>Is there any way to prevent the bounces from going back to the originator. I
>participate in over a dozen mailing lists, including those using listserv,
>listproc, and majordomo software. I am constantly getting bounced mail/error
>messages coming back to me of mail I have initiated, but didn't make it to a
>particular subscriber on the list. Is there some series of settings that can
>minimize these problems. I surely don't want my subscribers on a new list I
>am setting up to start complaining about this problem.
 
     Have the list-owner unsubscribe the user whose e-mail is
     bouncing.
 
     Typically it isn't the user per se who is bouncing the mail, but
     the Mail Transfer Agent that is doing so incorrectly (or
     sometimes bogusly).  Short of configuring the MTA appropriately
     (if possible), they would need to replace it.
 
>>Bouncing e-mail sometimes starts e-mail loops when they are
>>generated back to the list.
 
>Could you define what a e-mail loop is and the worst case scenario for such
 
     List "A" generates e-mail to list subscribers including user "B"
     whose e-mail system returns the mail (or similarly a notification
     of receipt) to List "A" which generates e-mail to subscribers
     including user "B" ...  ad nausuem.
 
>a problem. Also, is there a way to prevent e-mail loops from occuring in the
>first place, other than staying on top of bounced mail problems.
 
     There are a number of LISTSERV features that by default and by
     list-owner selection (SEND=PRIVATE, or SEND=EDITOR + EDITOR=
     realuserid,@node,(listname), and/or DAILY-THRESHOLD greatly
     enhance the ability of LISTSERV to inhibit most loops.
 
     Regardless of e-mail loops, I claim that one still needs to keep
     on top of e-mail bounces.  Nothing is totally reliable, except
     a computer that is turned off (and even then maybe it has a
     battery that could explode?).
 
/Pete Weiss at Penn State