>
> >   True, subscribing to a list can be a minor hassle.
> >
> >Worse is getting *off* the list.  *That*'s the hassle.
> >
>
> Bull!  It's just as easy to get off as it is to get on.  The problem is
> that people don't pay attention to the instructions they get when they
> first subscribe.
 
Amen.
 
> Then when they want off, they send a message to the
> list, which, of course, loses.  J. Random User also doesn't know that
> when his node id changes, while he will still get mail from the list,
> he can't do anything about his subscription because LISTSERV doesn't
> recognize him.  (Which is the fault of his node administrator for not
> telling him what to do about it.)
 
Amen.
 
It gets almost amusing when people write me asking to be removed from
the list without having tried *anything* yet. It happens perhaps more
often than it should as my postmaster has set my email address as the
list's "sender." Some people seem to think that I sit at a desk with
networked PCs/workstations/etc. drinking coffee, eating donuts and
waiting for service requests. Sometimes I reply w/a short note, other
times I send them a long FAQ for the list which contains sub/unsub
instructions, depending on how presumptive their tone is.
 
Maybe there's room in the standard WELCOME message for a note that your
list owner is more often than not a volunteer who is not paid by
the university where s/he maintains the list for work of any kind, and
that therefore the list user has some very minimal obligation to try to
learn how to enter and leave gracefully.
 
Of course, there's more leverage for teaching someone how to sign off
a list than for most other net functions. If they *really* want off,
that is :)
 
-dave phillips
 biosph-l, plearn-l, and nasirn-l owner