Other than the emails about politics which could be considered spam at least by me, I can't remember the last time I saw spam on the plug mailing list. Maybe it is just me though. On Wed, Feb 13, 2008 at 1:48 PM, Technomage-hawke < technomage.hawke@gmail.com> wrote: > On Wednesday 13 February 2008 10:00, Alan Dayley wrote: > > > > > > Years ago I heard repeated calls to setup a web based discussion board > > for the list. Then a PLUGger generously set one up on his own. It fell > > into disuse in about three weeks or so. > > > > Then a few less years ago the suggestion was forwarded again. It did > > not lead to anything, just as this current suggestion has had no > response. > > > > Personally, I prefer email discussions over web ones. There are forums > > that can be read and posted via email to make a bridge between the two. > > If we were to do it, that is what I would vote for. > > > > However, online forums also add a problem of administration. In the > > email list, spam control is largely automatic. My understanding is that > > web forums are not as automated. The admin side of the current PLUG > > website, for example, is riddled with attempts to spam the article > > comment system. A web based forum would take more attention. In a > > purely volunteer organization like PLUG, time investment is hard to get > > and maintain. > > > > Just my input to the idea. > > > > Alan > > Alan, > judging by my inbox lately, it seems that listserv administration needs to > be > beefed up. > I have been seeing a lot of bounces and returns about "not authorized to > post > to this list" when clearly I have not done so and am not a member of those > lists. > > This is commonly called "backscatter spam" and it is the direct result of > letting a program do the preconfigured handling of spam to a list, when a > human should be taking a look (and if necessary, forwarding the "spam" to > spamhous or spamcop). Frankly, I see less spam (far less) on such forums > (everyone is required to have a valid e-mail account that the system sends > a > confirmation to each month) than I do from e-mal lists (and I am on rather > a > few of those). > > I guess the pointy I am trying to make is this: it doesn't matter what > system > you use (listserv or phpbb3 or whatever) you are still going to have > administrative headaches. They'll just be different ones. > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >