A little over 2 years ago we released an add-on module for Active Forums called the Mail Connector.  This module would allow you to create topics and replies to a forum via email.  In the proper setup, this module would allow you use Active Forums with similar functionality to a list server.  Notice I said, in the proper setup.  Many customers had mixed results with the Mail Connector.  Problems would range from not entering a user name and password correctly to trying to use a mail server that would only allow a certain number of connections per day. 

Then of course you would have the problem of users clicking the reply button in their email client which would automatically include the previous X number of posts.  Then that message appears on your forums and either causes problems with your layout or makes it impossible for other users to follow the topic.

Did this mean the Mail Connector didn't work properly or that it was unstable?  Absolutely not.  It simply meant that the Mail Connector required extra effort to make sure all aspects were configured just right.  Due to this fact, we never really promoted the capability as a list server, until now with Active Forums 4.0.

We have taken into account every scenario we have encountered while supporting the previous version for the past 2 years.  We have tried to keep the configuration as simple as possible.  You will be able test and verify all configuration options before enabling the email monitoring schedule.  Automatic flood control with automatic blacklist support will prevent duplicate messages and out of office message loops.  The Active Forums List Server will inherit all the settings associated with the specified forum, but we have given you the option to override some settings such as moderation, templates and HTML support.  The option to require an "End of Message" (EOM) tag will allow you to keep topics organized and formatted properly. 

Not only have new options and features been added, but performance and scalability has increased dramatically.  The Active Forums List Server uses the new Active Forums Mail Queue option to send out notifications to subscribers.  The Mail Queue will send out emails as fast as your mail server can process them. 

Take a look at the screen capture below to see some of the configuration options for the new Active Forums 4.0 List Server.