Theos-Talk Archives (September 1997 Message tl00305)

> hi -
> 
> Vnet is requiring all lists to be set to "approved requests".
> the following letter was sent to all list owners.
> 
> The only problem I can see with this is the small delay  
> it takes to confirm an address.
> 
> john e. mead
> 
> p.s.
> FYI - all ISP's (world-wide) are taking stronger action to prevent spam.
> 
> ----------
> > Subject: Listowner confirmed subscriptions
> > Date: Tuesday, September 16, 1997 10:38 AM
> > 
> > We have a problem with forged subscription requests.  I'm switching
> > everyone to listowner approved subscriptions.  Several sinister people
> > on the net have been sending forged subscription requests to our
> > listproc and many other mailing list servers on the Internet.  The
> > object of these forgeries is to subscribe a victim to hundreds of
> > mailing lists against the victim's will.  This floods the victim's
> > mail box with thousands of unwanted emails a day, effectively
> > depriving them of the use of their mail box. 
> > 
> > With the software we use here at Vnet, the only practical way to
> > prevent this problem is to require listowner confirmation of
> > subscriptions.  Later today, I will switch any open subscription lists
> > we have to listowner approved subscription mode.  When someone
> > requests subscription to a list, the listproc will send a notice to
> > the listowner.  The listowner then sends a note to the person who
> > requested the subscription.  If the person replies and confirms that
> > they want to subscribe, the listowner manually subscribes them using a
> > "system" command.  
> > 
> > Any lists which already required listowner confirmation of
> > subscriptions are not affected by this change.