I think there is more going on at Google than meets the eye.  I started a
Listserv list three years ago which has been a huge success in its field.
When googled, however, there was for a long time, very little info coming up
in spite of the fact that I also have a supporting website.  I found that
Google has designated "editors" in each area so applied to be one.  I was
refused on the ground that I wanted to promote my own list.  I merely sought
fairness, but since everything is anonymous, there is no one to speak to
or appeal to. I gather the editors are sworn to secrecy.   It doesn't
matter since apparently the groundswell of requests could not be ignored and
now there is a fairly representative number of responses to a request for
information from Google about my list..

The archives of my list are public and it is picked up on several
noncommercial as well as commercial lists with messages that are just as
current as those received by my subscribers.  The best known of that group
does change the @ symbol in addresses to AT.  How it is done,
instantaneously,
 I have not the foggiest idea.

I find that I get a fair amount of spam, but I am sure it is not much more
than
the average person who does much emailing gets.  I use a program to
preview my mail and while I haven't found it to decrease the email, it does
give me the satisfaction of easily blacklisting and bouncing unwanted
messages.

I don't think bothering with editing the archives is the answer.

Barbara Passmore


----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Johnson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 8:51 AM
Subject: Re: [LSTOWN-L] Google, the Deep Web, and LISTSERV Archives


> On Fri, 7 May 2004, Stephen C. Nill wrote:
>
> > I too have been considering taking our public lists private, for the
> > same reasons.
>
> A similarly desireable feature, for lists that don't mind having publicly
> searchable archives, is to obfuscate or remove e-mail addresses from
> archived postings so that e-mail address harvesting can be thwarted.
>
> --
> Michael
>