OK folks, it turns out that it *is* possible for a subscriber message,
properly addressed to the list instead of the listserv, to be routed
to the listserv, there to be treated like a series of "unknown commands".
I've duplicated the problem.

I noticed that of all the lists I manage, this problem only occurs on
lists that have an alias defined in the LIST-ID= header parm.  I also
found that the problem cannot be duplicated from the listowner's address.
What is happening in my case is that mail addressed to the LIST-ID
address is being routed to the listserv instead.  This doesn't happen to
mail addressed to the full list name.

I've contacted our listserv administrator about this, but this doesn't
seem to be a very well known, or well documented ...feature.

It is a "feature", right?

George Buckner
Listowner, Psyche-*, ASSC-*  @UH.LISTSERV.EDU


A few days ago, I asked:

>To the gurus at LSoft (or any guru who can answer definitively):
>
>One of my subscribers is complaining that the mail he sends to the
>list isn't being handled properly *by Listserv*.  He sent me a copy
>of the reply he got from his attempt to send a message to the list.
>It consists of the usual "Unknown command" messages we have come to
>expect whenever someone sends mail intended for the list to the
>Listserv instead.
>
>My question:  Is there any *other* reason a subscriber would get such
>a response?  Specifically it has been suggested that something in
>his mail header might cause this, such as a FROM address that differs
>slightly from the addresses Listserv knows him by.
>
>I have had several subscribers cite this problem recently.  When I told
>them what it looked like, they insisted they were sending to the right
>address.  However, as soon as they CC'd me on their next message (as I
>requested, so I could confirm), things generally start working again.
>
>Is this problem always as simple as it looks?  Any advice would be
>appreciated.
>
>Thanks.
>
>George Buckner
>Owner, Psyche-*, ASSC-*