3.60. How does Mailman identify list owner/moderator? aka Why can't I see the roster?

A Mailman list has owner and moderator attributes, each of which is a list of zero or more e-mail addresses. These addresses determine things such as what appears in the 'list run by' footer at the bottom of web pages, where mail to the listname-owner address is forwarded and where various owner/moderator notifications are sent.

See Who receives mail to -owner and -admin?

These addresses have no connection within Mailman to any list member who happens to have the same address. In fact, there is no requirement that any owner/moderator even be a member of the list.

As far as Mailman is concerned, an owner or moderator for purposes of the web interface is anyone who knows the respective list owner or moderator password, not some list member who happens to have the same e-mail address as an owner or moderator.

This can lead to confusion. On a list with the roster restricted to the list administrator (owners and moderators), an owner or moderator may attempt to enter her/his e-mail address and member password in the boxes to view the subscriber list. This normally results in a denial. In fact, in this case the 'Admin address:' entry is superfluous. Only the 'Password:' entry is checked against the list's owner and moderator passwords.

This can also lead to confusion in the other direction. If one has previously authorized as an owner or moderator of the list and still has the cookie, one can enter a non-owner/moderator address and password and sucessfully visit the roster, perhaps making one think that any member can visit the roster even though it is supposed to be restricted to administrators.

Converted from the Mailman FAQ Wizard

This is one of many Frequently Asked Questions.