Approving Messages for a Closed or Moderated List in4 Quick Steps

1] Create a copy of the original

If you are using pine or VMS MAIL as your mail program, then use the
'forward' command to begin the approval process (if you are using Eudora,
then use the 'Send again' command; Eudora's 'forward' command adds a '>'
to the beginning of each line which will foul up things).  Address the
message to the list, just as you would if you were sending one of your
own.  You should find that the original message and its headers now make
up the body of your new message. 

2] Insert the 'Approved:' header

First, at the beginning of the message, insert the 'Approved:' header
containing your list password: 

Approved: xyxxy

3] Edit the copy to remove unwanted header lines

Cursor down to the first line of the body (this line may be blank) and
begin deleting lines until you come to the Date, To, From and Subject
lines which immediately preceed the body of the message. 

Approved: xyxxy
Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1998 10:12:36 -0700
To: testlist@lists.uoregon.edu
From: Listmaster <majordomo@lists.uoregon.edu>
Subject: an announcement

4] Send the message to the list

It will be distributed to the list with the 'From:' of the original sender
rather than your own and also the original Date and Subject. If you would
prefer it to bear the date at which you approved it instead, delete the
'Date:' header line in the forwarded copy. See example:

Approved: xyxxy
To: testlist@lists.uoregon.edu
From: Listmaster <majordomo@lists.uoregon.edu>
Subject: an announcement

This will probably require an OK from the moderator.

- lel


That's it!