Kathy,
Sorry if you've been answered. I get LSTOWN-L once a day in DIGest form.
>Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 11:57:51 -0400
>From: "Kathy in Pa. USA" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: TOPICS FEATURE!
>
>MY list is not moderated but I set up topics for my group to play with as a
>trial. I'm having troubles understanding them.
In case you don't have it, there is a List Owner's Manual available. Topics
are covered in section 6.7.
>We like to have social events for partygoing type kids to play through email.
>I'm trying to set up the topics PARTY!!!!
I am assuming that your use of !!!!'s is punctuation only and that you never
tried to create a Topic called "PARTY!!!!".
>I ran out of room on my topics list line and I'm having troubles with it.
>Perhaps I'm going about it wrong!!! This is the email message I get when
>trying to change my topics setting to add or delte it:
>
>> SET NLC TOPICS: + Party
>"PARTY" is not an unambiguous abbreviation for any of the topics defined for
>the NLC list. No action will be taken for the NLC list.
>
>Here's what orignally caused my error!
>
>* Topics= NLC,Recipes,Diets,IRC,Exercise,New,WWW,HUMOR,LIST HELP,PARTY
>* Default-Options= NORepro,SHORTHDR,
>* Set TOPICS= NLC,Recipes,Diets,IRC,Exercise,New,WWW,HUMOR,LIST HELP,Other
LISTSERV quit processing the "Topics=" line when it encountered the space
after the word "LIST". "PARTY" never made it onto the Topics list.
The "Set" line doesn't belong in the LIST file; it is a command that each
user who wishes to use Topics should send to your LISTSERV address.
> Then I put it like this and got the exact same error:
>
>* Topics= NLC,Recipes,Diets,IRC,Exercise,New,WWW,HUMOR,LIST HELP,PARTY
>* Default-Options= NORepro,SHORTHDR,
>* Set TOPICS= NLC,Recipes,Diets,IRC,Exercise,New,WWW,HUMOR,LIST HELP,
>* Party,Other
The "Topics=" line still has a space imbedded. Consequently, "PARTY" still
wasn't recongnized as a Topic.
If, by use of the "Set" you are trying to establish default topics for
subscribers, "Default-Topics" is the keyword to use in the LIST file. But
you will never find a good combination of defaults to suit everyone. Better
yet, tell subscribers to send this command to your LISTSERV address:
SET TOPICS= ALL -FirstTopicTheyDontWant -SecondTopicTheyDontWant ...
where "FirstTopicTheyDontWant", "SecondTopicTheyDontWant" etc are replaced
by the names of the Topics the individual subscriber does not want sent to
him/her. Note, there are no commas on the command line. (There are commas on
the "Topics=" line in the LIST file.) Rather than wrap to a second line, if
the list needs to be longer, just add a second "SET TOPICS=" line with
additional unwanted Topics listed. Be sure that all *unwanted* Topic are
preceded by a minus sign. (+/add is the default.) One must not repeat the
"ALL" on subsequent lines nor on subsequent command messages, unless, of
course, one is starting the process over.
>I'm having troubles understanding how this feature exactly works.
>I realize if folks don't match their subjects to the topics it won't make any
>difference because it'll all end up in other!!! Are list covers a variety of
>topics that doesn't always interest everyone. I'm trying hard to keep folks
that
>complain of excess mail happy by making topics.
>I got several members that LOVE TO POST I'm in IRC come meet me, I'll be there
>for an hour!! This is very annoying!!! I'm trying to make them happy by giving
>them a separate topic. Same thing for some of the other areas.
>Digest readers are grumbling but heck, can't please everyone!!!!
Based on your description, the "Meet me on IRC" posters are not too likely
to prepend Topic names to their messages. All messages *without* a TOPIC
will go to anyone who has "SET TOPICS: OTHER" (unless "OTHER" is on the
"Default-Topic=" line, in which case every one who has *not* "SET TOPICS:
-OTHER" will get them).
The only way to be sure that all messages have a proper Topic: prefix is to
moderate the list. Then only you would get the "Meet me" messages because
you wouldn't forward them, right? :)
Later. Ed Paynter
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