On 12 Feb 2000, at 23:36, John R Levine wrote:
> > There is also the issue of moving an extant list - if you claim the
> > list is pre-existing and that you are moving it, you would be
> > expecting to add a large number of subscribers just as soon as you
> > crank up. It is also likely that you would not be expecting to
> > force each subscriber to re-confirm.
> This doesn't impress me as an intractable problem. When someone wants
> to move a list, accept the list, pick out some moderate number of
> addresses at random, say 50, and send each of them a message like
> "You're receiving this message because you're on the EPIGLOTTIS-LOVERS
> mailing list that has recently been moved to OffTopica.com, and we're
> spot checking the contents of the list. If you are a member of the
> list and wish to continue to be on the list click HERE, if you are a
> member but no longer wish to be on the list click HERE, or if you are
> not a member of the list click HERE."
> If you get back a significant number of "not on the list" responses,
> you know it's dodgy.
Ya know, I wonder if it's that simple. I took over a moderated
humor list for a friend while she was on vacation. I host her list, and
as with all lists I host, EVERY message has instructions on how to
unsubscribe. Further, unlike me, when someone sends her a note
asking to be unsubscribed, she honors the request. (I send them a
form letter telling them how to unsubscribe. I refuse to manually
add or remove people unless they can tell me why they can't do it
themselves. I'm not trying to make money on the lists, but I do
want to cut my losses, and dealing with people who can't - or won't -
read the instructions is more than I want to deal with.)
Shortly after I started sending jokes to her list, I got several tear
jerking letters about how "I've been trying to unsubscribe for two
years, and I can't do it! PLEASE HELP ME!!!" One person swore
they had never subscribed. (Note.... the list server I use only
subscribes the senders address. While it doesn't confirm
subscriptions {the next version will do that}, you can't subscribe
someone else, unless you can forge their address.)
Another humor list I co-moderate had someone send a "Please
unsubscribe me" note to the list. As per our policy, I dropped her
instantly. (Yes, it is irrational, but if you send me an unsubscribe
request, you get a form letter. If you send it to the list, I drop you
instantly. The difference is the number of people each annoy.) And
got back a note about how she felt her prayers had been answered.
She'd been putting up with bad jokes for 18 months, and despite
endless attempts to "unsuscrib", she was still on the list.
How many people are there on your list who aren't quite sure how
they got there, why they get all that mail, or how to get off the list?
I wonder.... how many lists could really pass the 50 subscriber test.
Mike
--
Mike Avery [EMAIL PROTECTED]
(409)-842-2942 (voice)
(409)-842-4352 (FAX)
ICQ: 16241692
* Spam is for lusers who can't get business any other way *
A Randomly Selected Thought For The Day:
Tried to play my shoehorn... all I got was footnotes!
