We looked at using cell phone e-mail addresses for sending text messages
during emergencies.  We wouldn't consider doing it except as a closed
subscription list, though.  The main problem is that we had to know
which provider they subscribed to, so we could figure out the domain to
send the mail to.  If a subscriber switched their phone to a different
provider, and didn't tell us, they would not get any messages.  That and
other reasons caused us to look at different ways of sending the
messages.

Melissa

-----Original Message-----
From: LISTSERV site administrators' forum
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Everist Benjamin S
Contr 377 MSG/CEMI
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 5:01 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [LSTSRV-L] Cell Phone subscribers

Has anyone experimented with cell phone subscribers to your lists?
Since most cell phones with text messaging capabilities associate email
addresses with phone numbers, it should be possible to set up some sort
of text messaging list.
 
When looking into this, we're finding some difficulties in the area of
the ack messages listserv sends out confirming subscription requests.
Since receiving text messages often costs cell phone customers
additional money, we figure this is a necessary function to prevent
someone using our system to text bomb someone's phone bill.
 
Which makes me think, even if the system does send out confirmation
requests, I can use that in itself to attack someone I don't like by
issuing multiple subscription requests - can't I?
 
any thoughts on this?
 
//Signed//
 
Benjamin Everist, Contr, 377 MSG/CEMI
Computer Systems Analyst