Filter messages you receive from the email list

The purpose of the Lasqueti email list is simple and well captured by our motto:

"Together we can talk and solve our problems."

To achieve this simple goal is a significant challenge. It requires carefully balancing free, open speech with the need to create an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome to participate. This is the fine line, drawn and walked by your list moderation team.

This "how-to" shows you a couple ways to gain more control over where this balance lies -- to allow you to take control over what you receive in your inbox from the mail list.

Default Settings

By default, the email list sends you all messages approved by the list moderators. If you are happy receiving all messages, you need take no action and can stop reading now.

Filtering out Messages

There are 2 ways to filter messages out of your inbox:

Mail client "Rules" or "Filters" (client-side)
Mailman "Topics" (server-side)

In both cases you MUST configure your subscription settings to receive individual messages. The daily digest is compiled once per day and sent out to all subscribers who choose to receive the list as a digest -- there is no way to filter out individual messages from a digest. So...

Step 1: "Set Digest Mode" : "Off"

edit your email list subscription options
choose "Off" for the "Set Digest Mode" option
save

Set subscription digest mode Now you will receive each message as it is approved by the list moderators. Next, choose a method to filter those incominig messages.

Filtering with Mail Client Rules

Your mail client (the program you use to check email) likely has a powerful tool that allows you to filter and sort email as it arrives in your inbox. This is the ideal solution as it provides you with the most control and flexibility to filter on exactly the criteria important to you.

The subject line of all email from the list starts with "[Lasqueti Email List]" -- this makes a good criteria to start defining your filter. Then add additional criteria to target the messages you want to filter out.

This applies to most desktop / laptop mail clients (e.g., Mac Mail, Thunderbird, Outlook, and the Gmail Webmail client). Generally, mobile mail clients don't support this feature, so if you use an phone or tablet to check your email, you probably won't find this option.

We hope to publish some guides and/or hold some workshops to help people with this, but given the range of email clients, that's a big job. For now, try a Google search for your specific mail client, like " Mac Mail rule filter tutorial ", and you should find lots of helpful tutorials to get you started.

Filtering with Mailman Topics

Your list moderation team maintains a list of "special topics", typically hot-button topics that some readers find distressing, hurtful, or offensive. We are open to suggestions, but will be reluctant to create topics unless we receive multiple requests and there is an obvious social benefit to providing an easy way for folks to filter such message out. Currently we support these topics:

Covid-19 related discussion / debate / opinion
Vaccine related discussion / debate / opinion

Instructions for enabling Mailman Topic filtering

edit your email list subscription options
scroll down to the bottom of the options, look for the 2 topic options shown below
check "Enable Topic Filtering" (as shown) (and any Topics you do wish to receive)
choose "Yes" to receive messages that don't match any Topic filters (i.e., all other messages)
Save

Set subscription topic filters

With the options shown above, you will receive all list messages, as usual, EXCEPT for those tagged as "covid" or "vaccine" related. These messages will not be sent to you.

It is very important to select "Yes" to "receive messages that do not match any topic filter". Once you enable topic filtering, you won't receive any list messages otherwise!