From: Paul Phillips <paulp@is.internic.net>
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 94 16:31:15 PST
To: "Perry E. Metzger" <pmetzger@lehman.com>
Subject: Re: UNSUBSCRIBERS PLEASE READ
In-Reply-To: <9402132250.AA13784@andria.lehman.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9402131650.B3339-0100000@is.internic.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Actually, most mailing lists are run by machines, not human beings, at 
least for routine administrative tasks.  Especially for such things as 
subscribing and unsubscribing.

I too attempted to unsubscribe a couple days ago, largely because the 
noise posts are not filtered.  There are plenty of list managing software 
packages out there, which aren't difficult to install.  I suggest anyone 
planning on running a mailing list look into them; machines were made to 
do repetitive tasks.

On Sun, 13 Feb 1994, Perry E. Metzger wrote:

> 
> PLEASE READ!!!! PLEASE READ!!!! PLEASE READ!!!! PLEASE READ!!!!
> PLEASE READ!!!! PLEASE READ!!!! PLEASE READ!!!! PLEASE READ!!!!
> 
> Internet mailing lists are run by HUMAN BEINGS, NOT MACHINES. These
> humans do things like go on vacation or go to work at jobs that do not
> pay them to maintain mailing lists. The list mail frequently goes to
> another mailbox other than the maintainers, one which is only read at
> one or two week intervals. It is not unreasonable for mailing list
> maintainers to take a week or even two weeks to process your request!
> You should not be shocked by this. You should EXPECT this when you
> sign up for a list!
> 
> If you find even after several weeks of sending mail to the -request
> address that you are getting no response, DO NOT SEND MAIL TO THE
> NORMAL LIST. This may come as a shock to you, but often the person
> maintaining the list does not even subscribe to the mailing list. At
> the same time, you will be annoying hundreds if not thousands of
> people with your mail. If you have an emergency and apparently are not
> getting any service, send mail to "postmaster" on the machine that
> hosts the mailing list.
> 
> Do not on any account do this sort of thing:
> 
> K12OCEZB@vaxc.hofstra.edu says:
> > Begging your apologies but I tried unsubscribing on Friday and I'm still
> > getting mail, so please,
> > Unsubscribe Evan Boshnack
> > Do what needs to be done to "make it so"
> > Thanx,
> > Evan
>