I'm forwarding this message, originally sent to MAIL-L by Bill Frazier,
<GG.WSF@ISUMVS>, but belonging here.
/Zvika
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I am the registered TECH REP for Iowa State University.  As such, I
assume that I should be able to perform certain administrative
functions.  One such function is the cleanup of LISTSERV
subscriptions for users no longer on our system.  This is important
because at the end of each semester several hundred student user ids
become invalid and many of them have list subscriptions.
 
Over the last several years we have tried several times to allow
another person here (the Postmaster) to do the "NETWIDE" signoffs
but this effort has been unsuccessful.  (Please do not send me
messages about the ACONTACT tag, etc.  It doesn't work.)
 
A signoff job was submitted to the LISTSERV at NDSUVM1 for
several user ids on one of our nodes, ISUVAX.  It was sent from my
user id.  I have just spent a considerable time deleting from my
mailbox messages from every @##$&*%$$@ LISTSERV informing me that I
am not a NAD for ISUVAX, that the NAD for ISUVAX is [log in to unmask]
Rod is indeed listed as CONTACT for ISUVAX.  Aparrently we have
succeeded in having another person able (exclusively) to do signoff
for at least one node.  'twould be nice if we could achieve that for
the user id we wanted and for all our nodes.
 
I do not deal with LISTSERV frequently enough to remember all the
rules.  Should the TECH REP be able to do the signoff?  What
document do I need to tell me the rules?  I've looked through the
ones I have and haven't found anything.  The whole issue seems to be
complicated by the fact that LISTSERV rules and NETSERV rules differ
slightly.
 
Excuse please just a short venting of frustration.  Right now, my
inclination is to chuck the whole business of netwide signoffs.
Once the user ids here are deleted, our mail server will bounce
incoming messages.  I'm sure that eventually someone will get tired
of that and do the signoffs for us.  This inclination will probably
fade after a time.  Until the end of next semester.
 
Bill Frazier