On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, Ronald F. Guilmette wrote:
> As far as I know, every modern off-the-shelf list management package now
> provides, at the very least, an option which, when set, will cause the
> list management package to send, via E-mail, SOME SORT of confirmation
> request to each alleged new subscriber and to wait for a suitable response
> BEFORE finalizing the subscription. (The better packages will even e-mail
> a difficult-to-forge cookie of some sort to the alleged new subscriber and
> then verify that they get the exact same cookie back from that subscriber
> as part of the confirmation process.)
>
> Certainly, if the administrator of a given server system gives any and all
> mailing list adminsitartors who have access to that system carte blanche
> (e.g. root access) so that they can run rampant and do anything they like,
> then yes, some will undoubtedly be able to disable this prudent safety
> mechanism.
But, in fact, just about every package of this sort, whether an
off-the-shelf package or a list host, DOES allow individual
list owners to add users without confirmation if they so choose. Don't
generalize without data.
--
ROGER B.A. KLORESE [EMAIL PROTECTED] urgent: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
PO Box 14309 San Francisco, CA 94114 +1 415 ALL-ARFF
"There is only one real blasphemy -- the refusal of joy!" -- Paul Rudnick
