BCG External: Automatic Mail Handling for Absence

Automatic Mail Handling for Absence

Automatic Forwarding

Unix users: If you would like to receive your mail at a location other than the system's default location user@biostat.wisc.edu create a file called .forward in your home directory with the redirected address on one line, e.g. user@wisc.edu.

PC / MAC users: send an email request to sysreq@biostat.wisc.edu.

Vacation Mail notification

(Automatic Absence Notification)

This form will help you set up an automatic reply system for email when you go on vacation. Once set up, the system will send out a vacation message to everyone who sends you email. It will remember everyone who has sent you mail, so that if they send you a lot of email, they'll get your vacation message once a week only.

Note: This only works for biostat and cis email addresses; this is not available for your "facstaff.wisc.edu" account.

Although this autoresponder system understands most mailing lists, and thus doesn't send the vacation message to the list, some newer mailing lists work differently and confuse the autoresponder. Most mailing lists can be told you're on vacation, too. Check your subscription information or the list moderator for more information about that.

The autoresponder will turn itself off at about 3am in the morning of the first day you say you will be reading email again. Also note that while the autoresponder is on, you can still read your mail as usual.

You will receive a copy of the vacation request form below by email once you submit it.

Name:
email: (must be cis or uwccc.wisc.edu, or biostat)

Tell us the first day you will be gone (not reading email) and the first day that you will be reading email again.

Gone:
Returning:

Finally, adjust the following message. This is the message that all people who send you email will see while you're gone. In particular, please be sure to fill in the backup contact information or delete it.

The text "$SUBJECT" is automatically replaced by the subject line for each email sent to you. It's available, but not required.

I am on vacation until [some date]. Your mail regarding "$SUBJECT" will be read when I return on [some date]. If you have an urgent matter, please contact [person and email address].