STC Email List Training
How to place a subscription on moderated status and block a subscriber from posting

Why moderate posts or block a subscriber?

STC email lists are mostly self-moderating, but occasionally there are posts that violate the rules.

The rules are simple: personal attacks, advertising, and discussion of politics and religion are prohibited.

Personal attacks include criticizing the posts or work of individual members. Advertising means asking people to use your services, attend your seminar, or buy your book. Some STC lists prohibit announcements; others welcome them.

If members have doubts, the list managers are always glad to review a post before it appears on a list. Members whose posts violate the rules may have their subscription placed on moderated status, or their posts blocked at the discretion of the list manager.

How to set a subscription to moderated status

  1. Go to the website for your list, and login.
  2. Click List Admin.
  3. Click List Info > In Posting Privileges and Moderation, set Moderated to "number moderated" > Set Approve # to zero > Set Release Days to "approval is always required" > Click Save > Click Go to List Admin Menu.
  4. Click Members >Find the email address of the subscriber whose record you want to edit.
  5. Highlight the email address > Click Edit Member.
  6. Under Security, change # Approvals to “always needs approval” > Click Save.

From now on the list administrator who is set to receive administrator mail and set to moderate posts will receive a message each time the subscriber posts. Follow the instructions in the message to approve or reject each post.

There are instructions on setting up the account for a list administrator.

How to prevent a subscriber from posting

Many list administrators do not have the time or energy to moderate posts. At their discretion, list administrators may prevent a member who has violated the rules from posting. To do this:

  1. Go to the website for your list, and login.
  2. Click List Admin.
  3. Click List Info > In Security for Subscribers, in the Banned Members field, enter the email address of each subscriber you want to prevent from posting. Put each address on a separate line. > Click Save.
  4. Decline any requests from the subscriber to subscribe from another email address.

This allows the subscriber to receive mail and view the archives but prevents posting. If you plan to delete a subscriber, it is advised to check with the STC Office as the subscriber has paid dues and access to the list is one of the member benefits.

Note: These instructions have not been tested, as no list administrator has used the Banned Members field.