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Occasionally it is necessary to send emails to external students or other large groups of people who are not part of the sun domain. If you are currently using Outlook distribution lists we recommend that you switch to the much more user-friendly and functional Sympa mailing list management platform.
The reason for this is that Microsoft has started to limit the number of emails a sun email address can send to to 30 external email addresses per minute. Therefore, if you send to more recipients, Microsoft automatically blocks your account as their attempt to prevent spam. More detailed information on Microsoft’s policies regarding email limits, can be found on their website.
For many years the university has been using Sympa as mass mailing solution successfully. In fact, many of our staff and students use it to administer their lists.
Sympa is a mailing list management (MLM) software and has its roots in the academic computing community in France. Its name, which is an acronym for Système de Multi-Postage Automatique (i.e. Automatic Mailing System), also means “nice” or “friendly” in French. We’re not sure exactly why the French decided to call their mailing list system “nice”, but we can confirm that it is “friendly” to use.
By using Sympa as a platform for your group emails, you will have better control over your emails and access to handy functions such as:
- appoint one or several moderators;
- manage subscriptions and unsubscriptions;
- add a shared document web space at the subscribers’ disposal;
- answer questions from subscribers and potential subscribers about the list
- read the list archive;
- search in the message archive;
- review members of the list;
As you can see, Sympa offers much more functionality than your normal Outlook distribution list. Any staff member can use Sympa, simply go to https://sympa.sun.ac.za/sympa.
If you need any assistance in setting up your Sympa distribution list, please log a request for assistance on the ICT Partner Portal.
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Soms is dit nodig om e-pos te stuur aan eksterne studente of ander groot groepe mense wat nie deel is van die sun-domein nie. Indien jy tans Outlook verspreidingslyste gebruik, stel ons voor dat jy oorskakel na die veel vriendeliker en funksionele Sympa verspreidingslys bestuursplatform.
Die motivering agter hierdie voorstel is dat Microsoft tans die aantal e-posse wat iemand kan stuur beperk tot 30 eksterne adresse per minuut. As jy dus na meer ontvangers stuur, sal Microsoft jou rekening outomaties blok as maatreël om gemorspos te voorkom. Meer detail oor Microsoft se beleid kan op hulle webwerf gelees word.
Sympa is e-pos verspreidingslys bestuursagteware (MLM) en het ontstaan in die akademiese rekenaargemeenskap in Frankryk. Die naam is ʼn akroniem vir Système de Multi-Postage Automatique (i.e. Automatic Mailing System) en beteken ook “oulik” of “vriendelik” in Frans. Ons is nie heeltemal seker hoekom die Franse besluit het om hulle e-pos verspreidingstelsel “oulik” te noem nie, maar ons kan bevestig dat dit wel “vriendelik” is om te gebruik.
Deur Sympa te gebruik vir jou groep e-posse, sal jy beter beheer hê oor jou e-posse, asook toegang tot handige funksies soos:
- stel een of meer moderators aan;
- bestuur intekenings en uittekenings;
- skep ʼn gedeelde dokument webspasie vir jou intekenaars;
- antwoord vrae oor die lys van intekenaars en potensiële intekenaars;
- lees die lys-argief;
- soek in die boodskap-argief;
- hersien die lyslede.
Soos jy kan sien, bied Sympa baie meer funksionaliteit as jou standaard Outlook verspreidingslys.
Enige personeellid of student kan Sympa gebruik – gaan bloot na https://sympa.sun.ac.za/sympa en volg die instruksies. Indien jy enige hulp nodig het met die opstelling van jou Sympa verspreidingslys, teken asseblief `n versoek aan op die ICT Partner Portal.
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If you’ve used Outlook to send emails to large group of people up till now, you would’ve noticed it limits you to 120 addresses. Sympa allows you to send to an unlimited amount of addresses. You can also create multiple lists and choose descriptive names for your lists. Just remember, the list’s name is also the email address you’ll be sending your mails from, so choose wisely.