>I would second a suggestion made by Roger Burns, I think.  Change the
>subscription to By_owner.  If a person puts noise on the list, off them.
>As people subscription, give them the admonition about what the list is
>about.
I agree.  I run a list that is in this mode (subscription by owner, but
unmoderated).  In 2 years, I have only once had to boot someone off the
list.  When I get a subscription request, I send a "form letter" back to
the potential subscriber, asking them to send me a paragraph about
themself, their professional background, and their interest in the list.
(If I add them to the list, I forward their response to the list to
"introduce" them to the list.  This is a popular networking feature on my
list.)
This takes some time, but not as much time as moderating the list would.
 
Incidentally, does anyone know if listserv can *automatically* forward a
"tell me about yourself before I sign you on the list" message to people
who request subscription on a list that is subscription to By_owner?
 
I still occasionally have the problem of novice users on the list (people
who are professionally interested in the list but are computer novices)
posting administrative stuff (signoff etc) to the list.  I have minimized
this by sending a detailed welcome message to each new member telling them
the basics of using listserv (I find that few read/understand the form
letter sent out by listserv at subscription, since for most of my
subscribers, my list is the first and only they have subscribed to).
Joe
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Joseph B. Stanford, MD, MSPH         internet: [log in to unmask]
Department of Family                   bitnet: [log in to unmask]
 and Preventive Medicine                          voice:    (801) 581-7234
University of Utah                                fax:      (801) 581-2759
50 North Medical Drive           list owner: [log in to unmask]
Salt Lake City,  UT   84132                  [log in to unmask]
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