>I would second a suggestion made by Roger Burns, I think. Change the >subscription to By_owner. If a person puts noise on the list, off them. >As people subscription, give them the admonition about what the list is >about. I agree. I run a list that is in this mode (subscription by owner, but unmoderated). In 2 years, I have only once had to boot someone off the list. When I get a subscription request, I send a "form letter" back to the potential subscriber, asking them to send me a paragraph about themself, their professional background, and their interest in the list. (If I add them to the list, I forward their response to the list to "introduce" them to the list. This is a popular networking feature on my list.) This takes some time, but not as much time as moderating the list would. Incidentally, does anyone know if listserv can *automatically* forward a "tell me about yourself before I sign you on the list" message to people who request subscription on a list that is subscription to By_owner? I still occasionally have the problem of novice users on the list (people who are professionally interested in the list but are computer novices) posting administrative stuff (signoff etc) to the list. I have minimized this by sending a detailed welcome message to each new member telling them the basics of using listserv (I find that few read/understand the form letter sent out by listserv at subscription, since for most of my subscribers, my list is the first and only they have subscribed to). Joe ************************************************************************** Joseph B. Stanford, MD, MSPH internet: [log in to unmask] Department of Family bitnet: [log in to unmask] and Preventive Medicine voice: (801) 581-7234 University of Utah fax: (801) 581-2759 50 North Medical Drive list owner: [log in to unmask] Salt Lake City, UT 84132 [log in to unmask] **************************************************************************