In the past few days there's been several subscribe/unsubscribe
messages sent to the list instead of the server, and with the
holidaze approaching, I'd like to clear up a few things so that
everyone's on the same page.

Please bookmark this:
Information about MapInfo-L is at
http://www.directionsmag.com/mapinfo-l/

And try to memorize this:
First of all, a mailing list like ours has TWO addresses. The
server address is where you send commands to subscribe and
unsubscribe and so on. The second is the list itself, which is
where send message for everyoen to read. 

The way you subscribe or unsubscribe is to send email to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] and in the BODY of the message put either:

subscribe MapInfo-L
or 
unsubscribe MapInfo-L


Note that you can send more than one command to the server at a
time, e.g.:

help
info MapInfo-L
subscribe MapInfo-L
unsubscribe MapInfo-L [EMAIL PROTECTED]
end


These can all be in one message sent to the server. The first
causes the server to mail you help about Majordomo (like what the
commands are and how to use them.) The second mails you specific
info about MapInfo-L. The third subscribes the email address
listed in your "From:" address. The fourth unsubscribes the
person [EMAIL PROTECTED] from the subscriber list (you can
also subscribe this way if you want to sign up an account at a
different machine.) Finally the fifth line tells the server to
ignore any following lines (like sigs, etc.) and not send you a
message complaining about "invalid commands." Although the server
tries to strip off all the supernumerary decorations of HTML
email before it interprets your commands, it's a really stupid
beast, and it's best if you send it messages in simple, plain
text.

Note especially the situation when you specifically include an
email address on a command line (normal names are not valid; only
email addresses here!) This is the only version of the
subscribe/unsubscribe command that's not automatic. I have to
manually approve these, and as long as the addresses look
remotely like the one from where they came, I'll let it through
automatically. Otherwise I send a request for confirmation to the
party referenced and make sure that's what's wanted. (You'd be
surprised how uncivil people can be when one of their friends or
enemies signs them up to a busy mailing list without their
knowledge!)

If anyone still has any questions about how to use majordomo and
MapInfo-L, please ask me. Don't be a mailing list bozo!

- Bill Thoen
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To unsubscribe from this list, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put
"unsubscribe MAPINFO-L" in the message body, or contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]

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