RE: Removal

I don't mean to start a thread about this, but I felt like making a few
points.

If you check the mail headers, you'll notice that there are headers that
tell how to unsubscribe and how to query for help about the list. Of course,
most user-friendly mail programs do not by default display these headers. I
believe the intent is that email programs could use the headers
intelligently to provide menus or buttons right within the program for a
user to unsubscribe or query for help. It would be really nice to see
Microsoft and other vendors support this functionality in their programs to
make this easy. (I'm not trying to single out Microsoft, here, but since
they have about 80-90% of the email market, anything they do has a much
bigger impact than anyone else.) If vendors would jump on board with this, I
think things would work much better. Almost every email list I subscribe to
are providing such headers and are doing so in a consistent manner.

Some of the lists, instead, add standard footers to every message sent to
list subscribers that includes info on how to unsubscribe. You'd think that
would reduce the "unsubscribe" requests to the list, but it doesn't. I've
seen messages on such lists that have a one-line "unsubscribe" request
immediately followed by a standard footer that explains how to properly
unsubscribe (and in some such instances, the user actually followed up the
initial request with additional ones). Some people are just plain clueless.

Ideally, list server programs should be configured with filters that detect
one-line subscribe and unsubscribe instructions, that block the message from
the list and send a friendly message to the sender directing them to a FAQ
on netiquette and how to properly subscribe/unsubscribe from the list. Of
course, this filter would have to not only catch "unsubscribe" requests, but
also "usubscribe" requests, and "unsucbribe" requests, and... well, you get
the idea.

I think the real solution is getting the email vendors to have their
programs deal intelligently with the appropriate mail headers. And while
they are at it, it would be nice if they would make their programs
intelligent enough to not send "Out-of-Office" replies back to email lists.
I know I'm going to get about 5-10 such replies in response to this post.

Sorry about the off-topic post. I'll say no more about it.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Malcolm Dean [mailto:malcolmdean@earthlink.net]
> Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2000 12:05 PM
> To: Igor Bazdyrev; 'Stasko, Sandra A'
> Cc: xml-dist-app@w3.org
> Subject: Re: Removal
> 
> 
> Obviously, joining and leaving mail lists is far more clumsy 
> than it should
> be. Everyone sees this kind of message frequently, on all 
> kinds of lists.
> 
> I have the impression that knowing how to join and leave is 
> viewed by our
> nerd/administrators as a badge of courage. How else to 
> explain how these
> arcane and backward interfaces appear to be immortal?
> 
> Why doesn't some bright spark (perhaps someone you know) get 
> to work on
> propagating a truly easy method of leaving a list?
> 
> Do the planet a favor. Just think of the time we'd all save ... ;-)
> 
> Malcolm Dean
> News Editor, Maximum Linux  (Get a free issue at www.maximumlinux.com)
> 1015 Gayley Avenue #1229
> Los Angeles CA 90024-3424
> 213-401-2197 fax
> malcolmdean@earthlink.net
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Igor Bazdyrev" <bigor@infolio.com>
> To: "'Stasko, Sandra A'" <sandra.a.stasko@lmco.com>
> Cc: <xml-dist-app@w3.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2000 8:05 PM
> Subject: RE: Removal
> 
> 
> > Hi,
> > The way to unsubscribe explained at http://www.w3.org/Mail/
> >
> > Regards,
> > Igor Bazdyrev
> > CTO, infolio, inc.
> > bigor@infolio.com
> >
> > PS: my apology for submitting response to the entire 
> mailing list but I've
> > got few messages with the same "Removal" subject.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Stasko, Sandra A [mailto:sandra.a.stasko@lmco.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2000 2:04 PM
> > To: xml-dist-app@w3.org
> > Subject: Removal
> >
> >
> >
> > Please remove me from this list.
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

Received on Thursday, 28 September 2000 19:25:06 UTC