With all due respect, the responses discussed by Natalie and others really don't hit the point. I find the following general cases: 1) A system (usually a unix type system) has a problem with mail coming in - whether it is a mailer problem or the system forgets its userids for some time is another matter. 2) A system (typically a Unix or VM system) may have a mailer problem, like it can't find some file (such as an error log file) and so bounces mail. 3) A system sends a reject, but it is really not a reject, just something like your mail is having problems being delivered because I'm a brain dead system so I want to let you know that your mail couldn't be delivered for 1 day and I will try for 26 (or more) days more. "No further action is required by you." 4) The mail system couldn't connect for 1 day, so your mail is being returned to you (but, if I would try for 3 days, I might have a better chance of sending it to the user, but, let me not be that intelligent a system). 5) The users mailbox is full. I can go on, but you get the point ... If the user does not exist, then it could be that he or she does not really have an account anymore, or it could be many other things - like the mailer is temporarily broken and will be fixed within a day or so, or the site lost all its ids somehow for a short time, etc ... That being the case, just bear it and it will clear up. If you delete or nomail the user, they will then have to re-subscribe. I choose to be nice to my people and follow up as best I can, not deleting the userid until I am reasonably sure it really doesn't exist. I send mail to the postmaster sometimes to find out. Several times, they didn't even know they had a problem and thanked me for pointing it out! Another problem is a site that has a problem and you resend the mail and it works (like the one that prompted me to write in the first place). I know this takes patience, but it is worth it, at least it is to me. It is a lot harder for a user to re-sub to all the lists that they could be deleted (or, worse yet, nomailed from and they don't even know what nomail is!) from than it is for the list-owner to just be a tad patient and see if it clears up. Sometimes, even, the user had a mail forwarding address put in a few days after the initial bounce and I got it and updated my list. That is something I have been appreciated for! (And, I send LOGs too!) So there you have it - patience and a little work pays off. ** ------------------------------------------------------------------ ** ** Geert K. Marien : [log in to unmask] (Bitnet: GKMQC@CUNYVM) ** ** ListOwner: AIRLINE, RAILROAD, STAMPS, The INDIA List ** ** (All contents are my own opinions - unless otherwise stated) ** ** ------------------------------------------------------------------ **