At 04:21 PM 04/21/2002 -0400, Rich Greenberg wrote: >}...If they are a subscriber to the list, they ought to be able to >} access the archives without a password. > >Well, you could make the archives public (not recommended). Rich, You are correct. My list is private and I certainly would NOT want to make the archives public. They should be available to subscribers only. And at 06:08 PM 04/21/2002 -0500, Mark R. Williamson wrote: >At 03:09 PM 4/21/02 -0500, Russ Hicks wrote: >>I realize the necessity of asking for their email address because >>that will let Listserv know whether or not they are a subscriber or not. >All that entering an email address will prove is that the person entering >it knows (or can guess) the email address of some subscriber. How much >good is that? Mark, Good point. No good at all... .............. Okay guys, thanks for helping me think through this. 99% of my subscriber's list experience has been via email, far removed from this list site itself. They only read emails at their own computers. But when you access the archives, you actually have to get into the list site itself, and for security's sake, that MUST involve a password. Dang... but that's correct. There is simply no other way to protect the security of the list without asking for a password. What that's telling me is that I must add a question and answer to my FAQs that addresses this password requirement. Rich Greenberg had a great example of how to explain passwords to subscribers and I think I'll adapt some of his words to my own list FAQs. Thanks for those words, Rich. Really the Listserv procedures themselves, just as they are, are not too bad. Just follow your nose and do what it says. I railed against the requirement for a password in the first place, but now that I understand all this more clearly, I see there is no other secure way. Thanks for helping me think through this situation guys. I also hope this discussion is helpful to other list owner newbies who may be reading this. Education of new list owners is certainly an important part of this LstOwn-L list. Russ [log in to unmask] Dallas, Texas 972-881-1451 home, 972-489-6169 cell my home page: http://www.RussHicks.com