5/13/2002, you wrote:

>Date:    Sun, 12 May 2002 22:05:52 +0200
>From:    "Helge R. Olesen" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Out of Office messages: How to educate users?
>
>. . .  Does anyone have
>sample texts which you can send, either to an "offending" user or to the
>entire list?

         This text message and autoresponder abatement policy works well,
with the member not losing messages, detecting a change has occurred in
settings, "replies" not posted, and should the advisory be overlooked, I
will see when a posting is attempted and can reinforce the original message
*nicely.* No one has done this more than twice.

Subject: "Out of Office" messages: ******-L Policy


Dear ListMembers,

Many people view the use of autoresponder messages in an institutional
setting as a polite convenience. However, with Internet mailing lists such
as this, the possibility exists for creating chaos. Essentially, *every*
message received by the unattended mail program will have an acknowledging
response returned to it. If the subscriber is set for digest, this will
only happen once daily. If the subscriber receives postings *individually*,
each one will receive a response. Because the list is not edited, each such
"reply" to the list goes out as a "posting." **Every subscriber sees every
one of these messages.** Each "out of office" posting returns a copy to the
originating subscriber, which is then acknowledged, ad infinitum. This can
create an endless "loop" of messages which can overwhelm servers, and fill
people's mailboxes to their great annoyance (especially if download time is
paid for by the minute).

This list asks that autoresponders be adjusted to not reply to the list. If
you do not wish to read mail while away, you should send the command "set
Em-Nsg-L nomail" to [log in to unmask] to suspend
mailing without unsubscribing. Instructions for this appear frequently on
the list in the "bottom banner" reminder messages.

If the list receives an autoresponder message, The List Administrator
*WILL* CHANGE your mail setting to "digest" so that you continue to receive
a daily collection of messages (so that you do not miss out on
communications of interest) AND CHANGE your setting so that YOU CANNOT POST
TO THE LIST WITHOUT APPROVAL. This will prevent your autoresponder messages
from going out, and, should you send a message to the list upon your
return, there will be a delay before it is approved and posted as it will
require human intervention by The List Administrator. This will allow us to
know that you have returned, and for you to know that there has been a
problem. Normal settings will be resumed thereafter, but it is highly
recommended that you remain in digest setting.

This policy, which has been used "behind the scenes" for some while, should
allow for the least disruption of all concerned, including your own receipt
of messages. The only way to prevent all disruption is to think before
setting the autoresponder message and set "nomail" for the list or prevent
autoresponder replies to the list.


Sincerely,
Tom Trimble
List Administrator for *******-L