* Zdenek Sekera <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [060906 04:13]:
> I got exactly the same message. No explanation,
> such messages come occassionally, very annoying.
> 
> ---Zdenek 
>    

This happens to me occasionally, too, but the text of the message seems
pretty clear to me.  I run my own mail server, though, so perhaps I am
more familiar with what it is talking about, so I'll explain.

The vim mailing list program, ezmlm, receives a message to the vim
mailing list.  It then sends it to each subscriber.  When it is sending
the message to you, it is talking to your ISP's mail server.  Your ISP's
mail server decides that the message is spam (sometimes why it does this
is the big question).  Your ISP's mail server rejects the mail during
the SMTP conversation (the protocol used to transfer messages from one
mail server, ezmlm in this case, to another, your ISP) or it bounces the
mail (sends a message to the ezmlm server saying the message was not
delivered) after the SMTP conversation is complete.  It is actually
common practice to send bounce messages for "suspect" mail even when the
message is actually delivered (or put in the recipient's spam folder).

The ezmlm server, when it sees several bounces or rejections from the
same email address, decides it better investigate.  It sends the message
you see (Subject: ezmlm warning) telling you that some messages to you
have bounced.  If that message doesn't bounce, then the ezmlm server
ignores the bounces and continues to deliver vim list mail to you
normally.

If that message does bounce, then it sends one more message to you.  If
that second warning bounces also, you are removed from the vim mailing
list.

The purpose of the probes is to be able to automatically clean up dead
email addresses from the vim mailing list.  If you receive the message,
then you can safely ignore it.  However, if mail from the list stops
soon after receiving such a mail, then perhaps your ISP delivered the
message but also bounced it; you should then check with your ISP.

...Marvin

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