Electronic Distribution Lists (EDL)

Electronic Distribution Lists (EDL) is a simple to use, web based electronic mailing list application available to McMaster employees and MSU Clubs (with sponsorship by a permanent McMaster employee).

EDL list owners are responsible for opening lists to allow email to be delivered and closing lists so that email is rejected. This prevents spam being sent to list members.

If you have any questions, or are unable to resolve your issue, support can be received via the Service Desk.

Service Desk

Who can use it?

Permanent Faculty and staff who have a MacID can request EDL lists. The person requesting the list becomes the owner of the list. Additional owners can be designated. List owners are responsible for list management to allow email to be delivered and closing lists so that email is rejected. This prevents spam being sent to list members.

How much does it cost?

There is no cost associated with this service.

Service availability:

24/7

How to get it:

EDL Login

What is an EDL?

An Electronic Distribution Lists (EDL) is an application available to McMaster Staff and Faculty to send informative and pertinent information to a number of email addresses at one time. This application allows for one person to send to many addresses at one time, as one email. The application provides for a simple to use, web based interface into which the addresses are input, pasted or uploaded. The addresses are stored in the list until removed. New addresses can be added and old ones deleted.

 

Can the owner control what gets sent to the list?

EDL does not provide for moderated lists or the ability for customers to subscribe and unsubscribe themselves. Since the lists are unmoderated (meaning no approval is required to send to the list), owners are strongly encouraged to keep the list in a closed state until it needs to be used. Additional information can be found at the bottom of the page under Best Practices.

General Usage information

List Status

By default, the list status is set to “closed” upon list creation.

Click the button to Open or Close your list as required.

  • Open: email can be sent to your list
  • Closed: email cannot be sent to your list

When sending, use the bcc field not the To: field

Using the bcc field will reduce the likelihood of spam being sent to the list, and protect the addresses on the list. See the “Best Practices” section below.

List Members

  • Recipients of your list are displayed in the List Members text box.
  • Members can be added or removed from this box, manually or via cut and paste.
  • one email address per line. Only the email address, without quotes, brackets, etc., should be included.
    Examples:

    • “sample@mcmaster.ca” – invalid
    • John Doe <sample@mcmaster.ca>- invalid</sample@mcmaster.ca>
    • sample1@mcmaster.ca, sample2@mcmaster.ca – invalid
    • sample@mcmaster.ca – valid
  • Email addresses in formats other than that valid sample above will cause emails sent to your list to fail.
  • Click the Update button to submit any changes made.
  • Click the Clear button to delete all members from the list.

Upload List File

  • You can upload list members via a plain ascii text file; one email address per line. (Note that the uploaded file overwrites the current list.)
  • Click Browse to select the list file on your system.
  • Click Upload to submit the file.

Return

  • Click Return to go back to the list selection screen.

Electronic Distribution Lists Best Practices

Email Distribution Recommendations:

  • All email messages going out to multiple recipients must follow CASL requirements, which include a real person’s contact information. More information about McMaster’s policy with respects to CASL is here – http://www.mcmaster.ca/univsec/casl/compliance.html
  • Ideally all messages sent, regardless of recipient, should have a signature footer stating at least full name, department, McMaster University, email address and contact phone number (Extension).
  • It is not good practice to send attachments where the message could be, equally and easily, conveyed in the body of the email. The use of attachments is a common attack vector of phishing attacks and so is strongly discouraged, especially when used this way. Attachments also unnecessary use additional bandwidth capacity, increases load on email servers, and takes up storage due to many duplicate copies of the same attachments in people’s email inboxes.
  • If the attachment is absolutely necessary, then please consider also providing the content of the attachment in the body of the email and then reference the attachment as a copy. This gives people the information that is required but allows them to make a choice on whether they trust the attachment or not. The body text of a message cannot compromise a person’s system, but a malicious attachment can.
  • Alternatively, provide the url address to the information online. The message should still be encapsulated in the body of the email. Do not obfuscate the url or use click tracking or marketing services which may modify or hide the true url. The url should be easily recognizable as coming from McMaster. The simpler the url the better.
Learn More

Expandable List

Please visit our Contact Us page, select the method that is best for you and follow the appropriate steps.

New List Request

When requesting a new list please provide the following information

  • The MacID of the requested list owners
  • the list name requested
  • a brief description of the list

The maximum length for any distribution list is 15 characters including a single character plus a hyphen (eg d-, c-, m-) prefix to the requested name of the list.

List owners are responsible for list management (including the list of contained email addresses), and distributions to the list.

List Removal Request

Please follow the instructions noted above. Note- list removal requests must be submitted by an owner of the list. Please identify in the comments that the list is to be deleted.