At 16:35 6/22/2007 Friday, Jim Morgan wrote:
>I've just had to set to nomail a subscriber when her "on vacation" message
>started replying to ever message on one of my lists.  Is there any way in
>the list configuration to block that type of message, or is there any advice
>I can give the subscribers on how to avoid the problem at their end?

I'm a fan of the MAILTPL content_filter template:

>>> CONTENT_FILTER OOO and blank Subject
Subject: Out of office
Action: MODERATE OOO messages are not allowed on this list.
Subject: Out of the office
Action: MODERATE OOO messages are not allowed on this list.
Subject::
Action: MODERATE Please resubmit with a non-blank subject.
Text: Out of office
Action: MODERATE OOO messages are not allowed on this list.
Text: Out of the office
Action: MODERATE OOO messages are not allowed on this list.

You'll still need to set to NOMAIL (and I would suggest adding NOPOST).  That way, when the individual returns, and attempts to send a nastygram to the list, it won't be distributed.

Then, you can dialog with him/her about auto-responses to lists and how s/he should either get a better vacation program / configuration, or set themselves to NOMAIL before they go.

Having the subscriber in NOMAIL and NOPOST mode is an informal convention you can establish with your co-list owners so that when you are not there, and they do a QUERY listname FOR poster, that combo of SET options is the tell-tale sign of previous delivery problems.

Of course YMMV.


/Pete