On Wed, 6 May 1992 09:37:54 EST you said:
>Whenever I post I message to AUTOCAT at UVMVM (a listserv list),
>I get one more of the following messages.  Must this be? --Ralph
>*****************************************
>
>Date:    Wed, 06 May 92 07:08 CDT
>To:      PAPAKHI@IUBVM
>From:    Postman@UNDJES2
>Subject: Undelivered mail
>
>Your mail was not delivered to some or all of its
>intended recipients for the following reason(s):
>
>5011 unknown -> "AUTOCAT: Library cataloging and authorities discussion group"@
>
>Sender:       "AUTOCAT: Library cataloging and authorities discussion group"
>              <[log in to unmask]>
>From:         "A. Ralph Papakhian" <PAPAKHI@IUBVM>
 
You have been victimized by a common, and IMHO inexcusable, nuisance.  A
mailer that's out of policy and sending undelivered mail notices to the
"From" address instead of to the "Sender" (actually, it should be to the
envelope MAIL FROM, but in the case of every LISTSERV list I know of,
its the same thing) like it is supposed to.
 
This problem (and its solutions) has been recognized for more than four
years.  A year or so ago CREN adopted a REQUIREMENT that BITNET nodes
conform to RFC 1123 (the Internet standard).  A few have not done so.
 
Sometimes the problem is an inadvertent mailer configuration error (some
mailers evidently are hostile even to postmasters).  More often the host
site has an attitude problem (the attitude being "what do I care of I
annoy users all over the world, I'm too busy to be bothered with the
problem").
 
In addition to IUBVM, other hosts I've recently noted doing the same
thing are GMUVAX, CGC, and MARICOPA.  My policy which I *urge on you
all* is that because such misconfigured mailers do not bring delivery
problems to the attention of list owners, it is NOT APPROPRIATE for such
subscribers to receive LISTSERV service.  I simply send a DEL listname
*.jerkhost every time one of these comes to my attention.  Alas, it
appears the only way to make the problem personally serious enough to
the host postmasters to get them to correct it (we aren't their
constituents, but their local users are).
 
/s Murph <[log in to unmask]>                     BITNET/Internet
         ...!bitnet!uconnvm!sewall                      UUCP
 + Standard disclaimer applies ("The opinions expressed are my own" etc.)