LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Greg  <grog@lemis.com>
  To  : <davidn@rebel.net.au>
  Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 14:02:41 +0930

Re: Unsubscribe directly to list (Was: Format of ListServ messages)

On Wednesday, 29 May 2002 at 13:15:18 +0930, davidn@rebel.net.au wrote:
> Kym Della-Torre <kym@connectsa.net> wrote:
>> Surely it must be a doddle for a brave volunteer from the list to
>> compensate for the supidity of some by modifying the mailing list
>> server to unsubscribe people who send a blank message with the subject
>> unsubscribe to the linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au?
>
> It's a good point.  You'd think that would be easy, wouldn't you?
> I suspect there's a philosophical reason why that's a bad idea, but I
> have no idea what that reason is.
>
> Does anybody know why that shouldn't be done?

Well, the one that comes to mind is somebody who doesn't know the
rules and accidentally unsubscribes himself.  For example, should the
word be just "unsubscribe"?  What about "please unsusbscribe" or
"unsusbscribe me, please"?  What about "Unsubscribe directly to list
(Was: Format of ListServ messages)"?

On the whole I think that the single word "unsubscribe" *and* an empty
message should do the trick.  But you'll still get people who are too
stupid to understand that, and it'll encourage more misdirected mail.

Greg
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