[Linux-aus] Spam Happens

[Daniel Stone]

On Wed, Mar 12, 2003 at 01:26:04PM +0800, Bret Busby scrawled:
> I did not realise that the organisation was using such an unwieldy 
> mailing list application, that made it so difficult to stop 
> non-subscribers from posting to the list.

It's trivial to do so. However, the effects of doing so take up time -
approving legitimate mail from non-subscribers, approving posts from
alternate mail addresses (I change my From address, depending on who I'm
speaking for, or what I'm talking about), and so on, and so forth.
Being in quite close contact with the moderators of LUV and a few other
closed-to-non-subscriber lists, I can tell you that the burden of
maintaining a closed list is enormous.

> Perhaps, the mailing list software should be changed, so that, like 
> other mailing list software, it is a simple matter of unchecking a 
> particular checkbox.

It is a simple matter of checking a particular checkbox, however the
ramifications of doing so are large.

> And, as for "the volunteers are not there to worry about anyone else's 
> concerns" - as I am not the only one who has called for the prohibition 
> of non-subscribers posting to the list, and, as the president (as the 
> supposed spokesperson for the organisation) has not posted a response to 
> the calls, and as the only apparent committee response has been "Who 
> cares about what the people want? Not us.", we are left wondering, once 
> again, whose interests the committee serves.

I don't see what Pia has to do with this - why should she have to
personally respond to every whim of every subscriber? You seem hellbent
on dragging her into everything, and I personally have no idea why.

You're also saying that "the people want" the list to be closed. The
only people who have stood up to say "we want this" are yourself and
David Lloyd (who is making a far more eloquent case), and more people
have stood up against it. Note that no-one but you is playing the
"opinion of the masses" card, and it seems to be against you. If you
feel like doing a poll of every single linux-aus subscriber, go ahead.
Until then, please just drop it. Install spamassassin, press the delete
key (it's faster than banging out nonsensical replies to every spam we
get, for all of us. Really!), or just plain deal.

Still speaking for myself,
Daniel
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