[UCIMC-Tech] UC-IMC mail server access

Thu Sep 29 10:19:44 CDT 2011

Mike,
I just reset the imc-space list admin password. You should receive an email
with it.

Chris

On Thu, Sep 29, 2011 at 10:08 AM, Mike Lehman <rebelmike at earthlink.net>wrote:

>  Chris,
> Just to be clear. I'm not at all questioning the need to reserve the
> uber-PW. But it serves as a prime example of what can go wrong when things
> are less than perfect -- as they always are in real life.
>
> It's just that anyone managing multiple lists with individual PWs is going
> to to run into issues keeping it all straight sooner -- if you're like me --
> or later. Add in multiple admins or mods and things explode exponentially.
> Then people start taking various shortcuts...
> That's how I ended up with the uber-PW in the first place.
>
> That is what I called an admin issue. If a mod or admin has a sitewide PW
> for the lists they are authorized to handle, it automatically removes a
> large realm of things that can go wrong (while also introducing a few new
> ones) from the human frailty zone.
>
> *** Anyway, now I need the IMC-Space PW reset, please, somehow locked
> myself out rejiggering things and I'm the only one on it. ***
>
> I certainly agree that documenting things and training on mail list basics
> is a great idea. Having one IMC-wide policy/protocol would be a dream -- and
> probably is if we expect people to actually follow it.
>
> However, right now I'm the last person who has time for any of that. I'm
> hoping that once all the energy wasted on arguing about structure ends with
> that it can be redirected to more practical and pressing needs like these,
> so maybe there's a pool of interest there...
> OK, I'm just kidding.
>
> Mike Lehman
>
>
> On 9/25/2011 1:32 PM, Chris Ritzo wrote:
>
> Mike,
> While setting these passwords, I thought of a way we can share these
> passwords between admins until some other solution is put into place.
> Documenting on the IMC wiki.
>
> I've made a page on the Finance wiki section as an example:
> http://wiki.ucimc.org/bin/view/Finance/ListeservInformation
>
> Wiki topics can be restricted to be only viewable by folks in the group,
> and the login and password to acecss the wiki is provided by our central
> account service at http://accounts.chambana.net
>
> So in theory, as long as current list admins maintain access to their
> central chambana.net account, and the group documents the shared admin
> and/or moderator passwords on the group's wiki pages, multiple admins can
> share the responsibility of admining the lists.
>
> This is a proposed solution of course, & groups should do what works best
> for them.
>
> Chris
>
> On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 12:17 PM, Chris Ritzo <chris.ritzo at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Another part of the issue here is that we all could do a better job of
>> passing admin information along as people change within working groups. Tech
>> has thankfully done a much better job of that recently so we actually have
>> had knowledge/info transfer when folks move into new roles.
>>
>> We can certainly look into more robust listserv software, or
>> modifying/upgrading what we have to support the needs of the collective.
>> That being said, Mike, your comments in this thread about things not working
>> are the first tech has really heard about lists not working or barriers to
>> shared administration for new people. We can help by providing new people
>> with information on how the current setup works and mentor them as new
>> moderators/admins. We need to spend the FTF time necessary for these core
>> issues.
>>
>> I'll reset the admin password for the lists you mentioned. You and the
>> other listed admins will receive an email with the new password. For the
>> forseeable future though, admins will need to share a common list password
>> per list.
>>
>> I think that keeping the master password private to IMC Tech folks is
>> paramount at this point. If it facilitates more communication between
>> members who are actively administering/moderating lists, I think that's a
>> good thing. I'm sure that sharing the master list password was done out of
>> convenience, but it's clearly been shared too widely. I recognize the need
>> for individualized password and will work on that but for security purposes
>> we just can't be sharing the master list password for regular list
>> administering anymore.
>>
>> Maybe we need to have a Mailman list admin/moderator training? Mike would
>> you be willing to help with that? While it's tough to get people in a room
>> together sometimes, it would facilitate current list admins communicating
>> how to properly admin lists and how often.
>>
>> Chris
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 9:20 AM, Mike Lehman <rebelmike at earthlink.net>wrote:
>>
>>>  Chris,
>>> No problem, except I'm going to need PWs for the following lists:
>>> IMC-Bookkeeper
>>> IMC-Production
>>> IMC-Fundraising
>>>
>>> There are probably more, but I'll note those as needed.
>>>
>>> How we found ourselves here is instructive. I ended up with the uber-PW
>>> -- I suspect -- is because of the multiple admin requests that needed to be
>>> made to the person who gave it to me (note that I did not ask for it.) Now,
>>> part of this is due to the list proliferation of the early years -- a list
>>> for everything and everything in its place.
>>>
>>> But the main reason this happened is because current list software
>>> doesn't accommodate multiple admins/mods who each have personalized PWs that
>>> are useful across multiple lists. Instead, each list is stuck with sharing a
>>> specific list PW, which has to be coordinated among whoever is associated
>>> with each list.
>>>
>>> I know at one time there was some discussion about an update to the list
>>> software that could accommodate indvidualized admin/mod PW across multiple
>>> lists. Not sure about the status of that now.
>>>
>>> I do know that dealing with multiple PWs that need to be managed and
>>> disseminated across diverse groups of people associated with each list is a
>>> PITA, even when one has plenty of time on one's hands. I share your concern
>>> about limiting access to the site code and agree that this needed tightening
>>> up.  Don't mind not having it, as it's easier to direct people to the Tech
>>> list than to actually assist them.
>>>
>>> But I fear we've left the same situation in place that led to me ending
>>> up with that code in the first place. Eventually, a different, better
>>> solution is needed to the way PWs are handled. I'm sure we'll muddle along
>>> until then, but some sort of better solution needs to be made. We simply
>>> don't sit F2F enough anymore to make sharing one PW really viable in most
>>> cases, which is going to lead to a lot of frustration and people avoiding
>>> helping with admin/mod tasks that see them unwilling to take on the burden
>>> of managing multiple PWs like we do now. Then there's just a few of us to
>>> handle everything, which is where we're stuck at now.
>>>
>>> In my own case, I'm doing my best to slip this work to others, but that's
>>> not been happening as fast as I'd like it to. The marginal PW management
>>> capabilities of the current software will only slow that further because it
>>> discourages people from getting involved and complicates the admin/mod
>>> experience when anyone has more than one list to manage.
>>>  Mike
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 9/23/2011 8:10 PM, Chris Ritzo wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Mike, Andrew,
>>>
>>> I did update the master site mailman password recently which I don't plan
>>> to disseminate outside IMC-tech members who are actively needed to have
>>> blanket access across all lists.
>>>
>>> I'm happy however to set the list admin password for any that's needed.
>>> Mike is correct that there is one admin password per list that is to be
>>> shared among list admins. Here's a list of the existing lists for RFU:
>>>
>>>   *RFU* <http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/rfu> Radio Free
>>> Urbana mail list  *rfu-automation*<http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/rfu-automation> rfu
>>> automation, traffic, and music  *Rfu-finance*<http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/rfu-finance> WRFU
>>> Budget/Fundraising Working Group  *rfu-membership*<http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/rfu-membership> RFU
>>> Membership and Training  *Rfu-outreach*<http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/rfu-outreach> Fundraising
>>> and Outreach effort  *Rfu-schedule*<http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/rfu-schedule> Administrative
>>> list for WRFU schedule working group  *Rfu-station*<http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/rfu-station> RFU
>>> Official Station Communications  *rfu-tech*<http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/rfu-tech> RFU
>>> Technical
>>> I'll change the RFU list admin password and any others you need. When the
>>> password is changed, the current list admins will be emailed the password
>>> automatically by mailman.
>>>
>>> Regarding deactivation of inactive lists, we generally don't do anything
>>> unless the list admins let us know to do so.
>>> If there's anything else needed just let us know.
>>>
>>> -Chris
>>>
>>>  On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 6:23 PM, Mike Lehman <rebelmike at earthlink.net>wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi Andrew,
>>>> Yes, Chris updated the site-wide PW recently. I actually don't have one
>>>> myself, although have requested the new one, as I have roughly half-a-dozen
>>>> lists I admin and regularly have people (You!:-) ) come to me to fix things
>>>> for them. I know that they have been updating list-specific PWs on request,
>>>> but I've been laying low and so far watching for critical stuff hasn't
>>>> yielded the need to do that for the multiple lists I deal with, which could
>>>> get complicated.
>>>>
>>>> Chris,
>>>> Can you advise what you want to do to help Andrew out. I know we're
>>>> probably wisely constraining the renewed site-wide PW, but Andrew at least
>>>> needs access to RFU.
>>>>
>>>> Also, don't know if it's relevant, but I think we're still stuck with a
>>>> single specific PW per list, right? If that's the case, then we'll have to
>>>> coordinate its dissemination with RFU, which can be dicey -- or maybe Andrew
>>>> can get it and notify those who also need to know it about the change?
>>>> Mike
>>>>
>>>> On 9/23/2011 4:43 PM, Dr Andrew Ó Baoill wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Mike,
>>>>>
>>>>> Not sure who to contact about this, and hoping you can throw it onward
>>>>> to someone who can deal with it.
>>>>>
>>>>> In the past week or two I've been unable to access the RFU mailing list
>>>>> to administer it. It seems the master password, which I'd been using to
>>>>> access mailing list administration, has been changed (probably not a bad
>>>>> thing). However, I'm not sure of the list-specific password I can use to log
>>>>> in and moderate posts.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks for your help.
>>>>>
>>>>> Andrew
>>>>>
>>>>> Dr. Andrew Ó Baoill
>>>>> andrew at funferal.org
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> IMC-Tech at lists.chambana.net
>>>> http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/imc-tech
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> IMC-Tech at lists.chambana.net
>>> http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/imc-tech
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
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