With all due respect, the responses discussed by Natalie and others
really don't hit the point.
I find the following general cases:
1) A system (usually a unix type system) has a problem with mail coming
in - whether it is a mailer problem or the system forgets its userids
for some time is another matter.
2) A system (typically a Unix or VM system) may have a mailer problem,
like it can't find some file (such as an error log file) and so
bounces mail.
3) A system sends a reject, but it is really not a reject, just
something like your mail is having problems being delivered because
I'm a brain dead system so I want to let you know that your mail
couldn't be delivered for 1 day and I will try for 26 (or more) days
more. "No further action is required by you."
4) The mail system couldn't connect for 1 day, so your mail is being
returned to you (but, if I would try for 3 days, I might have a
better chance of sending it to the user, but, let me not be that
intelligent a system).
5) The users mailbox is full.
I can go on, but you get the point ...
If the user does not exist, then it could be that he or she does not
really have an account anymore, or it could be many other things - like
the mailer is temporarily broken and will be fixed within a day or so,
or the site lost all its ids somehow for a short time, etc ...
That being the case, just bear it and it will clear up. If you
delete or nomail the user, they will then have to re-subscribe. I
choose to be nice to my people and follow up as best I can, not deleting
the userid until I am reasonably sure it really doesn't exist. I send
mail to the postmaster sometimes to find out. Several times, they
didn't even know they had a problem and thanked me for pointing it out!
Another problem is a site that has a problem and you resend the mail
and it works (like the one that prompted me to write in the first
place). I know this takes patience, but it is worth it, at least it is
to me.
It is a lot harder for a user to re-sub to all the lists that they
could be deleted (or, worse yet, nomailed from and they don't even know
what nomail is!) from than it is for the list-owner to just be a tad
patient and see if it clears up.
Sometimes, even, the user had a mail forwarding address put in a few
days after the initial bounce and I got it and updated my list. That is
something I have been appreciated for! (And, I send LOGs too!)
So there you have it - patience and a little work pays off.
** ------------------------------------------------------------------ **
** Geert K. Marien : [log in to unmask] (Bitnet: GKMQC@CUNYVM) **
** ListOwner: AIRLINE, RAILROAD, STAMPS, The INDIA List **
** (All contents are my own opinions - unless otherwise stated) **
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