[Mailman-Users] Feature Request: Selective Mass Subscription

[Michael Welch]

Hi friends.

I think that bulk adding is a dangerous thing to allow, from the host's viewpoint at a minimum. Who's to say what unscrupulous a-holes are ready to take advantage of that ability.

That said, my own need calls for the ability to do just that. We are qualifying individual supporters of our nonprofit outside of the list, via snail mail, sign-up sheets, and phone contact. We need to grease the skids for these folks as much as possible. It would seem flaky to make them hoop jump twice. Dealing with confirmed members and donors is MUCH different than dealing with the general public.

That also said, we still get occasional folks that say, "why the tarnation did you add me to your mail list" even when they specifically requested it--they forget what they requested, I suppose. At least they respect us enough not to complain to our host or spamcop.

Dreamhost allows subscribing using either "Subscribe" or "Invite." I do not know if they have found a way to put limits on the numbers subscribed without opt-in, but they do allow it.

It's funny, their announcement list setup pages have strict anti-spam warnings, but the discussion lists have no such thing.

And on the mass subscribe page, the default is "subscribe" and not "invite" which seems to me to be an error.

Cyndi Norwitz wrote at 08:09 PM 7/9/2008:
 
>   On Wed, Jul 9, 2008 at 10:48 PM, Cyndi Norwitz <cyndi at tikvah.com> wrote:
>   > Obviously, I disagree.  As do all the other mailing list providers that I'm
>   > aware of.
>
>   Not me.  If I were setting up a Mailman system that allowed un-trusted
>   users to admin lists, then I would remove the bulk-subscription stuff
>   ASAP.   Just saying.
>
>I appreciate your input.  I am curious what other server owners/ISP's do.
>>From the talk on this list, it would seem that any restriction on what
>listowners can do is considered a violation.  Yahoogroups allows 10 direct
>adds per day and makes you click a couple extra links to find the right
>page.  I believe the other large mailing list providers are similar. 
>
>Assuming you ran a system with users you didn't know well enough to judge,
>what sorts of options would you consider implementing?  If any...


- - - - - - - - - - - -
Michael Welch, volunteer
Redwood Alliance
PO Box 293
Arcata, CA 95518
707-822-7884
mwelch at redwoodalliance.org
www.redwoodalliance.org