On Thu, 9 Apr 1992 14:29:33 GMT Rotan <[log in to unmask]> said:
 
Why don't you just call it a goof  and quit trying to blame your error on
LISTSERV?
 
>Most OSs that I know, ask you  to confirm a password when you attempt to
>change it.
 
Most  OSes are  interactive. When  you  hit RETURN  after confirming  the
password, one of  two actions happens, instantly  and permanently: change
or no  change. You don't have  a delay of 1h  to undo the change.  If you
submit a batch  job to change your password (assuming  the OS allows it),
it is either changed on the spot or not changed, just like LISTSERV.
 
>  If listserv receives the cancellation within one hour of the send date
>  of this message  then the old ..listname.. LIST file  will be restored
>  and the new file returned to you.
 
What if you change the list password?  What if the network goes down? How
do you synchronize this with changes made by subscribers? Do you keep the
list  locked  for 1h?  What  is  all this  work  for,  saving a  LISTSERV
maintainer some 5-10 minutes to repair a goof once a year?
 
>Finally I  ask if listserv  should really allow  an owner to  change the
>ownership of a list. After all, ownership is usually granted (initially)
>by systems  administration and  they should therefore  be the  only ones
>allowed  to change  it. I  was  surprised that  listearn (and  therefore
>probably listserv) actually ALLOWED such an operation.
 
Ownership  is  usually granted  by  someone  whose main  requirement  for
opening the  list is  that he doesn't  want to hear  about the  list ever
again, because he hasn't got time to perform clerical operations for you.
He gave the list to you and doesn't really care what you do with it - how
you want to run  it is your business. Changes of  owners are very common,
mostly to add new  accounts that belong to you, or a  new owner that will
run the list while you go skiing, or whatever.
 
  Eric