On Thu, 30 Oct 1997, Peter Rauch wrote:

> On Thu, 30 Oct 1997, Judith Hopkins wrote:
>
> >    As spamming began to become a nuisance we changed to REVIEW =PRIVATE
> >    but realized that that was not particularly effective as anyone
> >    could subscribe, get the subscription list, and then unsubscribe.
> >    So now we have REVIEW =OWNERS     If anyone can persuade me that
> >    he or she has a valid need for some subscription information I am
> >    glad to provide it to them but I have rarely received such requests.
>
> Can I persuade you to define the list as:
> * Review= Private
> * Default-Options= Conceal
>
> so that you leave the new subscriber protected from prying
> eyes, but leave with them the prerogative and responsibility
> to decide for themselves whether they wish to be a visible
> subscriber (to other subscribers of the list)? This way, you
> get to protect your subscribers, lacking any knowledge of
> their wishes to the contrary, but you relieve yourself on
> forcing them to continue to be "protected" if they do not
> wish to. Everyone wins.

    Not everyone.  I don't.  I depend greatly on monthly printouts
  of the subscription list to manage the Errors messages.  While it
  is possible to get printouts of all those with a specific option
  such as CONCEAL that printout shows all settings for each subscriber
  resulting in only 5-6 subscribers per page.  With REVIEW I get one line
  per subscriber or 60 lines (subscribers) per page.  With a subscription
  list of over 3,000 subscribers the total printout for October was 58
  pages (29 sheets).   The equivalent CONCEAL printout would be over
  280 pages (140 sheets).   With a computing center that is cutting back
  on printing that is not a direction in which I care to go.

> If I do convince you to configure your list as above, then
> remember also to QUIET SET <listname> CONCEAL FOR *@* in
> order to initially conceal the subscriptions of all those
> who are already subscribed to your list (redefining the
> list's configuration will not change the SETtings of those
> already subscribed).
>
> And, finally, remember that it is only those subscribers who
> have not posted to your list who will have the option to
> remain concealed (if you keep archives accessible to
> subscribers or the public). Once they've posted, anyone with
> permission can GET the logfiles and derive subscriber
> userids from there.
> Peter R
>
   As you point out, it is only the inactive subscribers who
  would really be concealed (the archives are available to subscribers).
  With either approach a determined individual could glean the
  addresses of active participants.   It therefore doesn't seem
  worth the bother to change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Judith Hopkins, Listowner of Autocat
     [log in to unmask]
     http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~ulcjh