17 april 1995 Ottawa I think the requirement for individuals on a service like AOL or COMPUSERVE to know how to manage a list before they start up one is valid. Possibly a couple of skill testing questions could be made part of an online test prospects must pass to get listowner privileges. If the listowner just vanishes the answer is simple: no owner subscribed, list dies. Just do a broadcast to the list explaining why the list is dieing when the subscriber leaves the service and do a delete *@* and issue postmaster's commands to remove the list from the server. Nice and simple, can even keep a job template around to do it. An auto responder could be set up to automatically explain to enquiries to listname-request that the list died due to its sponsor cancelling their subscription to AOL etc. The unique list idea is not really an issue as I see it because someone may choose to set up a list for their own uses e.g. the Imperial Order of Water Buffaloes, lodge 1234 list and if someone else wants to set up a competing list, that is free enterprise. The listowners will probably find people gravitate towards one of them eventually. Food for thought. Brian Lingard [log in to unmask]