OK, figured it out.
 
If I e-mail (NOT reply) to the listserv and if I do NOT append a
sig file to my message, then the confirmation goes through ok.
 
What an absolute pain this is.  The phone has been going crazy as
my several hundred active BITNET users suddenly are not able to
subscribe to lists because the documentation provided on how to
confirm a subscription ASSUMES that the whole world looks the same
and that every mailer in the world behaves the same.
 
Actually it acknowledges that some people can just say ok, and others
"ok ######" but it still does not address several other things, like
the fact that RICEMAIL is providing a subject for users when they
reply to the message as they are directed.
 
 
 /++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\
!  Later        +   Systems Programmer                                 !
!  Gary Warner  +   Samford University Computer Services               !
!               +   II TIMOTHY 2:15                                    !
 \+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++/