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Domains WebMail and Dummy Members

Domains

What is a Domain?

  • Our domain is chepstowu3a.org.uk. For clarity it can be written as Chepstowu3a.org.uk.
  • It can be used to create our own email addresses by adding a name plus ‘@’ in front of this domain name.
  • For example: Beacon@Chepstowu3a.org.uk or Computer@Chepstowu3a.org.uk
  • All emails associated with this domain are then accessed via a package called WebMail.

What are the Benefits of a Domain? (Beacon is used as an Example)

  • Emails sent as Beacon@Chepstowu3a.org.uk can automatically be forwarded to the Beacon Team’s personal email addresses.
  • If the members of the Beacon Team change then the personal email address within the Domain can easily be amended,. 
  • Our members don’t have to be informed of any changes, none of our Chepstow u3a systems such as  the Website have to be amended, and official bodies such as the Third Age Trust don’t have to be informed.
  • We don’t have to publish officer’s personal email addresses.
  • It is a more professional way of operating.
  • The downside is that we have to pay an annual fee for the Domain.

How Do Domains Work? (Computer is used as an Example)

  • A Dummy Member is set up in Beacon by the Beacon Team eg computer (see the Dummy Members at the bottom of this Page)
    • The Computer Group Leader (GL) sets their own Beacon Password
  • This Dummy Member (in this case computer) is added to the Computer Group by the Domain Manager
  • The Domain Manager requests a Domain email address – in this case it would be Computer@Chepstowu3a.org.uk (the upper case is irrelevant in an email address – it just makes it easier to read)
  • The GL goes into WebMail (see How to Access WebMail below) and sets their own Password if they want to (see Using WebMail below)
  • When the GL wants to communicate with their Computer Group they:
    • Log into Beacon as ‘computer’
    • Go to the Computer Group
    • Select all the Group (or just selected members), write the email and send it to the group as normal.
  • All replies will now come back to the WebMail account. See ‘How to Access WebMail’ below.

All this may sound very complicated but the Domain Manager will show you how to use this and once you have been through the process a couple of times you find it quite easy to use.

How to Access WebMail

  • Enter the following website address in a new Tab in your browser:
    • https://webmail.cali.uk/?_task=mail&_mbox=INBOX
  • Enter your domain email address (eg Computer@Chepstowu3a.org.uk) and your password.
  • This will take you to a system called WebMail.
  • An email sent from a Dummy Member in Beacon such as computer in the ‘How do Domains Work?’ section above will receive a reply in WebMail.
  • Any email sent from your WebMail account will receive a reply back to this account.
  • It is a good idea to save any replies in Folders (see below).

Using WebMail

Composing an Email

  • Click on Compose
    • In the To, you can write the email address or get it from your Contacts database (see below)
    • When you write your email there is a spellcheck!

Adding, Editing or Deleting a Contact

If you are going to email someone more than once from WebMail you should add them to Contacts

  • Click on Contacts
  • Click on Create (top middle of screen)
  • Fill in the details: just name and email address is probably all you need
    • Repeat if required
  •  
  • To Edit or Delete a Contact
    • Click on the contact and the details will be shown on your screen
    • Click on Edit or the Delete Icon (top middle of screen)

Creating, Editing or Deleting a Folder 

Folders are a way of organising your emails

  • Click on Settings
  • Click on Folders
  • Click on Create (top middle of screen)
  • Enter the Folder name
  •  
  • To Edit or Delete a Folder
    • Click on the Folder
    • Click on Edit or the Delete Icon (top middle of screen.

Moving an Email to a New Folder

  • Either:
    • Left click on the email and drag it to the new folder
  • Or:
    • Highlight the email
    • Click om ‘More’ on the top RHS 
    • Select ‘Move to’
    • Click on the Folder you want to move the email to.

Forwarding or Filters

You can forward emails to one or more email addresses. WebMail calls them Filters. This is not always recommended because you are likely to reply from the email address the email is forwarded to so you will see the original email in WebMail but not any replies or subsequent conversation.

  • Click on Settings
  • Click on Falters
  • Click on All Mail (You may have to create this Filter if it doesn’t exist)
    • Ensure the Filter is Enabled
    • Scope is set to ‘all messages’
  • In Actions
    • ‘Send message copy to ‘- and the ‘to’ email address.
    • Press the plus sign if you want more than one forwarded email address

Deleting Emails from Folders

Old emails MUST be deleted from folders on a regular basis because they take up server space and we are charged for this.  All folders have to be cleared including the Sent folder.

When emails are deleted from a folder they go to the Deleted items folder so this must also be cleared on a regular basis – but see ‘Deleting Emails from the Deleted items Folder” below to save you having to do this.

  • Click on the Folder 
  • Click on Select
  • From the menu the only options you are likely to use are ‘All’ and ‘Current page’
    • If you have a lot of emails in your Folder you can use the chevrons (>) or (>>) at the bottom of the columns to go to other pages and use the Current page option to delete older emails
  • The selected emails will be highlighted
  • Click on Delete  (top middle of screen)
  • Emails will disappear and be moved to the Delete folder.
  • Repeat for other folders

Deleting Emails from the Deleted items Folder

If you  change your Settings, emails will be deleted from the Deleted items Folder every time you log out. This only has to be done once and may already have been done for you.

  • Click on Settings
  • Chick on Server settings (middle of screen)
  • Under Maintenance, find  ‘Clear Deleted Items on logout’ and select one of the options:
    • all
    • or older than 30/60/90 days. (the 30 day option is suggested..

SPAM Emails

  • Add SPAM emails to the Spam Folder.
  • This has no effect on SPAM but allows us to assess the volume of SPAM.
  • From time to time to time you can delete emails from your Spam Folder but consider whether you should add them to the Rules section below.

To Reduce SPAM Emails

  • Make sure you have a Folder called Spam
  • Click on Settings 
  • Click on Filters
  • Create a Filter called SPAM if it does not exist. 
  • Select the SPAM Filter
    • Ensure that the Filter is enabled
    • Select Scope as: ‘matching any of the following rules’
    • Under Rules
      • Select: From, contains, (say) Gummies (see note below)
    • You can have as many Rules as you want.
    • You can add more Rules (using the ‘+’ icon on the RHS of each Rule), or amend each Rule individually.
    • In Actions
      • Select ‘Move message to’, then select your ‘Spam’ Folder
    • Click on ‘Save’

Note: ‘Gummies’ is an example of what might be included in the ‘From’ text. You do not have to put in the whole of the text, just part of it. That is why you must select the option ‘contains’. 

Click on Domain Manager to send a contact email

Dummy Members

The Secretary, Computer, WebManager are not real members – they are dummy members who use a Domain email addresses such as Computer@Chepstowu3a.org.uk described above. We have to create a Dummy Member in Beacon (see Beacon Data Responsibilities User Guide section 8.2) and also create a Domain so it can be used in WebMail.

The Domain Manager (DM) will arrange everything for you. Here is how it works.

Creating a Dummy Member

  • Decide on the name you want eg Beacon, Secretary, Computer etc
  • Contact the DM with the name you want and request that everything is set up for you.
    • Let’s assume you have decided on the name ‘Computer” because you are the Group Leader of the Computer Group
  • The DM will then:
    • Set up the Domain: Computer@Chepstowu3a.org.uk
    • Ask the Beacon Team to create a Dummy Member in Beacon called ”computer’
    • Add the Domain to the Group
      • In Members: Tick Information Distributor (nothing else), Tick Dummy Member, Select Add to Group, Select Group, Do with selected, Check it has been added to the Group (look in Dummy Member record)
    •  Arrange training on how to use your Domain.

Using a Dummy Record (Computer is used as an Example)

  • If you want to send emails to Chepstow u3a members.
    • Enter computer as the User name in Beacon and enter the Password.
    • You can now select ‘Group’ and then Computer Group and send emails to all the members of your Group or just selected members.
  • All emails you send out will be from your Domain email address – in this example it will be Computer@Chepstowu3a.org.uk
  • All replies will go back to WebMail. See ‘How to Access WebMail’ above.
  • Note that if you want to email a non u3a member such as a Theatre or a potential AwayDays visit etc then you must do this directly from your Domain Email address in WebMail because they are not in our Beacon database – this is just for Chepstow u3a members. 

Technical Information for Website Managers - Creating Domains, Website Hosting etc

Website Manager Only

Getting a new Domain

  • Request a new Domain from the Domain Systems Manager
    • Specify a Password
    • This is better because the change password does not work in WebMail
    • Update Spam settings as per this Web Page. 

 Changing a Domain Name

May have to do this because of Spam in the old domain or because the name of the Group has changed etc.

  • Request a new Domain as above
    • Add Contacts as per old Domain
    • Update Settings: Folders, Filters as per old Domain
  • Amend all Buttons and other instances in Website from old Domain to new Domain
    • Use the search facility in Pages, Groups, and Forms to help.
  • Amend Magazine?
  • Inform interested parties
    • GLs, Committee, Magazine
  • Monitor old Domain for (say) 3 months
  • Delete the old Domain after (say) 3 months.

DO NOT DELETE WEBMANAGER@CHEPSTOWU3A.ORG.UK AS THIS IS USED TO COMMUNICATE WITH HOSTWORLD

View Website Security Certificate

  • Click on left hand of URL on any web page of our web site
  • Click on Connection is secure
  • Click on Certificate is valid

Hostworld

  • Host our domains (chepstowu3a.org.uk)
  • Also host the domain for our Grontech website
  • Communicate through webmanager@chepstowu3a.org.uk
  • Invoice around 21st May each year
  • Payment is by Credit/Debit Card
  • Payment must be made immediately or the account is suspended. This has serious repercussions for the website

  Links

  • Domain Lookup – up to date information about the status of our Domain
    • https://nominet.uk/lookup/?domain=chepstowu3a.org.uk
  • Hostworld Dashboard – our Account details
    • https://portal.hostworld.uk/clientarea.php?action=details&success=1

November 2025