[Mailman-Users] Re: The Password Feature.

[Chuq Von Rospach]

At 2:33 PM -0700 10/2/00, Jeme A Brelin wrote:
>With passwords, you can:
>read list mail on the web
>change your configuration
>subscribe/unsubcribe
>
>Without passwords, you can:
>not access the list when you're away from your mail
>hassle the list admin endlessly for check-box changes.
>
>Where's the advantage, exactly?

sure you can. We're not talking about doing away with the 
functionality, but changing it to make it easier. For instance, 
instead of requiring users to maintain passwords, have them requiest 
an email that has a URL in it that when you go to the URL lodges an 
authentification cookie for those things. That's a LOT nicer than 
dinking with passwords.

There are some functions where passwords simply aren't necessary, but 
are currently required (for instance, unsubs). And I think the 
biggest problem with passwords is requiring users to deal with them 
when they don't need to. For instance simply ignore passwords until 
you hit a function that needs it, then send the user a password for 
the operation as a validation. One-time passwords would be a lot more 
flexible and easier on the user, for instance, especially if you have 
the option of picking one up good for 24 hours that cna be used with 
email commands and/or to set an auth cookie...

-- 
Chuq Von Rospach - Plaidworks Consulting (mailto:chuqui at plaidworks.com)
Apple Mail List Gnome (mailto:chuq at apple.com)

You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die.