Mailman Owner and Usage Policy

Mailman is a resource provided and operated with Washington State funds and its use is governed by federal and state laws and policies, as well as University of Washington policies. You may establish and use Mailman lists only for activities related to UW research, education, or administration.

Mailman lists may be established for UW students, faculty, or staff who need a list to further their work at the University. Staff ownership and use of Mailman lists is subject to the approval of their departments and supervisors.

All Mailman lists must have at least one owner who is a current UW student, faculty, or staff. Additional owners do not have to be affiliated with the UW. All Mailman list owners (including owners not affiliated with the UW) must have a valid UW NetID. Send email to help@u.washington.edu for information on how to sponsor a UW NetID for non-UW owners. Any list without a current UW student, faculty, or staff owner may be discontinued. Advance warning will be given to list owners before the list is discontinued.

Mailman owners agree to properly maintain their lists. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Removing invalid member email addresses at least weekly
• Tending to held messages or subscription requests at least weekly
• Limiting the amount of spam that is distributed to list members

These procedures are important because they help keep email flowing smoothly and keep the UW from being blacklisted as a source of spam. If list owners do not follow these procedures, they risk having their list disabled. UW Technology will issue advance warning to list owners before disabling the list. However, if a list is not properly maintained and causes the UW to be blacklisted, the list will be disabled immediately.

See Guidelines for Use of UW Computing and Networking Resources for more information on usage policies.