>
> Is there any way for Listserv to identify messages to a list
> that are auto
> generated and stop such message from delivering?
>

Nicholas

welcome to wonderful world of 'modern' email clients.  If you do a search of
this list's archives you'll find that this topic is one of the hottest and
most talked about.

I hate to be cynical but the short answer to your question is: get used to
it, you'll never, ever get rid of the problem.

There are, however, a couple of things you can do to reduce the problem.

1. EDUCATION!  Tell you subscribers in no uncertain terms that
autoresponders are A VERY BAD THING for lists.  Then tell them again....and
again...and again...and maybe, just maybe, some of them will listen to you
and switch the @@#!!#!! things off.

2. Content Filtering.  If you're running 1.8e you have the advantage of
turning on content filtering which will scan messages as they come in and
reject any that have common phrases from autoresponders.  Read the Site
Manager's manual for this.
http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8e/sitemgr/sitemgr.html#_Toc9062414  Note
that this will only help with replies sent *to the list*.  Replies that go
back to the original poster *will not* be trapped.

3. REPLY-TO= list header entry.  (I'm probably going out on a limb here and
inviting all sorts of comments to the contrary.)  If you code REPLY-TO= LIST
you are ensuring that most autoresponders will send back to the list since
LISTSERV codes the reply-to: email header with the list's address.  Coding
REPLY-TO= NONE,IGNORE is probably the strongest protection but will make it
diffcult for your subscribers.  See the manual for clarification
http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8e/sitemgr/sitemgr.html#_Toc9062591

Section 7.13 of the manual has a very good explanation of how reply-to:
headers are not universally honoured
http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8e/sitemgr/sitemgr.html#_Toc9062388.

Good luck with it and feel comforted by the knowledge that you're not the
only list manager out there battling the problem.

"We are not alone."
(that's for aficionados of early Spielberg :)

--
Chazzozz!!

Michael Shannon
Webmaster
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"Before you can grow old and wise you must first survive being young and
stupid." - Ancient Proverb

Note: Opinions expressed on this list are my own and do not reflect the
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