Thread: mailing list moderation of subscriptions
I moderate the pgsql-jdbc list and I always leave subscription requests in the moderation queue so that the user can complete the confirmation as designed. If they don't confirm after a week or so the request is dropped. This evening someone approved two subscription requests. This defeats the whole purpose of the confirmation system. Unless there is some policy I'm unaware of I'd ask people not to do it. Kris Jurka
Kris Jurka wrote: > > I moderate the pgsql-jdbc list and I always leave subscription requests in > the moderation queue so that the user can complete the confirmation as > designed. If they don't confirm after a week or so the request is > dropped. This evening someone approved two subscription requests. This > defeats the whole purpose of the confirmation system. Unless there is > some policy I'm unaware of I'd ask people not to do it. Uh, are you sure the user is told to subscribe and repost. Last I used it I don't remember that information. -- Bruce Momjian http://candle.pha.pa.us EnterpriseDB http://www.enterprisedb.com + If your life is a hard drive, Christ can be your backup. +
On Tue, 25 Apr 2006, Bruce Momjian wrote: > Kris Jurka wrote: >> >> I moderate the pgsql-jdbc list and I always leave subscription requests in >> the moderation queue so that the user can complete the confirmation as >> designed. If they don't confirm after a week or so the request is >> dropped. This evening someone approved two subscription requests. This >> defeats the whole purpose of the confirmation system. Unless there is >> some policy I'm unaware of I'd ask people not to do it. > > Uh, are you sure the user is told to subscribe and repost. Last I used > it I don't remember that information. Actually, Kris is referring to ppl sending in a subscribe message, but not sending back a confirmation ... the list moderator has the ability to approve such requests, which I general do when I clean out the lists ... the problem is that I know that I've had issues where that confirmation mail gets lost as spam (ie. Yahoo's spam features send it to the bulk mail folder, that I've had experience with ppl losing emails in) ... But, if Kris wants me to stop, that's cool ... there are other lists I don't touch ... ---- Marc G. Fournier Hub.Org Networking Services (http://www.hub.org) Email: scrappy@hub.org Yahoo!: yscrappy ICQ: 7615664
On Tue, 25 Apr 2006, Marc G. Fournier wrote: > Actually, Kris is referring to ppl sending in a subscribe message, but not > sending back a confirmation ... the list moderator has the ability to approve > such requests, which I general do when I clean out the lists ... the problem > is that I know that I've had issues where that confirmation mail gets lost as > spam (ie. Yahoo's spam features send it to the bulk mail folder, that I've > had experience with ppl losing emails in) ... I guess my question is why do we have a confirmation at all? If someone else tries to subscribe me then I have a small window where I can reject it, but otherwise it will be approved by a moderator? > But, if Kris wants me to stop, that's cool ... there are other lists I don't > touch ... > I'd appreciate it if you still moderated messages in case I'm travelling or otherwise unavailable. Kris Jurka
On Tue, 25 Apr 2006, Kris Jurka wrote: > > > On Tue, 25 Apr 2006, Marc G. Fournier wrote: > >> Actually, Kris is referring to ppl sending in a subscribe message, but not >> sending back a confirmation ... the list moderator has the ability to >> approve such requests, which I general do when I clean out the lists ... >> the problem is that I know that I've had issues where that confirmation >> mail gets lost as spam (ie. Yahoo's spam features send it to the bulk mail >> folder, that I've had experience with ppl losing emails in) ... > > I guess my question is why do we have a confirmation at all? If someone > else tries to subscribe me then I have a small window where I can reject > it, but otherwise it will be approved by a moderator? My big worry is ppl slipping through the cracks due to anti-spam filters ... but, you do bring up a good point, why bother with the confirmation in the first place ... Anyone else have comments on this? It kinda breaks down into two paths: 1. remove 'confirmation / followup' email to subscribe 2. have moderators just ignore "admin requests" I don't like 1 myself, as that leaves things open to a dictionary attack kind of situation, where someone floods the lists with subscribe messages ... but, on the other hand, the way i've been doing things, those would just get approved anyway ... *groan* ... I think I just talked myself into 2 ... ignore them ... >> But, if Kris wants me to stop, that's cool ... there are other lists I >> don't touch ... >> > > I'd appreciate it if you still moderated messages in case I'm travelling or > otherwise unavailable. Oh, for messages themselves, I definitely will ... I'll just skip the subscribe/unsubscribe/set messages :) ---- Marc G. Fournier Hub.Org Networking Services (http://www.hub.org) Email: scrappy@hub.org Yahoo!: yscrappy ICQ: 7615664
> > I guess my question is why do we have a confirmation at > all? If someone > > else tries to subscribe me then I have a small window where > I can reject > > it, but otherwise it will be approved by a moderator? > > My big worry is ppl slipping through the cracks due to > anti-spam filters > ... but, you do bring up a good point, why bother with the > confirmation in > the first place ... > > Anyone else have comments on this? It kinda breaks down into > two paths: > > 1. remove 'confirmation / followup' email to subscribe > 2. have moderators just ignore "admin requests" 1 is, IMHO, a really bad idea. Unverified mailinglist subscription is *horrible*. It usde to be the norm, and people changed to the confirmation version to fix the problems. Let's not go back. If people subscribe, and miss the response, they will notice and likely go through their spambox. //Magnus
On Tue, Apr 25, 2006 at 10:56:32AM -0300, Marc G. Fournier wrote: > Actually, Kris is referring to ppl sending in a subscribe message, but not > sending back a confirmation ... the list moderator has the ability to > approve such requests, which I general do when I clean out the lists ... > the problem is that I know that I've had issues where that confirmation > mail gets lost as spam (ie. Yahoo's spam features send it to the bulk mail > folder, that I've had experience with ppl losing emails in) ... Surely there's got to be a way to tell majordomo to knock that off... why on earth would a moderator want to see all the subscription requests that are outstanding??? -- Jim C. Nasby, Sr. Engineering Consultant jnasby@pervasive.com Pervasive Software http://pervasive.com work: 512-231-6117 vcard: http://jim.nasby.net/pervasive.vcf cell: 512-569-9461
On Thu, 27 Apr 2006, Jim C. Nasby wrote: > Surely there's got to be a way to tell majordomo to knock that off... > why on earth would a moderator want to see all the subscription requests > that are outstanding??? Because it is also the moderator's job to monitor the <list>-owner@postgresql.org address and respond to questions and help requests from people who are having trouble subscribing. Being able to see the pending request queue is vital to understanding where they are in the process. Kris Jurka