Margaret Levine Young wrote:

> >We had set up a
> >"three strikes and you're out" policy with warnings for the first two
> >strikes and
> >then having posting privileges suspended after the third.
>
> This is a good approach. Make sure that it is clear in your list FAQ what
> constitutes a "strike" and how long the suspension will be. You might want
> to make the suspension longer each time it happens (one month the first
> time, three months the second, etc.).

I like the "longer each time" idea! That is an area we had not completely
hammered out. We were trying to suspend posting privileges for two weeks pending
the offender's acknowledgment of his offense and promise to try to do better.

> One or two zealots can ruin a list for everyone.

Yep, two or three main culprits and a flock of otherwise good folks that can't
help but get involved.

> Your responsibility as
> list owner is to prevent that from happening. The zealots may howl, but the
> rest of the subscribers will thank you!

That's what we tried to do but were undermined by the lack of the host's
willingness to back us up. Next solution: find a new host.

> Margy Levine Young <[log in to unmask]>
> Coauthor of "The Internet For Dummies," 6th Ed.

I've referred many newbies to this book. It's nice to meet you! I find that
getting a newbie to buy one of the "Dummies" books for a quick, easy to read
start and a more thorough book for reference works out well. Now if I could just
find a book that answers the phone and answers computer questions while I eat
dinner ;-)
--
Walter Potter