Remove a message from mailing list archive
(→Mailman archives: + wipe backup) |
m (→Considerations for requesters: typo spotted by Mentifisto��) |
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| − | + | This page is about the '''removal of a message sent to a [[MetaWikipedia:Mailing lists|Wikimedia Foundation mailing list]]'''. | |
| − | == Private mail == | + | ==How-to== |
| + | === Private mail === | ||
Too late. By the time someone's begging you for help, the offending message was already sent to hundreds of list subscribers. | Too late. By the time someone's begging you for help, the offending message was already sent to hundreds of list subscribers. | ||
| − | == Mailman archives == | + | === Mailman archives === |
A message can be removed from mailman's own list archives, which are generally made available for public viewing via the web. | A message can be removed from mailman's own list archives, which are generally made available for public viewing via the web. | ||
| Line 11: | Line 12: | ||
# Locate the message in the web archives and load it up for reference. | # Locate the message in the web archives and load it up for reference. | ||
# Stop the mailman runner so the mailbox won't be touched while you're working | # Stop the mailman runner so the mailbox won't be touched while you're working | ||
| − | #: <tt> | + | #: <tt>/etc/init.d/mailman stop</tt> |
# Back up the list archives for the list you're editing: | # Back up the list archives for the list you're editing: | ||
| − | #: <tt>cd / | + | #: <tt>cd /var/lib/mailman/archives/private</tt> |
#: <tt>mkdir wikifoo-l.backup</tt> | #: <tt>mkdir wikifoo-l.backup</tt> | ||
#: <tt>cp -pr wikifoo-l wikifoo-l.mbox wikifoo-l.backup/</tt> | #: <tt>cp -pr wikifoo-l wikifoo-l.mbox wikifoo-l.backup/</tt> | ||
| Line 21: | Line 22: | ||
#: '''Do not remove the entire message, as this will cause URLs to later messages in the archive to break!''' | #: '''Do not remove the entire message, as this will cause URLs to later messages in the archive to break!''' | ||
# Rebuild the list archives: | # Rebuild the list archives: | ||
| − | #: <tt> | + | #: <tt>/usr/lib/mailman/bin/arch --wipe wikifoo-l</tt> |
# Reload that message from the web archives and make sure it looks ok. | # Reload that message from the web archives and make sure it looks ok. | ||
# Start the mailman runner: | # Start the mailman runner: | ||
| − | #: <tt> | + | #: <tt>/etc/init.d/mailman start</tt> |
| − | # | + | # Leave the backup there for diagnosis purposes in case something has broken and you haven't noticed. |
| − | == Gmane == | + | === Gmane === |
There is some sort of procedure for this. With luck, the petitioner will e-mail the gmane people themselves and you don't have to worry about it. | There is some sort of procedure for this. With luck, the petitioner will e-mail the gmane people themselves and you don't have to worry about it. | ||
| − | == Other archives == | + | === Other archives === |
There may be other public archives of the lists built from addresses subscribed to the lists. There is no automated way to deal with this. | There may be other public archives of the lists built from addresses subscribed to the lists. There is no automated way to deal with this. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Considerations for requesters == | ||
| + | Removing a message from the archives is extremely painful (for both the sysadmins and the users, because it requires a complete halt of all lists for a while) and usually useless: please consider if it's really worth the effort. Sysadmins will remove messages only for serious privacy reasons; there's currently no clear policy. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Public lists are usually mirrored by several services, so you'll need to delete the private data there before asking removal on WMF archives, which would otherwise make no sense. This is probably not possible at least for bigger lists, which have more mirrors. | ||
| + | |||
| + | If the list is private, the removal will affect only future subscribers, not current ones (who have already received the email), so the request will usually be considered only if the list is big (i.e. many new subscribers are expected). | ||
| + | |||
| + | Obviously, don't publicly link to the content to be removed. It's currently unclear where such requests should be filed, who should decide to accept them and who should perform the removal. You can try and ask on the #wikimedia-tech [[MetaWikipedia:IRC|IRC channel]]. | ||
[[Category:Mail]] | [[Category:Mail]] | ||
| + | [[Category:How-To]] | ||
Latest revision as of 00:18, 20 February 2012
This page is about the removal of a message sent to a Wikimedia Foundation mailing list.
Contents |
[edit] How-to
[edit] Private mail
Too late. By the time someone's begging you for help, the offending message was already sent to hundreds of list subscribers.
[edit] Mailman archives
A message can be removed from mailman's own list archives, which are generally made available for public viewing via the web.
- Locate the message in the web archives and load it up for reference.
- Stop the mailman runner so the mailbox won't be touched while you're working
- /etc/init.d/mailman stop
- Back up the list archives for the list you're editing:
- cd /var/lib/mailman/archives/private
- mkdir wikifoo-l.backup
- cp -pr wikifoo-l wikifoo-l.mbox wikifoo-l.backup/
- Edit the mbox file in vi or something...
- vi wikifoo-l.mbox/wikifoo-l.mbox
- Find the message you want and replace its content with a "this message deleted" message.
- Do not remove the entire message, as this will cause URLs to later messages in the archive to break!
- Rebuild the list archives:
- /usr/lib/mailman/bin/arch --wipe wikifoo-l
- Reload that message from the web archives and make sure it looks ok.
- Start the mailman runner:
- /etc/init.d/mailman start
- Leave the backup there for diagnosis purposes in case something has broken and you haven't noticed.
[edit] Gmane
There is some sort of procedure for this. With luck, the petitioner will e-mail the gmane people themselves and you don't have to worry about it.
[edit] Other archives
There may be other public archives of the lists built from addresses subscribed to the lists. There is no automated way to deal with this.
[edit] Considerations for requesters
Removing a message from the archives is extremely painful (for both the sysadmins and the users, because it requires a complete halt of all lists for a while) and usually useless: please consider if it's really worth the effort. Sysadmins will remove messages only for serious privacy reasons; there's currently no clear policy.
Public lists are usually mirrored by several services, so you'll need to delete the private data there before asking removal on WMF archives, which would otherwise make no sense. This is probably not possible at least for bigger lists, which have more mirrors.
If the list is private, the removal will affect only future subscribers, not current ones (who have already received the email), so the request will usually be considered only if the list is big (i.e. many new subscribers are expected).
Obviously, don't publicly link to the content to be removed. It's currently unclear where such requests should be filed, who should decide to accept them and who should perform the removal. You can try and ask on the #wikimedia-tech IRC channel.
