The Sociology of UNSUBSCRIBING

[Stephen Williams]

> 
> About half a dozen messages like this one are posted here every week:
> 
> > PLEASE READ!  (sorry to shout)
> > 
> > All subscription requests should be sent to cypherpunks-request at toad.com
> 
> 
> Despite this, every day there are several "Unsubscribe me, NOW!"
> messages, with various degrees of politeness.
> 
> Folks, I am not going to repeat the instructions again. This is
> becuase of the following conclusions I have reached:
...

I've seen before, and if I breakdown and write my own software I'm
going to improve on, mailing list software that refuses to send
messages to the list that look suspicious.  Rules like:

<3 lines non-blank body, occurance of remove, me, unsubscribe, help,
subscribe, etc.

These generate a message giving details, and of course you could even
guess what the person wanted.

Looks like a necessary evolution in net software...

I typically try reasonable auto commands for a new mailing list until
I know there's a person there.

sdw
-- 
Stephen D. Williams  Local Internet Gateway Co.; SDW Systems 513 496-5223APager
LIG dev./sales       Internet: sdw at lig.net sdw at meaddata.com
OO R&D Source Dist.  By Horse: 2464 Rosina Dr., Miamisburg, OH 45342-6430
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