I appreciate your pessimism in this regard, but perhaps such an attached instruction re UNSUB would reduce the sheer QUANTITY of such annoyances. ==DP At 11:56 PM 1/24/98 -0500, you wrote: >At 11:06 PM 1/24/98 -0500, you wrote: >> Could this problem be solved very simply by the automatic >>attachment of UNSUB instructions at the bottom of every message >>posted on this List? ==DP >>Dan Pearlman >>Department of English >>University of Rhode Island >>Kingston, RI 02881 >> > >Well, one never knows, do one.... BUT: I should add that on two lists I'm >on, a two-line instruction on how to go to a webpage where people can do a >simple, no-mess-no-fuss unsub is given at the bottom of every single >posting, which is more or less what you are suggesting. It does not solve >the problem at all. As I opined earlier, it's the pigritude factor, or in >some cases a kind of -- to use the pop-psych terminology -- >passive-aggressive statement about not liking the list. Some people actually >post sarcastic little messages to the list-members in general when asking to >be unsubbed. And I forgot to mention in my last post.... On two lists I'm >on, the unsub info appears in the header of every message, in addition to >all the other precuations that are taken (monthly message, etc.), and it >still doesn't end the problem, because some people's email systems don't >show them headers unless they change their settings to reveal them. > >There is no way to keep people from abusing public space without a >moderator, and sometimes that cure is worse than the disease. > >I'm usually an optimist, but not I fear on this topic. Experience is a tough >teacher. > >Best, > >Greg Downing/NYU, at [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask] > Dan Pearlman Department of English University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI 02881 [Latest book: novel, BLACK FLAMES, White Pine Press, 1997] Tel.: (home) 401 453-3027 (office) 401 874-4659 Fax: 401 874-2580 Internet: [log in to unmask]