To ease the "bounce burden," MMP includes a list of phrases for the program to look for in a bounced message, and you assign a point value to each phrase (see illustration online this week). You specify the total number of points a subscriber's bounced e-mails can accumulate before being dropped from your list. We told the program to give a bounce message containing "invalid recipient" a score of 5 points, and to drop anyone who accumulates 15 points (three bounces) in a 30-day period. There's a long list of pre-defined phrases, or you can add your own.

Here's the clever part: Messages that bounce but don't match any phrase in your list are presented in a separate list; you can read each of these messages to devise new phrases for your "bounce" list -- and add them from the same screen. No flipping between messages and a bounce phrase list. Very slick.

You can run bounce processing as a "cron" job (a regularly scheduled task that runs on your server) or run it as a script in HTML. The bounce processing alone is enough to justify the cost of the program, and its flexibility and easy setup are sure to put a smile on the face of any mailing list administrator.

Have It Your Way

Bounce processing isn't the only feature that sets MMP apart. Many programs require you use their -- not your site's -- interface, a jarring experience for your users. Instead, MMP's functionality can be embedded within your own Web pages to maintain a consistent look and feel.

Some screens, such as the one displayed to accept subscriber changes, use text I didn't much care for (the default message was something like "Edit this information as you choose"). By snooping around, I discovered the set of language files -- simple text files you can modify, changing the verbiage that appears on your pages without changing the program code. That trick isn't documented (it requires you re-update your list whenever a new version is released), but it's one of the ways the authors show their foresight in making Mailman Pro so flexible. The program is available in multiple languages, using different language files. Very smart indeed.

Essential New Features

Equally well-designed are several new features in version 3, including double-opt-in (you must confirm your subscription request by responding to an e-mail) and -- extremely rare in mail managers -- double-opt-out (requiring you confirm your un-subscribe request). Opt-in is critical to prevent rogue programs from signing up subscribers without their knowledge or permission.

Subscriber management was a top priority in this new version. You can easily move or copy a subscriber from one list to another (we use it to move readers from the "Standard" list to the "Premium" list of The Office Letter). A user can sign up for several of your mailing lists at once, and you can ban specific subscriber names or domains from your list (so spammers can't sign up). Your outgoing message can include custom links so subscribers can change their name and/or address or unsubscribe from your announcements. Importing and exporting lists is a snap. We've been using the import feature for two years; it's one of the few programs that makes it so simple.

Your message (and your opt-in/out confirmation messages) can be sent in text, HTML, or both (called multi-MIME, which is how we mail the Premium Edition), and you can add attachments -- handy for updating customers with your latest price list. You can compose your message and send it later (including scheduling it for later delivery if you have access to cron jobs).

The Competition

The closest competitor we've found to Mailman Pro -- a product offering reliable delivery, flexible set-up, and good documentation -- is BigSender (http://www.officeletter.com/blink/bigsender.html). BigSender has several features missing from Mailman Pro, including the ability to automatically replace the files on your server when updates are released. Among its most impressive features are the ability to manage multiple custom fields (MMP is limited to one) and its more-pleasing interface. On the other hand, BigSender's method of managing multiple mailing lists is not as straightforward nor as flexible as Mailman Pro's, and its bounce processor's one-bounce-and-you're-out rule is harsh (it removes subscribers who might be over their disk quota simply because they're on vacation).

Testing the Waters

Not sure if MMP is right for you? Try installing the Free version (limited to 10 lists and 5,000 subscribers, has no bounce processing, and inserts advertising text at the end of your messages) or the Standard edition ($34 for 20,000 subscribers, 20 lists, no bounce processing but no advertising messages, either) to get a feel for the basics; you can upgrade (without losing any lists) later. You can compare the versions at http://www.add2it.com/scripts/compare-mailman.shtml. Your Pro purchase entitles you to all updates for a year; thereafter, yearly renewals cost half of the current version's price. This yearly subscription plan is a bargain. Updates are frequent (but not to the point of being annoying).

Don't think that once you purchase the program you're on your own. The feature list of Mailman Pro isn't the only impressive thing about the product; the technical support is unsurpassed. Add2it.com includes a "chat" button at the bottom of every administration page you can click to chat with tech support (you can also get help via e-mail) if you can't find the answers in the user documentation, which is extensive. Tech support is the best we've ever received from a software company.

It's rare to find a program of this caliber that is so well written, with so many ways to control how things work, and with such thoughtful design. If you want to keep in touch with customers, students or parents at your school, or any other large group, we can recommend Add2it Mailman Pro 3.0 without hesitation.

-- James E. Powell

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