To say that it's a _serious_ problem isn't to say that it's one that
LISTSERV needs to solve, or could solve.

> >  As far as I can tell, this is an email problem, not a LISTSERV(R)
> >  problem.  LISTSERV(R) might be able to ameliorate, but it can not 100%
> >  prevent sender and receiver from screwing up each other.
>
> I disagree.  If Listserv stuck to (or at least had the option to)
> distribute nonexecutable text-only messages virus contamination
> would not be a problem.

Well, in turn, _I_ disagree. Lists are not the only, or even a
significant, way in which viruses are transmitted, much less
LISTSERV(R) lists.  Our central problem is that agreed conventions
about mail have been increasingly ignored in the interests of adding
bells and whistles to text, and mainly by Micro$oft, though they're
not the only offenders.  I don't _want_ my mailer opening files and
running programs I know nothing about, so I don't _use_ those
products.  As long as people keep buying them, LISTSERV can hardly be
configured in such a way as to prevent people from taking advantage
of those "capabilities" (Bugs or features? Depends on what you're
selling).

                                  -- Russ
                                __|~_
Russell A. Hunt            __|~_)_ __)_|~_    Professor of English
St. Thomas University      )_ __)_|_)__ __)  PHONE: (506) 452-0424
Fredericton, New Brunswick   |  )____) |       FAX: (506) 450-9615
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      ~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.StThomasU.ca/~hunt/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~