Dear HarmonySite administrator,

Good news:  I have been consulting with industry experts about our ongoing email issues, and I believe I have solved our biggest issue, to wit:  The non-delivery of emails sent from within the website or via the mailing list system.

We are attempting to do something in HarmonySite that is generally frowned upon by the large email providers (Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail, etc):  We are sending emails from our HarmonySite server that claim to be "from" a member's PERSONAL email address, but HarmonySite is NOT that member's email provider.  For example, if fredsmith@yahoo.com is a HarmonySite member, he naturally wants to be able to send an email from the website (or via the mailing list system) that is "from" fredsmith@yahoo.com.  The problem is that when the large email providers receive his message, they look where it came from and see that it was NOT sent from a Yahoo server, and so flag it as suspicious.  This can get it sent to the recipient's spam/junk folder, or in some cases simply not delivered at all (I'm looking at YOU, AOL!).  In other words, we shouldn't be trying to do this.  We SHOULD be sending emails "from" addresses that match our own website address (e.g. fredsmith@yourgroupname.com).  But of course, no-one wants the hassle of setting up a special new email account for every one of our members!

So I've found another solution.  It's transparent to you, the group administrator, and to your members, meaning that you don't need to do anything or change anything.  It should just work from now on.  Now emails sent from your website or via the mailing list system should simply be delivered with no issue.

There's only one thing you need to be aware of:  By way of example, let's look at me personally.  I sing with a group called "Sound Connection", and naturally they have a HarmonySite - at www.soundconnection.com.au.  Let's pretend that my own personal email address is mark@gmail.com (it's not, of course - this is just for illustration purposes).  Now that the aforementioned change has been made to the HarmonySite email system, if I now visit the Sound Connection website and send an email, the recipient will see the email as being FROM:

                Mark Virtue - noreply@soundconnection.com.au  (clearly NOT my personal email address)

But if they click their "Reply" button, the reply-email they are about to send will be addressed TO:

                Mark Virtue - mark@gmail.com (my "correct" (pretend) personal email address)

What I'm trying to point out is that when you receive an email sent by one of your members via your website and/or mailing lists, the "from" address will APPEAR to be noreply@yourgroupname.com, NOT the member's actual personal email address.  But clicking reply will correctly address your reply to their personal email address (magic).  So if you or your members see this behaviour, please don't be confused or alarmed by it - it's a natural consequence of the recent change I made, and a small price to pay for reliable email delivery.

As usual, if you have any questions or concerns about this, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Oh, and by the way, the HarmonySite website (www.harmonysite.com) now has a new "Live Chat" facility.  During my waking hours here in Australia's East Coast, you can click the "Live Chat" widget in the bottom-right corner of any page on www.harmonysite.com and chat with me in real time (via keyboard, not voice), for any support questions you might have.

Cheers,

Mark Virtue

HarmonySite

Australia

+61 2 8005 4277 (Australian number)

In North America, call:  1-415-651-7009 (San Francisco number)

Skype name:  mvirtue

mark@harmonysite.com

www.harmonysite.com