Dealing with error messsages is a matter of list style.  Some listwoners
who run several major lists at once delete subscribers on sight of a
single error, as that is the only way they could hope to cope with the
flood.  However, they also tend to check on what seem to be systemic
problems croping up on various lists, i.e. all their lists start showing
the same pattern of error reports for the same node, system, whatever.
For those who have only one or two lists, maybe 3 - 5 thousand per list,
more lenience may be called for.  With experience you'll get a feel for
which errorrs are important and which you can probably safely ignore.
 
Melvin phrased it nicely; I'll be more blunt.  Being a concientious
listowner is very definitely work, even with all the aids Eric has given
us.  Handling errors is a major part of being a listowner, as there is
no program which can handle *all* the different ways errors can be reported.
Listowners get to do that.  AUTODELETE helps (no boos and hisses from those
who don't like it, please) but it can't do everything.  If you take on the
responsibility of being a listowner you deal with the errors, changing the
header, maintaining the filelist, understanding as best you can how the
system works (and screaming for help when you get lost), keeping abreast of
the latest changes, etc., etc. It is WORK, but one doesn't mind that as it
is worthwile.  The reward is when a subscriber complains about a little
problem on the list and, while you are politely explaining the problem or
telling the person you've taken action on the problem and it should be gone,
you can think to yourself all the time of all the disasters or near-disasters
you have kept from the list that this person will never know of.  That's
what listowners do, whatever is needed so the lists function smoothly with
as little irritation to subscribers and impedence of information flow as
possible.
 
Douglas
       Douglas Winship   Hays County, Texas  [log in to unmask]
                    Secondary AUTOCAT Listowner