On Mon, 22 Apr 1996, Bill Gruber wrote:
> On Mon, 22 Apr 1996 00:08:31 -0500 Winship said:
> >So, now I've got this thing waiting to go out when I free the list and I
> >*really* would like to kill it.  Is there a way for a mere listowner to do
> >this?
>
> Yes... call it a kludge.
    I LOVE kludges, as long as they work! (Ever heard the story (probably
apocryphal) of the origin of "kludge" in American English?)
>
> 1)  Get the list.
> 2)  Change the header to make it moderated (Send=Editor, and [log in to unmask])
>     (If that post will look like it came from you, be sure you're not the
>     moderator!)
> 3)  Put the list back.
> 4)  Free the list once you're sure it's now moderated.
> Waiting posts now will be forwarded to the moderator for approval.  This works
> even if the posts arrived while the list was not moderated.
 
Bill sent me a follow-up item privately saying that since the item was
already approved the above might not work, but maybe switching to
Send=owner  with owner different from the address which approved the
item in the first place would.
 
I was already thinking along those lines so decided to go all out (hey,
only got one shot at stopping this, it works or it doesn't).   So, I
set it Send= owner, wiped all owner and editor references other than
this address (which wasn't the address which approved the item in
the first place), then freed the list.  It worked!  Even though the item
supposedly had been approved and was first in line for distribution it was
rejected (the rejection notice was sent to the address from which I had
unintentionally created the monster).  When I freed the list I did
get a note here that the item had been released, but it was released
only to be rejected.
 
So, it can be done.  Can't pick and choose items in the queue, but you
can kill whatever is behind the "hold" barrier.  I think maybe Bill's
original suggestion of changing the editor might well have worked,
which would allow picking and choosing.  But it's a super slow time
for the list, no traffic, so I went the draconian route.
 
Changed the header back to normal, sent a little note to the list that
if they got a "rejected" notice should just repost.
 
Now, I can think about going to bed.
 
Douglas
       Douglas Winship   Hays County, Texas  [log in to unmask]
                    Secondary AUTOCAT Listowner
                              MEDLAB-L