Owners above the QUIET: line can be defaulted to by certain list definition keywords operands. When a keyword operand of OWNER is used, it refers to the first or only non-QUIET: owner=. The operand OWNERs refers all all non-QUIET owners. The generic e-mail address: listname-REQUEST@listserv_host refers to ALL non-QUIET: owners. The generic e-mail address: OWNER-listname@listserv_host refers to the operand(s) of the ERRORS-TO= keyword. That may default to OWNERS, can be "explicitly" referenced to OWNER, which is actually the indirect reference to the first non-QUIET: owner, or can have true userids@nodes listed. So, as you can see, OWNERS above the line can get referenced indirectly by other list definition keywords either by default or by the explicit list keyword operand OWNER or OWNERS. OWNERS below the QUIET: line are never referenced implicitly, but do have all of the list controlling rights as those above the line. If someone were to do a REVIEW of the list, they would see all owners: the QUIET: ones can't be hidden. The cognizant subscriber would first try to contact the non-QUIET owners for any problem requiring assistance (by simply e-mailing listname-REQUEST). If they weren't available, they could then contact the QUIET: owners if the problem is serious. Hope this helps. I don't know how other Mailing List Managers (software) deal with this variety of keywords and pseudo mailing addresses. -- co-owner: INFOSYS, TQM-L, CPARK-L, ERAPPA-L, JANITORS, LDBASE-L, et -L URL:mailto:[log in to unmask] "Never confuse the messenger with the message"