Hi, Everyone,

A note to add to Mike's recent message about spam problems.
While using a USENET newsgroup (like comp.lang.ada) to communicate
cuts the SPAM down to a minimum, there is another way to reduce
(but not eliminate) SPAM when dealing with an electronic mailing
list.

Some email list servers (I use CREN Version 8 at WUARCHIVE)
allow the lists to be configured in a variety of ways, controlling
who can post messages to the list, who can join the list,
whether the list is moderated or not, etc.  The REUSE list that
I manage in conjunction with the PAL is set up a lot like Team
Ada, except that CREN Version 8 allows me to set the list so that
only people who have subscribed to the list can post to it (see
the SEND category below).  This significantly cuts down on the SPAM
since spammers have to first subscribe before they send their
messages.

Here is an example, showing the settings for the REUSE list.
Note that the PAL-ANNOUNCE list (which is also under my control)
is set similarly except that I am the only one who can post to it.

***
***  [log in to unmask]: List for People Interested in Software
Reuse
***
***  Date created: Mon Jan 22 08:57:56 1996

--- The current list settings are as follows:

OPEN: subscriptions are open.
SEND: open to subscribers and owners only.
VISIBLE: the list shows up in listings.
UNPUBLISHED: the list is visible on the local listproc only.
ARCHIVE: digests are archived in the reuse archive.
        File spec is log%y%m
STATS: open to subscribers and owners only.
REVIEW: open to subscribers and owners only.
ARCHIVES: available to all.
UNMODERATED: postings not controlled.
DIGEST: digests distributed daily at 23:00
MESSAGE-LIMIT: unlimited daily postings.
FORWARD-REJECTS: yes; all listproc-generated errors redirected to the
owners.
REPLY-TO-LIST
AUTO-DELETE-SUBSCRIBERS: yes.
KEEP-RESENT-LINES: yes; Resent- header lines preserved.
DELIVERY-ERRORS: non-delivery reports are sent to the owners.
REFLECTOR: To: and Cc: headers retained.
OWNERS: [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask]

I don't know if the list server employed by ACM allows this level
of control or not, but this is an option open to us.

Rick
--
Richard Conn
mailto:[log in to unmask]                     http://monmouth.com/~conn/
Opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily those of anyone else.