[Mailman-Users] Explanation for unsubscribe problems? (fwd)

[alex wetmore]

This seems to be an accurate complaint.  Clicking on the unsubscribe
link doesn't do what the user might expect.  I'm running 2.01.  Is
this fixed in 2.05 or is it going to have to wait for 2.1?

alex

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 09:03:30 -0700
From: Josh Putnam <josh at phred.org>
To: Alex Wetmore <alex at phred.org>
Subject: Explanation for unsubscribe problems?

----- Forwarded message from Bjorn Simonsen <Bjorn.Simonsen at c2i.net> -----

>In the message headers of every message sent from the list -
>you'll find:

><copy from headers>
>List-Help: <mailto:touring-request at phred.org?subject=3Dhelp>
>List-Post: <mailto:touring at phred.org>
>List-Subscribe: <http://www.phred.org/mailman/listinfo/touring>,
>    <mailto:touring-request at phred.org?subject=3Dsubscribe>
>List-Id: International Bicycle Touring Mailing List <touring.phred.org>
>List-Unsubscribe: <http://www.phred.org/mailman/listinfo/touring>,
>       <mailto:touring-request at phred.org?subject=3Dunsubscribe>
>List-Archive: <http://www.phred.org/pipermail/touring/>
><end copy from headers>

>Problem: When the <mailto:touring-
>request at phred.org?subject=3Dunsubscribe> is used to generate a message,
>the MLM replies as follows:

><copy from the MLM reply>
>This is an automated response.
>There were problems with the email commands you sent to Mailman via
>the administrative address <touring-request at phred.org>.

>To obtain instructions on valid Mailman email commands, send email to
><touring-request at phred.org> with the word "help" in the subject line
>or in the body of the message.

>If you want to reach the human being that manages this mailing list,
>please send your message to <touring-admin at phred.org>.

>The following is a detailed description of the problems.

>***** unsubscribe
>>>>>> Usage: unsubscribe <password> [<email-address>]

><end copy from the MLM reply>

>Thus a password is required to for the unsub command to work.

>You should be aware of this since *some*  Windows e-mail clients will gene=
>rate a clickable link
>(in the message body) for subscription management (unsubscribe / subscribe=
> / get help or more
>info)  - based on  the "List-" headers. When clicked - the client offers t=
>o send a message
>automatically.
>
>No wonder then if some gets confused if the automatically generated unsub =
>message
>does not work.  It does not work because it is sent without the required p=
>assword in the subject
>field, and it gets sent this way because the client generate a message bas=
>ed on the information
>in the message headers - as supplied by your MLM/server.

>In short, error caused by your MLM/server who generates the "List-"
>mail headers,  not the subscribers fault.  Keep this in mind before you
>sigh over people having missed the footer, when it is all in the header
>;).

>For more info see: RFC 2369 "Use of URLs as Meta-Syntax for Core Mail
>List Commands and their Transport through Message Header Fields" and
>RFC 2368=A0"mailto URL scheme" at <http://www.imc.org/rfcs.html>

>All the best,
>Bjorn Simonsen

----- End forwarded message -----