Dan,

>automate signups for your Lists AND Listservs or only your lists?

It is possible to automate some steps in the signup process for a list;
for example, you can cause identification requests or welcome messages
to be sent to potential or new subscribers. As for passworded access to
list resources, you can't provide it (as the relevant passwords will
belong to the respective subscribers rather than to you) but you can
notify subscribers (automatically if you like) of its availability.

>Is the signup process automated to the point where you don't need to get
>involved as administrators?

It depends. If you're screening potential subscribers, for example approving
their subscriptions only after receiving identification messages from them,
obviously your involvement will be extensive. But if yours is meant to be a
list that anyone can join, you won't need to do much to help get them
subscribed.

>How can I direct the user from the user's mailbox confirmation link to a
>generic page that says 'Thanks for signing up'?

I'm not sure why you would want to. Why not just send a welcome message that
identifies the URL of the page where they can, if they wish, sign in for
passworded Web access to the list's resources?

>Does the new user have to also sign up for the Listserv (besides the
>individual list)?

Passworded access to list resources is not needed for the average subscriber;
generally, they can use just password-free e-mail commands for subscribing,
unsubscribing, toggling a NoMail setting to suit their vacation schedules,
searching the message archives, and so on.

>Is it recommended that all users sign up

No, just make them aware of the availability of this extra (as that's all
that passworded access is for most subscribers).


Chuck Brandstater
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