rick@uwmacc.UUCP (the absurdist) (02/04/86)
In article <12179952512.9.MRC@PANDA> MRC%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA (Mark Crispin) writes: > There have been too many "please delete" messages sent to >this list, from ninnies, twits, and cretins who refuse to read or >comprehend simple instructions. > To reiterate: Requests to be ADDED TO or DELETED FROM the >INFO-ATARI list should be sent to: > INFO-ATARI-REQUEST@SU-SCORE.ARPA >Note the "-REQUEST" in the address, kids. The same convention is >used in hundreds of other mailing lists. The same problem is evident in HUNDREDS OF OTHER MAILING LISTS too. If you are not willing to believe that everyone who does this has just had gotten an account for the first time in their life, you will be forced to conclude that the convention is VERY BAD and should be abandoned. Forgetting to append the word request is just too easy to do, particularly for those going over a uucp gate where you have just typed in the name of a dozen intermediate machines. I realize that this is not going to happen in the near future; however, those starting new mailling lists may profit from the experience of HUNDREDS OF OTHER MAILING LISTS and abandon the INFO-FOOBAR-REQUEST syntax in favor of something else like ADD-INFO-FOOBAR and DELETE-INFO-FOOBAR. Actually, I used to feel like Mark does, till the day I forgot to stick the "-REQUEST" onto the end of an address. -- "You're nuts, crazy. All your dogs don't bark!" "Yes they do -- Woof! Woof!" -- The Badger Rick Keir -- right next to the Oyster Tank -- UWisc - Madison {allegra, ihnp4, seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!rick
gnu@hoptoad.UUCP (02/05/86)
In article <1950@uwmacc.UUCP>, rick@uwmacc.UUCP writes: > In article <12179952512.9.MRC@PANDA> (Mark Crispin) writes: > > There have been too many "please delete" messages sent to > >this list, from ninnies, twits, and cretins ... > The same problem is evident in > HUNDREDS OF OTHER MAILING LISTS The best solution I've seen was done on the old Emacs mailing list at CMU maintained by James Gosling. He used a mail filter feature of their mailer (MM? Anyway, you can do it with .forward on Unix w/Sendmail or V8) to filter out all messages containing the word "list" and send them to the -REQUEST mailbox instead of to the main newsgroup, digest, or remailing list. If such a message is actually being posted (rather than being a misdirected request), the moderator can just reinsert it a little bit later. Remember to ignore captalization of "list". If you get lots of messages filtered, try restricting the search to just the subject line. If anybody writes this little program for Unix (maybe start with a PD version of "vacation"?), please post it to mod.sources when it works. -- # I resisted cluttering my mail with signatures for years, but the mail relay # situation has gotten to where people can't reach me without it. Dammit! # John Gilmore {sun,ptsfa,lll-crg,nsc}!hoptoad!gnu jgilmore@lll-crg.arpa
ron@brl-smoke.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (02/07/86)
> Forgetting to append the word request > is just too easy to do, particularly for those going over a uucp > gate where you have just typed in the name of a dozen intermediate > machines. > I realize that this is not going to happen in the near future; > however, those starting new mailling lists may profit from the > experience of > HUNDREDS OF OTHER MAILING LISTS > and abandon the INFO-FOOBAR-REQUEST syntax in favor of something else > like ADD-INFO-FOOBAR and DELETE-INFO-FOOBAR. > Actually, I used to feel like Mark does, till the day I forgot > to stick the "-REQUEST" onto the end of an address. Your proposal is not going to help any. The problem is not that the -REQUEST address is inappropriately named, it's a class of ignorant net citizens who don't realize that you send requests to be added or dropped to a different address than what you use to post to the list. Chaning to ADD-INFO-FOOBAR will not help these morons and only serve to really screw up the knowledgable users who know about the -REQUEST convention.