Does Admin Allow/Block list apply to entire group?

[pili-law]

Note: The feature requested below is now available.
For details, scroll down to the post of March 7, 2008.

I am the vqNow admin for my group. So I can log onto the admin control panel and do my thing, like, say, add a domain to the exclude list. Maybe you're wondering why anyone would do this, since that admin account is not an actual e-maill address and would not be receiving any messages, including spam. But I'm wondering if doing that (adding it a the admin control panel level) does the same thing as having all 7 of us add that domain to our individual exclude lists.

In other words, can I just exclude the domain one time at the admin control panel, or should each user exclude if they want to?

[--VQ--]

This is a great question, because it validates our current plan...

Currently, there are no Allow/Block lists that apply to all vqNow users within a protected domain. But the way in which you describe such a feature - adding addresses or domains to the "inactive" Admin account - is precisely how we plan to implement it. Stay tuned!

Regarding which list will have priority: Admin-Block or User-Allow (or visa versa), that will be determined as we spec and code the feature. Either way, we will document the feature to avoid confusion. I suspect that the individual user list will have priority. After all, it is possible the a single user in an enterprise may need to receive a newsletter that an aggressive sender has decided to shove into everyone's mailbox at their customer's domain.

[ScotH]

Got an ETA for that feature? It's a lot simpler solution than working with 50 people to setup their own allow list.

[--VQ--]

Scott is asking for an ETA = "Estimated Time of Arrival". In this case, an estimate on the arrival date of a prospective new feature.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide an estimate on an "unanounced" feature - or even a planned feature under development. Most of our plans for enhancements are intermixed with work on security and robust components.

[tortoise62]

This issue was brought up quite some time ago... Has there been a post with this ability? I administer a vqSA appliance and would like to globally apply list servers that a client uses - also, it would be beneficial to add their domain to the domain-exclude list for all users in their domain... etc..

Can this be accomplished while doing a bulk-import? Asking users to self-administer diminishes the value of my services...

[--VQ--]

vqSA and vqNow admins can now alias the lists and preferences for all users - or any group of users that they wish - even for multiple groups across different registered domains. This effectively creates as many sharable lists as you like for any number of users and any number of groups.

The alias feature does not require you to additionally alias the mailboxes at your server. That is, we will continue to deliver the mail as it is addressed, so each user can still receive mail as usual.

Configure Shared Security Settings

• Do not create the user address. If it already exists, you can delete it from your Admin Control Panel by clicking on the address and choosing Delete at the very bottom of the next page.
  
• Go back to the domain view and click on the address that will be the "parent" for all lists and preferences of a group.
  
• Enter as many aliases as you like*

*Important: If you have more than 9 alises (a total of 10 in an aliased group), you must inform us. That's because we must increase the default maximum number of users that can share security settings. There is no charge for this. The maximum is a hang over from our hosted service in which there are contractual limits to certain features.

Operation
The alias feature creates a shared database of ALL security settings. Therefore, the addresses that are aliased into groups will share common Allow/Block lists, preferences, filter training, Confirmation ID, and password. (However, users continue to use their own passwords for individual mailboxes at the mail server).

When vqNow or vqSA addresses are aliased, each user may view Held Mail for any specific address or for all addresses. Any Held messages that are released will be delivered to the originally addressed user.

Alias addresses appear on the Admin Domain View gray and indented beneath a parent address, like this:

[tortoise62]

If I create aliases for the domain, and all users have access, then it appears a confidentiality problem would arise. I don't think they would want to conpromise their privacy for administrative convenience.

Is there no hope for a bulk import - similar to adding bulk users?

[--VQ--]

We will add such a feature, but for now, creating a security alias is the method of choice. The only "confidentiality issue" is the ability to see each others Held Mail (not any mail that is delivered or queued for delivery. If you wish, I will look into turning off the ability to view Held Mail for any profile other than the user's own view.

For most users, the alias method will be suffiicient, but we acknowledge that an additional shared Allow List (or at least a rapid mechanism to mirror lists across distinct users) would be a useful feature. Therefore, we are elevating the priority of this feature-request in response to this thread. I will additional progress here in this thread.

[--VQ--]

A full Community List feature - as opposed to simply aliasing user addresses - was added to vqNow in Oct 2008. Click here for details.

This feature is available on some newer vqSA appliances upon request, but is not yet available for vqSA appliances manufactured before mid year.