In response to my mailing to TeX-L about why LISTSERV lists get so
many junk mailings (SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, etc.) in which I said that
it was just a case of uninformed users and we just need to mount a
better effort at user education (I also explained on to send commands
to LISTSERV from VM/CMS, VAX/VMS and using MAIL),
 
David A. Kosower writes:
 
>    Good grief.  And when I am through clearing the chad off my machine,
>I can dump the next message.... it strikes me that in 1988 (yes, it's
>not 1958 anymore), we HAVE the technology to eliminate such useless
>junk mail, EVEN if uneducated (or forgetful) users keep sending it
>to TeX-L.  And the solution is simple, a four-year old could probably
>write it in a couple of hours: scan the body of any single-line message,
>and if it begins with a command appropriate for LISTSERV (e.g. SUBSCRIBE,
>UNSUBSCRIBE, etc.), simply re-direct it to LISTSERV instead of re-broadcasting
>it to the entire list.
>
>   David A. Kosower
>   [log in to unmask]
 
What do the people who maintain various LISTSERV lists think about this?
 
Jim Gerland
 
Computing Center               Room 226
University Computing Services
State University of New York at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY   14260      (716) 636-3557
 
BITNET:  gerland@ubvms     gerland@ubvm