It's not using the address I asked it to
You can't "ask" it to use an address. It ignores anything you tell it in the message, and uses the address from which you sent the message.
I don't like that. I want to subscribe for a different address.
Tough. You can't. You must send the subscription request from the address that you wish to subscribe with. If you can't send mail from that address, you shouldn't be trying to add it to a mailing list.
What do we talk about here?
Lots of good stuff. We try to keep the discussion to issues relating to "mounted foxhunting and related topics". That covers a lot of ground. One of our subscribers contributed this list of topics that have been discussed here:
Horses: training, breeding, confirmation, selling, riding, shoeing, feeding,
fencing, best breeds to hunt, what to do when they--go to fast/slow, won't
get on the trailer, won't jump, won't eat, do kick, etc.
Trailers: what to pull them with, what brand to get, slant load vs. straight
load, gooseneck vs. bumper pull, etc.
Hounds: breeding, caring for, showing, kenneling, hunting, walking, etc.
Foxes: legend, reality, red ones, gray ones, habitat, habits, stuffing them,
viewing them, chasing them
Animal rights: Peta, HSUS, topless british girls, laws, other hunters,
protests
Attire: what to wear, what not to wear, when to wear it, boots, buttons,
collars, colors, glove color, how to tie a stock, frock coats, melton coats,
tweed coats, hacking jackets, approved vs. non-approved helmets vs. top
hats, hair nets, underwear, warm socks etc.
Eating and Drinking: when to drink, what to drink, the whoopee wagon, what
goes best in a flask, hunt breakfasts.
That's not necessarily a complete list of all the topics that should be, or have been, discussed here, but it should give you some idea about the flavor of discussion here. There's a lot of latitude, but try to avoid straying into discussions of other issues which have absolutely no connection to foxhunting.
How do I get off this darn list?
Send mail to
fol-unsubscribe@foxhunters.org
(or fol-digest-unsubscribe@foxhunters.org
if you are subscribed to the digest). It doesn't matter what you say in that message; anything you say will be ignored. Your message will be read by a list server (computer), not a human, and the server considers any message sent to the above address to be a unsubscribe request, using the address from which you sent the message. You will receive a confirmation message, and must reply to the address contained in it. This extra step prevents someone from "forging" an unsubscribe request from you.
I tried that, and it told me I couldn't unsubscribe because I'm not subscribed. But I'm still getting messages, so I know I am.
One possible reason is that you are trying to unsubscribe from the wrong form of the list (regular vs digest). Make sure you sent the request to the right address as indicated above.
Another possible reason is that the unsubscribe request came from an address that the server does not recognize as being on the list.
The unsubscribe request must be sent from precisely the same address as you used for your original subscription request. Otherwise, the server doesn't recognize you. See this answer for more explanation.
I'm trying to post a message, but it says I'm not a subscriber. But I know I am, because I'm getting mail from the list. The server hasn't lost its mind; the answer is very simple (and unfortuantely common), although the cause (and the solution) may be a little more complex. The server is rejecting the messages you send because the return address on them is not on the subscription list. When you originally subscribed, the return address on your request was added to the subscription list. That address is being used to send messages to you, and you are apparently receiving them. But the messages you're sending no longer contain that same address, so the server thinks you're somebody else.
There are several possible reasons for this. Maybe you're reading your mail on a different computer than you usually use, and it's not putting your usual return address on your outgoing messages. Maybe you're reading messages that have been forwarded to another account. Maybe your ISP has made some kind of configuration change that changed your return address. ISPs frequently do this, figuring that as long as they make sure mail sent to your old address gets to you, then everything is OK; they don't consider automated systems that use your return address to identify you.
To fix this, you'll need to follow the address change instructions below to change your addresss on the subscription list.
I got a warning that my mail was bouncing, but I'm getting mail from FOL.
It was probably a temporary glitch at your ISP. Frequently, a temporary problem will cause a message to be rejected. Any time a message to you bounces, the server waits 3 days and then sends you a warning. The delay can be a little confusing, but there's a good reason for it. If the warning was sent immediately, it would probably bounce too. The delayed warning lets you know that there was a problem. If you get the warning, the problem has probably been fixed, but at least one FOL message was returned as undeliverable by your ISP. If they claim otherwise, they're lying. The bounce message you received contains proof of that; it contains the response from your ISP saying they couldn't deliver the message. If the problem persists and the warning is also bounced, you will be removed from the list. Browsing the archives is a good way to see all the recent FOL messages and see which ones you didn't receive via email. If you want more information about why the message was bounced, forward the warning you received to your ISP's support department and ask them. They're the ones bouncing your mail; they're the ones you're paying for support; they're the ones who owe you an explanation. The FOL administrator can not tell you why your ISP is rejecting mail that it should deliver to you. The warning you received contains whatever information your ISP chose to provide about why they rejected the message. In some cases, that message is very self-explanatory, or may provide a link to a web page with additional explanation. In other cases, it provides almost no information at all, but the FOL admininstrator has no more clue about it than you do. It's your ISP's problem. If that is beginning to sound repetitive, that's because so many people have failed to grasp the very simple concept that a lone volunteer manager can not be provided to provide technical support for every ISP out there.
My email address has changed; how do I change my subscription?
Very simple. Send an unsubscribe request from your old address, and a subscribe request from your new one.
My old account is already cancelled, so I can't send an unsub request from that address
Then you have two choices. If you are no longer receiving mail sent to that address, just don't worry about it. Just sign up with the new address. Your old address will eventually be removed automatically after messages to it get rejected. If you're still receiving email sent to the old address and want it turned off, there's a way to do that.
Look at the full headers of any message sent from FOL to your old address. There will be a List-Unsubscribe header with a customized unsubscribe address. It will look like
List-Unsubscribe: <fol-unsubscribe-you=somewhere.com@foxhunters.org>
Send a message to the address in that header. In this case, since you are specifically telling the server which address to remove, you can send the request from anywherre. You will receive a confirmation request sent to the address which you are requesting to be unsubscribed, the same way you are receiving other mail sent to that address, and must respond to it. This confirmation step prevents someone else from using this trick to send an unsub request for your address.
Why did I stop receiving FOL mail?
If you haven't received any FOL mail for a couple of days, there are several possible reasons.
1) The simplest (but least likely) is that nobody has anything to say. Considering how gabby this group is, it's hard to believe that there are occasional lulls when nobody sends anything. It does happen occasionally, so that may be the problem.
2) People are trying to send messages, but the list server isn't processing anything. The service is fairly reliable, but there are occasional outages.
3) People are sending lots of good stuff, and the server is diligently trying to send it to you, but it's not getting there. Your ISP could be having problems with their mail service, or could be rejecting FOL mail for some reason. That happens a lot. It's amazing that some ISPs can get away with charging for the kind of service (or lack thereof) that they provide.
4) People are sending lots of good stuff, and the server is diligently sending it to everybody except you. It's possible that you have been removed from the list. This happens if your ISP starts rejecting a lot of your mail (see 3 above). When this happens, the server will attempt to send you a warning. If the warning is rejected, you will be removed from the list. After your ISP gets the problem corrected, you can re-subscribe.
So how do I tell which of the above is the problem?
First of all, please do not send a "test" message just to see if you receive it. This is a nuisance to other subscribers. FOL is not a diagnostic facility to test your own email problems. If you actually have something to say about foxhunting, then go ahead and send that as a test. If you have nothing interesting to contribute, don't send anything. Take a look at the recent FOL archives. If there are no new messages there, then the answer is probably 1) nobody else has anything to say either. If you can't connect to the archives, then the answer is probably 2) something is broken. Please be patient until it gets fixed. If you get connected and see lots of good stuff that you haven't received via email, then it's probably 3) or 4), especially if you haven't received any mail from other sources either. You might want to contact your ISP and ask if they have had any problems. You can also try to re-subscribe and see what happens. If you don't get any response from the server, then you probably have an email problem regardless of what your ISP claims.
I tried to send a message, and it said I'm not allowed to post messages to FOL. Why?
As explained in the guidelines you were asked to read when you subscribed, subscribers are expected to show some consideration for their peers by following some simple rules of netiquette which are commonly imposed on groups such as this. If you're not willing to play by the rules, you can't play. Most of the infractions that cause people to be muzzled fall under the Big Two: Stay on Topic and Trim Your Replies
My message got rejected, and there's nothing wrong with it! It's short, on-topic, and contains no repetition of previous messages.
That's very possible. The server is not smart enough to analyze the content of your message and decide whether or not to allow it through (don't I wish!!!) If your message was rejected, that's because you were "turned off" after previous messages from you broke the rules. Once the server has been told you're a bad guy, that's it; even good messages from bad guys will get rejected.
Why do you make such a big deal about this trivial stuff?
That's explained in the guidelines. If you didn't bother to read them, do it now. If you did read them and don't agree with the reasoning, that's too bad. Find another place to play.
Why don't you warn people before turning them off?
You got your warning when you subscribed. If you didn't read it, or didn't think it applied to you, that's your problem. It's too time-consuming to send individual messages to people who didn't bother to read and follow the instructions. That's why the instructions are there; to eliminate the need to repeat the same stuff over and over again to each person. If you don't have time to read them, then this isn't the right place for you.
Okay, I'll play nice. How do I get my privileges reinstated?
Oh, so now you're willing to play nice! You didn't give a damn about following the rules until somebody forced you to, and now you want amnesty? If you've got a really good or creative explanation for why you broke the rules, and why you should be trusted to follow them now, you can try pleading your case to the list custodian. Due to time constraints, don't expect to receive a response, but if you plead your case well, you mightfind yourself able to to post messages again.
I'm going on vacation. How do I stop
e-mail until I return?
Just un-subscribe before you leave, then re-subscribe when you return.
What are digests, and why do I want to subscribe to them? Most mailing lists are set up so that when a message is posted to the list, it's sent to list subscribers. For fastest turnaround, this is the best way to subscribe. Some users, though, don't need this immediate delivery, and especially with busy lists, find the constant interruption by list e-mail irritating or hard to keep up with.
Subscribing to the digest version of a list means that the list server keeps copies of all of the messages, and then every so often, packages them up into a single, larger piece of e-mail for delivery to users. Digests are sent when they reach a certain size, so the frequency of digests will vary depending on how busy the list is.
Digests may be useful for people who do not check their mail often, and do not participate actively in the discussion. If you read your mail frequently and wish to reply to messages as soon as possible, you probably will prefer to use the regular mail option.
To subscribe to the digest form of the list, send a message to
fol-digest-subscribe@foxhunters.org.
The contents of your message are unimportant; the address is the only info the server needs. You will receive a confirmation message and must reply to it. If you have already subscribed to the "regular" form of the list, you'll probably want to un-subscribe from it after subscribing to the digest. Otherwise, you'll get both formats, which is probably not what you want.
If you decide you don't like the digest mode and want to switch back to getting individual messages as they are sent, reverse the above process. Unsubscribe from the digest by sending mail to
fol-digest-unsubscribe@foxhunters.org
and then subscribe to the regular list. You will need to reply to confirmations for both requests.
I'm trying to filter my maillists. How do I
tell which list a message is from?
How you set up mail filters depends on the mail client you use,
but if you want to build a filter to identify FOL mail, the
best header line to filter on is the To: line, which will be:
To: Foxhunters OnLine <Foxhunters@foxhunters.org>
What are filters good for? Every person who uses them uses them differently, but they can be very helpful in sorting or prioritizing mail. Some people is use filters to filter every mailing list into its own folder in their mail client.
If you haven't tried filters, read the documentation for your mail client and see if they support it, and then experiment. You'll probably find quickly that it makes your life MUCH easier and cuts down on the mail-overload and confusion so many users I talk to have from too much mail. Filters allow you to decide what's important and what can be put off until later, and then lets you teach that to your mail client so it sorts your mail automatically. Well worth spending a little time how to use if you haven't already discovered them.
Why is the list manager such a grouch?
The list manager is just an individual foxhunter like yourself (who actually DOES have a sense of humor), trying to provide a service which can be enjoyed by as many foxhunters as possible, with limited time and resources. He expects subscribers to realize that they're communicating with hundreds of others whom they don't know, and show consideration for them by realizing that they don't all want their mailboxes filled with stuff of no interest to them. Please remember when he starts casting thunderbolts about inappropriate messages that it's for the benefit of all, not just himself, and in fact he may be acting in response to complaints from others. He may even have enjoyed whatever it is that he's complaining about, but has to consider the hundreds of others who may feel that it's not what they signed up for. People subscribed to this list because they share your interest in foxhunting; it's not safe to assume they share your interest in other topics. If you wish to discuss other interests, there are other places to do so. This may seem anal-retentive, but if everybody feels free to chat about whatever strikes their fancy, the foxhunting discussion gets lost in the babble and this list loses its raison-d'etre.
Also remember that there's hundreds of you and just one of him, so show some consideration for him by not wasting his time with pleas for assistance that you could resolve with just a little more effort on your part. You may think it's no big deal to ask "How do I unsubscribe?" or "Is there a digest version of this list?" or "Why did I stop getting mail?" or "Can you resend me the message about ...?" or "My friend wants to subscribe. Can you help?" And individually, it is no big deal. But multiplied by the number of subscribers, it can become a big deal. So look for answers here first.
Also consider whether your question should be addressed to your ISP's tech support department instead of the FOL administrator. Many of the problems experienced by FOL subscribers are caused by glitches at ISPs. There is no way the FOL administrator can debug problems at your ISP. You're paying them for support; use it. If they're rejecting mail that's sent to you, it's their job to tell you why, and they're getting paid for it.
Please read the instructions and the help information on these pages. Well over 90% of the questions asked are already answered on-line, if your question is answered here, you may be simply referred back to these pages, or ignored. There is not time to walk every user through using the system personally -- your cooperation is needed here to help keep things working smoothly.
If your question isn't answered here, and you still need help, send email to FOL-admin@foxhunters.org. Please include as much information as possible about the problem you're having, including the complete responses, if any, you have received from the FOL server. If you don't provide the information necessary to resolve your problem, your request will probably be ignored. Saying something vague like "I tried to unsubscribe and it didn't work" is not sufficient. You need to say what "didn't work" means. Did you get a response? If so, what did it say? If not, give the approximate date/time that you tried. What is your email address? Has it changed recently? Provide any other details that might be useful. And please be patient; the list manager is a single individual and can not provide instantaneous 24/7 response. And he's too lazy to waste his time asking for information that you were too lazy to provide in your original request.[ FOL home ]