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ITS / VUnet Services / VUmail / Group Mail / FAQ

Group Mail FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)

  1. How does a group get a mailbox?
  2. Who determines eligibility for a mailbox?
  3. Is there a cost to the group / department / organization?
  4. How do I access my group's mailbox?
  5. Don't I need a password?
  6. How do I send a message so that replies come back to the group mailbox instead of to me?
  7. Who controls access to the group mailbox?
  8. Can a group mailbox have more than one email address?

Q: How does a group get a mailbox?

The best way is to contact a VUnet Services Administrator (VSA) in your school or area.   VSA's have been authorized to create organizational mailboxes within their unit of the University.  If you do not know who your VSAs are, you can try looking them up or call ITS at (34)3-9999. 
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Q: Who determines eligibility?

Eligibility is determined within your school or unit.  You should consult with your VSA.
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Q: Is there a cost to the group / department / organization?

There is not a direct cost such as a monthly bill or up-front fee. If your group needs a larger than standard mailbox, the regular VUmail disk space fee will be charged (See the VUmail FAQ).
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Q: How do I access my group's mailbox?

Multi-user mailboxes on the VUmail system can only be accessed by an email client that uses the IMAP4 protocol (e.g., Mulberry, Eudora 4+, Outlook Express, Outlook 2000+, Netscape 4+). Furthermore, each user who will share the mailbox must have a VUnetID.
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Q: Don't I need a password?

In the VUmail system you always log in with your personal VUnetID.  The server(s) maintain a list of which VUnetID's are allowed to access which mailboxes.   This avoids the accountability problem when multiple users share a username and password.  Never share your VUnetID and password. Check our list of myths/facts about password sharing for additional info.
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Q: How do I send a message so that replies come back to the group instead of to me?

The recommended means is to fill in the 'Reply-to: ' field with the email address of your group mailbox instead of your own.  Some email clients (like Mulberry) allow you to create multiple personalities (or "identities") and you can use a "reply-as" feature to use a particular personality. 
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Q: Who controls access to the group mailbox?

Any user with admin priveleges may grant or revoke access to other users.  When a mailbox is created, somebody (probably the person requesting the mailbox) is granted admin privelege.  This administrator may choose to share these priveleges with others.
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Q: Can a group mailbox have more than one email address?

Yes.  Just as with individual accounts, shared mailboxes may have multiple working email addresses (example: somegroup@vanderbilt.edu and thatsamegroup@vanderbilt.edu would both go to the same group mailbox).
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